Retellings of myths and fairy tales

 As a voracious reader, I have read many, many, MANY books through my time here on this planet. And naturally, although I read all sorts of books, there are certain genres, and sub-genres that I prefer. Among them are novels based on fairy tales, fables, and/or mythology. This is a popular genre on its own, and within this fandom/readership you'll find readers who absolutely love this or that one tale - i.e. Beauty and the Beast, and so they gravitate towards retellings of that story.

I enjoy various fairy tales/myths and their retellings, and have come across some amazing novels/graphic novels/TV shows/movies, et. al. Some are retellings of just one myth/tale, while others are a mashup of various stories - for example the TV show 'Once Upon A Time', or the graphic novel series 'Fables', or the Elemental Mages novel series by Mercedes Lackey. And naturally, I am going to see the same character presented in some wildly different images/personalities.

I also like reading reviews, both of books I love and books I hate, and sometimes gain valuable insights, even from people who hated a book I loved, or vice versa. However, one complaint that I find to be absolutely unnecessary in the genre of retellings of myths/fairy tales is 'the (character) in this story is not MY (same character)

When I read about people complaining that (character) would never act this way, this is not my (character), that's not how (character) is supposed to be, this is not how I imagine (character), I can't help but think, yeah, no fucking shit, Sherlock! Different authors/writers/artists are going to envision the same character in different ways, and that's one thing I like about retellings. I don't wanna read the same thing over and over and read about Beauty or Cinderella or Persephone or whoever being the same personality type and having the same experiences (or reactions) every time I read a story based on that character or myth/tale. Sure, there are some retellings I've enjoyed more than others, but I try my best to judge them to the same standard that I would judge a book of any genre. There are plenty enough issues that can harm a book, regardless of what it is about, without slamming someone for their interpretation of a character.

So if a character - whether they be female or male or the main character or a side character - doesn't match my own personal conception of that character, I'm not going to trash the author and give their work a 1-star rating/F/thumbs down or whatever.

It is useless and trite to attack a retelling (or its author) for not turning out the exact way you want it to because it's not YOUR retelling. There's a reason why mythology, folklore, and fairy tales are so beloved across the world, and why the subgenre of retellings of these stories is also a popular one in the world of literature. It's honestly fun for me to read different stories about much-loved characters, and this has caused me to come across, and truly enjoy other people's retellings even if what they decided for this or that character wasn't something that I would have chosen for the same character in my own imagination.

P.S. I'd like to add a list of personal recommendations here. I've done my best to recommend stuff I think that most if not all of my readers/fans would enjoy, but naturally, reading/media preferences are not entirely objective :)

Movies

Shrek. I know it's probably a bit dated now, but it's still an overall solid fun CG-animated film that mashes together various fairy tales.

Secret Magic Control Agency (also known as Hansel and Gretel) Another CGI movie, this one is much more recent and I recently watched it on Netflix. It's goofy but fun, and like Shrek, mashes up various fairy tales.

The 10th Kingdom. TV/movie miniseries, it's a bit old, but it's still hella lot of fun and mixes different fairy tales along with creating some new ones.

Disney. Some people love it, some people hate it. I'm not pro- or anti- Disney (except for specific things or whatever) but some of their movies have been solid. I like most of the cartoon movies even though some of them are quite dated. For the live-action remakes, I've really liked Beauty and the Beast, and The Jungle Book. For the animated ones, my favorites are Hercules, Brave, and Princess and the Frog (though when I was a little kid, the Little Mermaid was my absolute favorite!)

TV Shows

Once Upon A Time (at least, the first 4 seasons. After that it just jumped the shark) Various fairy tales mixed up into an urban fantasy setting, had an original premise and the first few seasons were solid storytelling with intriguing characters.

Ever-After High (based on the YA novel series of the same name) I'm not a huge fan of the ultra-skinny bodies they use for the majority of the characters, but I like the stories themselves, this is another mix-up of various classic fairy tales.

Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess (starring Kevin Sorbo and Lucy Lawless respectively) Some of the episodes could be really out there or anachronistic, but it's a fun romp through mythology, and not just Greek or Roman.

Novels

Monsters of Greek Mythology by Bernard Evslin. When I was a kid, the library had a bunch of books in this series in individual hardback format. The collection is now available in e-book version, sans the illustrations that came with the hard copies, which is a shame as the various pictures depicted could be spot-on at times (they were photos of various works of art, from modern to classical, with some recognizable works by recognized masters of art)

Elemental Masters series by Mercedes Lackey. I have not read the few most recent titles (as of 2022) but most of the early books are solid, being a mix of fairy tale retelling and urban fantasy settings (Victorian and Edwardian eras) Personal faves being Phoenix and Ashes (Cinderella) and Reserved for the Cat (Puss in Boots)

Daughters of Zeus series by Kaitlin Bevis. A refreshing modern-day YA take on various myths, particularly those of Persephone and Aphrodite, with some surprising (but fantastic) twists on the old stories.

Receiver of Many/Destroyer of Light-Unlike the previous recommendation, this is Hades and Persephone that is not safe for the kiddies. But it's well-researched and well-told, with a sexy Hades. Rawr.

Beauty by Sheri S. Tepper. A mix of medieval, modern fantasy, and science fiction, Beauty is one of the most original takes I've ever seen in fairy tale retellings, and overall this is one of my favorite authors for sci-fi. Several fairy tales are mixed in here but the main character/story is based on Sleeping Beauty.

American Gods by Neil Gaiman. How the fuck can I NOT put that here? :)

Beauty by Robin McKinley. Based on Beauty and the Beast, and really made an impression on me back when I read it in high school. Beauty's smart and good-hearted, a winning combination. And the Beast? Hmm, read and find out for yourself.

Songs on Bronze by Nigel Spivey. The author takes on various Greek myths and retells them, adding interesting detail. Not a full-on novel but a collection of various myths the author chose to retell.

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine. Based on Cinderella, this was one of the most unique and memorable novels I've ever read. Highly recommended.

Graphic Novels

Fables series by Bill Willingham, including various spinoffs such as Jack of Fables and Fairest. Heavily based on fairy tales including many popular ones such as Snow White, Cinderella, or the Big Bad Wolf, but it does have mythology and folklore as well, with many sources and references.

Hades, Lord of the Dead by George O'Connor. This is the fourth installment in the Olympian series by the author, but I chose this because I love the myth of Hades and Persephone, and this is a really fun graphic retelling of the myth.

The Sandman by Neil Gaiman, including spinoffs such as The Thessaliad or Destiny: A Chronicle of Deaths Foretold. This includes a lot of mythology from around the world, including Christian mythology.

This is just a partial list, I've read/seen PLENTY of stories within this genre, but didn't want the list to become too long :P For more book recommendations (or to share your own recommendations with me) check out my book reviews/blog at M.M. Strawberry Library and Reviews at Goodreads. https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/12558730-m-m-strawberry-library-reviews