Read with MLC: Retelling of a Classic

Welcome to October, and the tenth month of the 2024 Read With MLC reading challenge! This month's reading prompt is to read a retelling of a classic. Once a tale has been released into the public domain, the sky's the limit when it comes to storytellers and their ability to put their own stamp on an older work. (Want to learn more about when works hit the public domain? Check out one of our earlier posts here.)  Meg Donohue, author of the Wuthering Heights retelling You, Me, and the Sea says that, "Reimaginings present a unique delight to readers because they manage to combine the pleasure of surprising twists with the comfort of a familiar story." Whether you long to hear the "Wicked" Witch's side of the story (Wicked by Gregory Maguire) or you want to see Anne of Green Gables succeed in the modern world (Anne of Manhattan by Brina Starler), there's a retelling of a classic out there you're going to love.

Without further ado, check out some of our staff's favorite retellings below:

Jane Steele
Lyndsay Faye
BARD
This book is based on Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë. The link to the MLC holding is here and the BARD download here.
-Shellie Zeigler, Library Consultant

The Graveyard Book
Neil Gaiman
MLC
BARD
This book is based on The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling. The link to the MLC holding is here and the BARD download here.
-Alex Brower, Information Services Director

Thornhedge
T. Kingfisher
BARD
This book is based on Sleeping Beauty by Charles Perrault. The link to the MLC holding is here and the BARD download here.
-Mikayla Johnson, MAGNOLIA Outreach Coordinator 

Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld
BARD
This book is based on Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. The link to the MLC holding is here and the BARD download here.
-Shellie Zeigler, Library Consultant

Pride, Prejudice, and Zombies
Seth Grahame Smith
BARD
This book is based on Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. The link to the MLC holding is here and the BARD download here.
-Mikayla Johnson, MAGNOLIA Outreach Coordinator

A Thousand Acres
Jane Smiley
BARD
This book is based on King Lear by William Shakespeare.
-Shellie Zeigler, Library Consultant

Till We Have Faces
C.S. Lewis
MLC
BARD
This book is based on the tales of Cupid and Psyche found in The Metamorphoses of Apuleius. The link to the BARD download is here.
-Elisabeth Scott, Reference Librarian

Would you like to finally make it through a long, tedious classic, albeit one with a new name and fresh words? Would you like to reread a book you love, but with new twists and turns you could never imagine? Join our reading challenge and check one out this month. Would you like a little extra help finding a retelling you want to read? Try MLC's BookMatch service! Fill out our short form letting us know your reading likes and dislikes, and we'll send you a list of recommended reads tailored to your tastes. Until next time, happy reading!