There's nothing like an old story with a new twist.
I think I first noticed my obsession with “retold” stories when Wicked by Gregory Maguire came out. The Wizard of Oz is a much-loved story from my childhood (much to my husband’s chagrin), and the idea that the Wicked Witch might not be quite what we were told was intriguing. Maguire's take on Elphaba and Galinda, and the entire ensemble of Ozian characters breathed new life into the story, adding another, and might I say much needed, dimension. (I also love the musical, except for Fiyero’s casting…) I’m also diving into Danielle Paige’s new Oz books, beginning with Dorothy Must Die, and loving the idea that Dorothy isn’t as sweet as she seems.
Fairy tales seem to be easy source material for these retellings. Jane Yolen's Briar Rose sets Sleeping Beauty in the tragedy of the Holocaust. Marissa Meyer’s YA Lunar Chronicles retell the princess tales in a futuristic society (Cinder/ella is a cyborg), while Helen Oyeyemi’s beautiful Boy, Snow, Bird transports Snow White to 1950s segregated America. Maguire also has Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister (Cinderella) and one of the most intriguing reworkings--Mirror, Mirror, which links Snow White with the story of Lucrezia Borgia and her family.
There are also side characters in literary fiction who are so interesting that their stories are practically screaming to be told. I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem by Maryse Conde turns The Crucible and the Salem Witch Trials around by giving Tituba her voice (and also has a really odd crossover with The Scarlet Letter--which also has a great retelling in the dystopian When She Woke by Hillary Jordan). Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys takes Jane Eyre’s mad wife in the attic and makes her an extremely sympathetic and tragic character. Another one of my favorites is My Jim by Nancy Rawles, a retelling of Huck Finn from the perspective of the wife Jim has left behind. It’s a poignant and heartbreaking tale, much different from its source.
For those who want a comedic twist on their old plots, Christopher Moore's books Fool and The Serpent of Venice (King Lear and The Merchant of Venice, respectively) are wonderful romps through the Shakespearean landscape. He also has his slightly irreverent novel Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal, which is one of my all-time favorites.
As much as I love new, innovative plots, there’s nothing that sends me for my wallet quite like a retelling of a classic story. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I just noticed that Sarah Pinborough has a new trilogy of “wicked” princess stories.
**Disclaimer: I linked each of these books to Barnesandnoble.com so interested individuals could read the plot synopses. I do not receive any compensation from them.
