There was so much love for Lady Tremaine by Rachel Hochhauser on the interwebz that I finally caved and got it from the library.
Etheldreda is a two-time widow. She lives with her daughters and her stepdaughter in a crumbling mansion with only a couple of incredibly loyal servants. Etheldreda believes in keeping up appearances because if her daughters can marry well, their problems will be solved. So when there's a ball to introduce people to the very eligible prince, she's pumped when all three girls get to go. But we soon learn all is not right with the kingdom.
This is a take on the Cinderella tale from the POV of the stepmother. It was interesting, but really just made me think everyone in the story was terrible. Surely there are good people out there? One of the key features of Cinderella is that Cindy is truly kind and hardworking (I mean, at least in the Disney version I'm familiar with). In this book she's lazy and entitled and it feels like it's truly a different story. I mean, obviously the stepmother would have a different view of Cinderella than Cinderella herself, but the character is completely different.
So. Hm.
It really is a good look at how, for most of human history, women's fates have been determined by the men in their lives. It's a look at the most genteel of survival.
But, to be honest, Etheldreda isn't evil enough for me here. 3/5 stars
Lines of note:
One had to have a shell, or at least the projection of one, for protection. For the sake of presentability, all our lives were a performance. (page 7)
I had once heard a sculptor compare his children to marble. He said, like stone, their future shape lingers inside of them, waiting to be revealed. But I believed that children were paintings as much as they were sculptures. You shepherded the along from blank canvas: guiding and cajoling and teaching and begging and reprimanding and instructing and demanding pushing and prodding the finished art into a picture of your own making. A stone is just a stone until someone appears with a chisel. (page 62)
"Of course families are negotiated. We are all in negotiation. A marriage begins with negotiation and continues to be one. And that is if fortune smiles upon you! If you are not viewed as chattel, or property." (page 201)
There are far-fetched stories of headless men that wander, bodies that keep walking without skulls. But I've killed enough chickens to know: Sometimes a torso keeps going. The last pumps of the heart. The legs moving. The final stumble before the collapse. (page 247)
Things I've looked up:
girandole (page 58) - an ornamental branched candle holder, a convex wall mirror fitted with candle arms, or a cluster-style pendant earring featuring three dangling drops
solecism (page 202) - a grammatical mistake in writing or speech, or a breach of good manners and social etiquette
austringer (page 204) - one who keeps goshawks
Hat mentions (why hats?):
large sun hat (page 47)
ridiculous hat (page 57)
sew a ribbon to a hat (page 119)
it is my hat (page 119)
unbecoming hat (page 119)
new hat (page 119)
ugliest, most regrettable hat (page 119)
do not need to concern yourself with the hat (page 119)
I do not think her hat is ugly (page 120)
the hat and veil and gloves (page 123)
I pulled my hat down (page 139)
ribbons of her hat (page 151)
complimented your hat (page 152)
tipped his hat (page 154)
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Okay, real talk. Do you think I'm not vibing with any of these books because of the time of year? Do you find yourself being harsher about books during certain seasons/times?
I know this one has been popular, and I have it on hold at the library. Will I love it? Don’t know. I don’t think that the stepmother should be evil if the story is told from her point of view, we should understand her motivations more. I’m trying to think of whether I have heard / read / seen any versions other than the Disney version? Hmmm. As to your not vibing, could be the impending doom of winter before you, or could be just that these books would never hit right for you.
ReplyDeleteI really liked this, and I'm kind of chuckling over the thought that Etheldreda should have been more evil. I guess looking back, before I started the book I did think she would be more of the "evil stepmother"... but I liked her, and this book, as they were. But- to each his own! Maybe it's your mood, or maybe you just didn't care for this one. Or, maybe you should seek out books with more evil characters and see if you like those more.
ReplyDeleteI got this book from the library at the same time as Calamity Club (both holds came up at once.) Calamity Club is really long so I thought I’d start with Lady Tremaine. Couldn’t really make myself want to read it so ended up started Calamity Club instead. I am really liking it so far and will probably return Lady Tremaine without reading it this time. Maaaybeee I will read it later? Not sure if it’s for me. It was good to hear your point of view on this popular book! *Dulcie*
ReplyDeleteI read this and thought it was pretty entertaining - I liked seeing where the parallels and where the twists were. (I just accidentally wrote "twits" instead of "twist" and realized that both could be true...) At some point, I just realized it was a thriller in period costumes when it got kind of twisted and creepy. I'm not really a thriller person, but I did want to see how it all ended up.
ReplyDeleteAlso - what's with Ethel taking off with the guy on the horse without any luggage or a hand bag or anything? *That* I had a hard time with. You don't go off on a road trip with empty pockets.
I've not even heard of this book. I do think the switch in POV would be interesting, but ughh if they're all unlikeable.
ReplyDeleteI don't have weather switch-ups like you; if that's what your slump might be coming from, it seems you might need something a bit cozier.