The Many Reincarnations
of Cinderella
Perhaps the most famous fairy tale in Western literature, Cinderella has been retold and
reimagined in a staggering number of books and movies. The books and movies fall within two
categories: modern day Cinderella
stories featuring an underdog heroine and historical Cinderella stories with a
twist – such as telling the story from the point of view of a mouse that gets
turned into a horse. Cinderella has also become part of a catchphrase for any
sports team that attains great success against all odds or any individual who
goes from rags to riches. I will
confine myself to commenting on a few historical Cinderella books, including my
own: Ardennia: The Unlikely Story of Cinderella’s Prince.
Let’s start with Cinderella
and the Prince by Bridget Cantwell.
In a sentence this version of Cinderella is about childhood friends
James and Gabriella reuniting to save the kingdom of Essenia from an evil
prince (we authors love to have titles like Narnia,
Ardennia and Essenia). The plot comes down to Gabriella – the
Cinderella in this story – preventing her stepmother from stealing her
inheritance. The magic that overcomes all obstacles in this story comes from
Gabriella’s courage, loyalty, and love for her friends.
The Prince’s Diary by Renee Ting simply
takes a peek at Cinderella’s prince’s personal diary to tell the tale from his
point of view. This novella of 32 pages
is geared towards juveniles. Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine,
however, was written for older readers and was made into a popular movie. In this take on Cinderella the magic flows
from the gift of obedience that is given to her by a fairy. As you can imagine this gift complicates life
for Cinderella and is something she must overcome. To spice things up various mythical creatures
such as elves, ogres, gnomes and giants were incorporated into the tale.
Recent Cinderella spin offs are: Cinderella is evil (2020) by Jamie
Campell (tells story from viewpoint of Cinderella's sister), Creating
Cinderella (2020) by K.A. Mitimore (Twelve retold stories by twelve
different authors), Cinderella is Dead by (2020) Kalynn Bayron (Two
hundred years after Cinderella found her prince a new generation of teen girls
attend an annual ball) and, of course, Ardennia
(release date October 5, 2021).
Ardennia, in a nutshell, captures the
magic, brutality and earthiness of the age of chivalry as it chronicles the
many adventures and tribulations of Cinderella’s prince. It uses the same point of view as The Prince’s Diary, but adds original
tales about pixies, trolls, dwarves, fairies and nymphs. It also has secondary and tertiary love
stories that feature a buffoon and a hunchback.
In addition Ardennia brings to
life an amazing number of memorable medieval characters that include a bean
counter who wagers his gold tooth in a dice game, a merchant who can never be too
prosperous, a band of female brigands, pilgrims that argue over who is the most
pious, a cobbler who has come into the possession of a goose that lays golden
eggs, a hermit who is mistaken for a hobgoblin and a beggar who has been cursed
with leprosy for committing all the cardinal sins.
What makes Ardennia unique is that it adheres to
the following tenent: There is much that
is magical in this world, but hardly any real magic to be had. This nuance allows for a great deal of
realism in my novel and keeps the magic – most of the time – at the periphery
of the action.
My Bio: I am a literature-major drop out who received
a Bachelor’s degree in biology and science education from the University of
Wisconsin. I taught marine biology in
Puerto Rico, worked as a diver for the Australian Institute of Marine Science,
wrote and award winning play and founded Save the Rainforest in 1988 www.savetherainforestnow.org. In my spare time I read, bicycle, cross
country ski and write plays and novels.
To get the book, follow me or see reviews of Ardennia
go to:
www.literaryworksbrucecalhoun.com/novels.html
