I haven't read many retelling in my life; one is, in fact, the right number. And I don't plan on reading much more because I have mix feelings about them. Here's why.
- It's like the author ran out of ideas -
I'll be the first one to say that the one and only retelling series I read was fabulous. It's one of my favorite of all time, and I would recommend it to everyone.
That being said, I can't help but feel like authors who write these type of stories ran out of ideas. We're you lacking so much creativity that you had to take an already existent story to make your own? Of course not! I know that! But you have to wonder: why not invent a completely new universe? Isn't that the fun of writing; creating your OWN place where everything YOU want is possible?
- It's been done before -
Retellings are just that: retellings. We've all know the story of Alice in Wonderland. I know what happens, I know what the characters will be like and I don't care to read a book where the things I know have been tweaked a bit to make a different story.
Then again, the whole point of retellings is to create NEW stories that will surprise readers, not write the exact same thing over and over again.
- I don't get excited -
Retellings, as original and interesting as they may be, will never be completely unique because they will always be link to that one story from which they were created.
For my part, I read books that get me excited; if I'm not feeling it, then I don't read it. More and more, I find myself looking for books that really stand out, that have that never-before-seen factor that really grabs my attention. Unfortunately, retellings don't fit that category.
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At the end of the day, my experience with retellings remains very positive, but I simply have no interest in reading any more.
What are your thoughts on this? I want to hear your opinion, don't be shy!
Sophie
I'm with you, not a big fan of retellings. I have read some that I've enjoyed but as you said, know how it's going to end. I want new stories, new lands to visit, new worlds to explore, new people to meet!
ReplyDeleteExactly! And the thing is, I really want to like them! I want to be on board with the Lunar Chronicles! But I don't have any motivation to read them...
DeleteAww, I'm sorry to hear that; I love retellings myself! Although I quite agree with some of your point -- retellings where the ending (or at least the endpoint) is blindingly obvious can be very frustrating. Like ACOTAR -- I didn't feel like there was real chemistry, only a "welp this has got to happen" kind of thing. But I've loved some other retellings, like The Wrath and the Dawn! While retellings can sound better than they actually are, I still believe they have so much potential. As someone who loves writing them as well, I can say that it is extremely fun to subvert some of the expectations or completely change plot points — I normally only borrow the inciting incident. (I'll confess to skipping over most of the thousands of Cinderella retellings that have appeared, though.)
ReplyDeletePS: Just curious, which was the retelling you liked?
That's the tricky part. As I mentioned a lot of time in my post, I did have a great experience with retellings (It was The Looking Glass War, by Frank Beddor. I know lots of people say it sucks, but I read it in French and maybe the translation was better than the original, but I absolutely loved it!), but I can't seem to find any more motivation to read them now. And I know you write retellings, and when you talk about your WIP, it sounds so interesting! In fact, when someone talks to me about a retelling, like The Wrath and the Dawn for example, I'm so into it! Then it comes to actuallly reading it and I don't feel like it:/
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