0 Review: "The Rabbit Back Literature Society" by Caitlin Postal

"The Rabbit Back Literature Society"

Review by Caitlin Postal

Editor's Note: This is one of those books I dearly wished I'd had time to review personally, with the use of folklore motifs and fairy tale-like echoes in the characters. Fortunately, partnering with Timeless Tales Magazine means we're able to begin building a "review posse" so Once Upon A Blog can post book reviews far more regularly (and Timeless Tales Magazine's Editor in Chief can get to know some new writers as well). Today, Caitlin gives you a glimpse as to why you might just be intrigued by The Rabbit Back Literature  Society too.

Jacket description: 

Only nine people have ever been chosen by renowned children’s author Laura White to join the Rabbit Back Literature Society, an elite group of writers in the small town of Rabbit Back. Now a tenth member has been selected: a young literature teacher named Ella.  

Soon Ella discovers that the Society is not what it seems. What is its mysterious ritual known as "The Game"? What explains the strange disappearance that occurs at Laura White’s winter party? Why are the words inside books starting to rearrange themselves? Was there once another tenth member, before her? Slowly, as Ella explores the Society and its history, disturbing secrets that had been buried for years start to come to light. . . .

To put it simply, The Rabbit Back Literature Society is not a fairy tale, nor does it claim to be. Instead, author Pasi Ilmari Jaaskelainen serves up an intriguing mystery woven with elements of folklore, which make the reader just as contemplative as the protagonist, Ella Milana.

The tale begins in the small town of Rabbit Back, best known for its renowned author Laura White and the nine students she hand selects to groom into writers. When Ella becomes the Society’s tenth member, she finds herself drawn into a fantastical conspiracy shared only by the nine other members.

Upon Ella's induction to the Rabbit Back Literature Society, however, Laura White disappears into thin air, like an enigmatic Snow Queen, leaving only flurries of snow behind. Willing search parties cannot find her and they refuse to venture into the forest. It's nearly impossible to discuss the folklore elements of this novel without spoilers, but suffice it to say, things are not what they seem. At first, I saw Laura White as an eccentric benefactor but I couldn't have anticipated the truth.

Many folktales use the wild mysterious forest as a contrast to the safety of town life. But this novel subverts that trope. Jaaskelainen’s woods are certainly mystical, but the town is also inexplicably touched by magic. From the garden gnomes in Ella’s front yard to the wild dogs who patrol, Rabbit Back is not a normal town. What has returned to Martti Winter's garden? Why is Ingrid Katz burning books? How did Laura White disappear? What happened to the Society’s first tenth member?

What the forest takes, it doesn't give back and Ella comes to realize that "Under one reality there's always another. And another one under that." And so the reader is drawn into teasing out the mystery, just like Ella herself.

The Rabbit Back Literature Society’s patented small town charm has a deliciously sinister undertone, thanks to the shadowy presence of the woods. For readers looking to add a touch of the Fae to their cozy mystery collection, this novel is sure to be a hit.

Disclosure: A complimentary copy of the book was provided by Thomas Dunne Books in exchange for an honest review.

Caitlin Postal is a marketing specialist who loves literature, history, and pop culture. When not writing, she can be found sewing costumes and donning medieval armor. You can find her on twitter: https://twitter.com/goingpostale.

Detail: Review: "The Rabbit Back Literature Society" by Caitlin Postal

0 Review: "Disney's 2015 Cinderella: A Safe Story but the Shoe Does not Fit" by Jennifer Culver

Disney's 2015 Cinderella: A Safe Story but the Shoe Does not Fit

Review by Jennifer Culver 

Cinderella opened  amidst controversy about Cinderella’s waist. Was her waist slimmer via CGI? Does this impossibly thin waist continue to send messages to young women about unattainable standards of beauty? With the clamor regarding Lily James’s waist, an interesting tidbit went largely unnoticed: Cinderella’s shoe did not fit. Costume designer Sandy Powell admitted that the glass shoe designed for the film fit no one, including Lily James. Like the shoe, much about Cinderella’s character does not fit her surroundings, which could actually be a good thing. 

But don't expect a whole lot from the "quiet revolution" Branagh claims he's making with this film. He presents a safe retelling that sticks close to it's source, the 1950 animated Disney film. There are subtle changes that do make a difference, for instance how diverse the ballroom scene is in terms of ethnicities, but for the most part, the story is the same; the talking animals used for comic effect, the bumbling Fairy Godmother, even Cinderella meeting her Prince ahead of time isn't "new". The portrayal of Cinderella as “underdog survivor,” a trait Zipes notes* regarding Cinderella retellings since 1899, and a prince who has “more democratic” leanings, meeting Cinderella earlier in the film, these are things we, for the most part, expect to see.

With The Walt Disney Company having already created two popular direct-to-video animated sequels that portray Cinderella as a far more rounded out character, while still being the same girl, this film seems even more conservative in many ways. 

A standout difference, however, is the portrayal of the stepmother, played dramatically by Cate Blanchett. She eavesdrops on conversations, blackmails dukes, and appears omniscient at times. When she delivers her backstory, told in the style of a fairy tale, her desperation to survive and secure a decent future for her daughters overwhelms all other, crueler aspects, yet the film does not fall into the trap of excusing them.

Throughout the film, Cinderella finds herself uneasy yet she remains in her subservient situation in order to “cherish” the home her parents loved. When confronted with the chance to claim a future with the prince, the narrator tells the audience that coming down the stairs means Cinderella takes one of the biggest risks any of us can take, “to be seen as we truly are.” 

Maybe Cinderella does not fit because of her outlook. She sees the world “not as it was but possibly could be, with a little bit of magic.” Sure, Cinderella still needs help to escape her situation, but she does not need help to improve her outlook. Fueled by the promise to her mother to have courage and be kind, Cinderella lives on her own terms no matter the dress she wears, an attitude that can fit any movie-goer of any shoe size. 

Branagh intends to be subtle and show strength through kindness, something that should endear Cinderella to us even more, but one has to wonder if this message isn't a little lost amidst the stronger impressions handed to us by the very marketing campaign pushing us to see it in the first place.

* Zipes, Jack. The Enchanted Screen: The Unknown History of Fairy Tale Films. New York: Routledge, 2011. Book.

Jennifer Culver works as a Digital Learning Specialist while finishing her dissertation. Her study focuses on the rhetoric within fairy tale adaptations in film. She enjoys continuing the tradition of sharing fairy tales with her children and godchildren.

Detail: Review: "Disney's 2015 Cinderella: A Safe Story but the Shoe Does not Fit" by Jennifer Culver