Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister - Gregory Maguire

Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire

BLURB:
We all know the story of the beautiful girl, Cinderella, made to work among the ashes, but what if the fairy tale told only half the story? What fate befell her ugly stepsisters... and what curses accompanied Cinderella's looks?
Set against the backdrop of seveteenth-century Holland, Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister is Gregory Maguire's stunning retelling of the classic fairy tale - and a novel of beauty, betrayal, illusion and understanding in its own right.


MY VERSION:
The story starts slow but gradually picks up towards the middle. Cinderella in this book is actually named Clara van de Meer, daughter of a Dutch merchant. Her mother has kept her educated in fine manners and protected behind closed doors. Clara is not allowed to step foot outside her family walls and she loathes to do so. She is introverted, and also "uppity" but cares for her father after her mother passed.
The story is told from the view of the younger stepsister, Iris, who is kind and pratical, wary of her mother's evils. She is plain and unbecoming, and self-concious of it. The older stepsister, Ruth, was born huge and lumbering, with withered limbs, and the mother relies on Iris to take Ruth in hand and take care of her. The mother in question is a very shrewd woman who goes to all lengths to ensure she gets her way.
Interaction between these four central characters begin when the mother is hired at the van de Meer household to assist in housekeeping.

All in all, this is alright in my opinion. The story is not fast paced, but has enough substence and character development to make up for it. I did get bored a little in some parts when Iris goes off into her fantasies of imps and sprites. Spanning 397 pages, Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister is a refreshing insight to the traditional Cinderella story.