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Old myths and fairy tales are entertaining, and they often contain important lessons, but they are complicated by archaic language. Classical literature teaches human truths and connects us but can be dense and, let’s be honest, a little boring. People who want to read myths, fairytales, or classics might consider starting with novels that are adaptations of the original stories.
Reading the adaptations first will help people understand the story without having to shift through the things that make myths, fairy tales, and classics harder to read. The original story will then be easier to read afterwards. Reading the adaptations after you read the original myths, fairy tales, and classics can be fun too. Readers will see how the author used the original story to create new worlds, characters, and themes.
Reimagining Myths
Rick Riordan (check out his website) has written many series that all center around different ancient myths. If you’re interested in Greek mythology, read Percy Jackson and the Olympians. If you want to learn more about Roman mythology, you should check out The Heroes of Olympus. For people who want to know Egyptian mythology, The Kane Chronicles are the way to go. Lastly, if you would rather read about Norse mythology, check out Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard. All of these books center on a young protagonist who is descended from a god. They must discover their powers and rescue civilization from ancient enemies.
Fairy Tale Retellings
An author who is particularly good at fairy tale adaptations is Marissa Meyer (check out her website). The Lunar Chronicles is a dystopian fiction series, with each book based on a different fairy tale—Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, and Snow White. She also wrote Heartless, which is her take on the Queen of Hearts from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and the Gilded duology, which reimagines Rumpelstiltskin.
One of my favorite fairy tales is Beauty and the Beast. Two retellings of this story that I really enjoy are the Court of Fairy Tales trilogy and Where the Dark Stands Still. The Court of Fairy Tales trilogy (buy the first book here) is about a human who is kidnapped by a cursed faerie. She fights to break the curse, while also figuring out her greenwitch powers. Where the Dark Stands Still (buy it here) incorporates elements of Polish folklore to its retelling. A girl is tricked into serving a forest demon who wants to use her magic to free himself.
Adaptations of Classical and Canonical Literature
A Far Better Thing is a retelling of A Tale of Two Cities. It is told from the perspective of Sydney Carton, who is a faerie servant. The events of the story do not vary much from the original, but readers now understand that faeries are causing them to occur. The writing (especially the dialogue) is easier on the modern reader, and Carton’s musings help make clear the motives of other characters. You can buy A Far Better Thing here.
Another novel that is a retelling of a classic, is A Wish in the Dark. You likely remember this novel as the Big Read Lakeshore’s Middle Read book last year. If you need a refresher, take a look at this blog post about the novel. A Wish in the Dark retells Les Misérables, but adds in a little magic. That, along with simpler language and a new world to tell the story in, makes this novel a go-to for those who enjoy fantasy and who are into/want to get into classical literature. A Wish in the Dark can be found here.
If you have never read a contemporary reimagining of a myth, fairy tale, or classic novel, I highly recommend you do. People who don’t like myths, fairy tales, or classics should read retellings to become interested in reading the originals. For people who already like reading myths, fairy tales, or classics, retellings could be a fun way to discover new things about older stories. Either way, if you don’t know what to read next, try picking up an adaptation!
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