The Retellings Review (and Fairy Tales Too!)
Commentary by Grace W. Wong
If you read as much from the fantasy genre as I do, you may have noticed that older books frequently feature the fantastical beings most commonly known as “fairies” while newer works tend to feature “fae” instead. I cannot help but wonder why this is the case? When I think about possible answers, they all... Continue Reading →
Have you ever wondered just how many movies were adapted from books? When I first thought about that question, I didn’t comprehend just how much the film industry has been thriving off of retellings. From J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series to Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, nearly everyone in this day and age has... Continue Reading →
Once upon a time, a little girl wearing red journeyed into the woods to visit her grandmother. She would soon have her infamous encounter with “the big bad wolf.” I won’t go into the details of this story. Many people know it, but not many are aware of its origins. They are highly debated, with... Continue Reading →
What is a trope? I thought I knew the answer to this question, but when I searched the phrase “define trope,” I was surprised by the results. Oxford Languages’ first definition of the word “trope” is “a figurative or metaphorical use of a word or expression.” Apparently, tropes refer to figurative language, such as similes,... Continue Reading →
Are the majority of Cinderella retellings now retellings of retellings? Before I confuse you even more, I’ll describe the thought process that led up to this question. When most people discuss Cinderella, they first think about Disney’s animated movie in which everything is rated PG and nothing gory happens at all. However, the original version... Continue Reading →
Given how Disney has been converting many of its animated princess movies into live-action versions, I’d like to pause my focus on literary retellings to look at how songs translate in the retelling process. What I’m talking about is the multitude of changes that songs in animated movies seem to undergo even when they appear... Continue Reading →
When I recently learned of fanfiction, I didn’t really pay much attention. That is, I didn’t pay attention until I realized that fanfiction was really just a synonym for retellings. It was like fireworks went off inside my head as I connected how fanfiction describes a bunch of authors (or in this case, fans) retelling... Continue Reading →
In many of my previous blogs I mention some of my favorite retellings. Today I decided to compile a list of some of the retellings I most recommend. The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer Literally any book by K.M. Shea (most of them are retellings)! Of Earth & Shadow by Kimberly A. Rogers Circe by... Continue Reading →
Have you ever noticed a certain phenomenon? The phenomenon in question is when authors write series where each book in the series is a retelling of a different fairy tale or story. In recent years this seems to be a trend! One popular example of this phenomenon is The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer. This... Continue Reading →
There is one decision that nearly all fantasy authors who write about humans must consider before they even start writing or typing their book. This one decision is based on a very simple question… Should humans be “in the know?” Basically, it’s the question of whether or not us normal, magicless, mortal human beings should... Continue Reading →
The Retellings Review (and Fairy Tales Too!) 