Review on "Ella Enchanted" by Gail Carson Levine
Gail Carson Levine’s storytelling captivated me at age nine through Ella Enchanted, a book that remains at the top of my list for favorite fairy tale retellings, and even higher for Cinderella stories. Levine takes a world that we all know (girl forced into servitude by her wicked stepfamily, goes to a ball, loses her glass slipper, etc.) and turns it into an even more magical and believable story by drawing out the characters and adding her own imaginative touches to the classic fairy tale.
I have just a few reasons for why every girl aged 10 and up should read this book.
Free Will
I didn’t realize the depth of this story until I lent the book to a good friend, and her response was to remark upon how beautiful the author’s exploration of free will was. Ella received the curse of obedience at birth from a foolishly well-meaning fairy. She has absolutely no control over her ability to say yes or no to any given order. Even if the order is a good thing, she must obey or be subject to physical agony. I love this, and it cast an entirely new light on the story for me. At the conclusion of the book, Ella breaks her curse and is granted the ability to freely choose to obey or not to obey—a very poignant presentation of the divine gift of free will.
Sacrificial Love
Towards the final third of the book, the prince (whom Ella has known as a friend for two or so years now) proposes marriage to Ella through a letter. Ella does indeed wish to marry the prince and escape her wicked stepfamily, but knows that she could endanger him and the entire kingdom as his wife because of her curse. Out of love for the prince and her people, she refuses by living under the pretense that she has eloped with another man (while in reality she is living less than a mile from the castle, hidden away as a servant). This self-denial is such an inspiring model, especially in a world that often tells us, “If it feels good, then do it.”
Great Voice and Strong Heroine
I was immediately drawn into this story, which is told from Ella’s point of view. She is very relatable, although by the end of the book she is nearly seventeen. Levine handles this very well, keeping it very much accessible to her younger readers.
Ella is a fighter at heart as she battles her curse and the daily oppression of her stepfamily. She can be merciless at times and blunt (who wouldn’t be, if their stepsisters were dictating their every move out of sheer enjoyment?), but her overall character is strong. And yet, Levine still leaves room for vulnerability: something that a lot of writers for girls miss these days. In the end, Ella is capable of saving herself—and she does. But that doesn’t ever degrade the strength of the prince, who saves her as well both physically and as a source of support.
I think that’s a stronger heroine there than the bulletproof girl who never loses a fight, doesn’t need the help of anyone else and ends up alone because of it.
Some Minor Points of Caution…
Despite her boldness of character, Ella is not perfect. She makes mistakes, and on multiple occasions she is purposefully deceitful. A lot of times this is to defy her oppressors, but “good” (or what she perceives to be good in the moment) usually comes out of this.
Ella is not short of revenge, either. Yes, her stepfamily is truly wicked. But I don’t think that’s a good enough excuse to justify burning her stepsister’s wig in the fireplace while she’s asleep.
The magic in the book is dealt with very well, usually reserved only for magical beings like fairies, gnomes, elves, etc. There is one point where Ella has been captured by creepy ogres who are planning to eat her, and she uses their (fundamentally bad) powers of persuasion against them to lull the creatures to sleep. I never had a problem with this, but it may be worth mentioning.
In the realm of fairy tales out there (and middle grade literature in general), the romance is very pure and mild. There is a growing romance between Ella and the prince over the course of the book, which she becomes increasingly aware of as they get to know each other better. There is some kissing in the last chapter, but again, it’s pretty mild.
I love this book, and I would recommend it to any young girl enthralled by fairies, magical worlds, fairy tales and a good, well-rounded adventure. Levine does not disappoint or dumb-down the intelligence of her writing in the least, while still keeping this book within the 10+ age range. Although I read it when I was nine and became absolutely obsessed with it, I read it again last year when I was eighteen. And it was still just that good. Side note: There is an Ella Enchanted movie, which I watched unknowingly after having fallen in love with the book. I do not recommend it; not only does it diverge from the book almost completely, but there’s a lot of inappropriate content as well. Stick with the book.