Cinderella and the Glass Ceiling: And Other Feminist Fairy Tales looked like a short book. I figured, as I knew the original tales, this would be an easy read for the night. In fact, most likely would be able to finish that evening.
Comedy team Laura Lane and Ellen Haun created a funny, but we know these feminist stories. Cinderella does not need the prince to take her out of poverty. It is Rapunzel’s choice to shave areas of her body or not. It is all about consent, even when a princess has been asleep for hundreds of years. Yet this time, the stories are told with modern language (borderline slang in places and out-and-out terms only seen within the last few years) and a lot stronger attitude. A very not popular opinion here: I did not need to be talked down to by most of the characters. A perfect example is the princess in the Princess and the Pea. I understand that it was an issue there, but frankly I felt she was womansplaining. If mansplaining gets a bad rap, anything that sounds like it should, too.
I consider myself a feminist, but I am also a “just because we have been put down for centuries does not mean we have the right to bash men this way.” The prince in Rapunzel might have been way off with his opinions, but even a dunce cap has a point. It does not have to yours.
With all the negatives I felt this book had, there are a lot of positives too. It is a fun, quick read. It is a great book for your very feminist friends. It could be a gift for your “woke” male friends. It is an interesting book to read and discuss. Especially with people who do not think the same way as you do. I could see this in a college classroom setting. It might not win awards, or become a classic, but I will not be surprised to see Cinderella and the Glass Ceiling get attention in the next few months and especially after if comes out in March 2020.