I love retellings. I love how little details can change the perspective of an entire story.
But it seems like many retellings are YA, and I want something that feels a little more adult. It doesn’t necessarily need mature themes (like sex or excess gore, etc) I just want a writing style that’s “heavier” than a standard YA book. I am open to an excellent YA book though.
Some examples of what I love/looking for:
Milady by Laura Anderson, The Three Musketeers from the perspective of Milady de Winter, their arch nemesis
Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese, a historical fiction account of a woman who meets Nathanial Hawthorne and inspires his eventual book.
The Beast’s Heart by Leife Shallcross, a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, from the perspective of the Beast, who is an actual cursed creature
Plus some obvious, popular retellings like Song of Achilles, The Witch’s Heart, Silence of the Girls, the many, many, many Jane Austen retellings, etc.
by MorganAndMerlin
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Check out Spinning Silver and other books by Naomi Novik
Wicked by Gregory Maguire. You might be familiar with the broadway show or the recent movie. The novel is different, and rather darker.
The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo. An anthology of short stories that are all retellings of fairy tales and myths.
The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer. Cinderella, Snow White, Red Riding Hood, and Rapunzel retold, in the same setting, with an overarching plot.
It may be too obvious a choice, as it was one of the best novels of 2024, but Percival Everett’s *James*. It’s a retelling of *Huckleberry Finn* from Jim/James’ perspective.
An older classic retelling I don’t hear much about anymore if John Gardner’s *Grendel*.