Credit: Reid Murray | Managing Editor for Design
“The Hours” by Michael Cunningham, “Elektra” by Jennifer Saint and “All’s Well” by Mona Awad
Lucy’s Little Library is a monthly book column that recommends three must-reads to Ohio State’s literature lovers.
Dear reader, it’s time to accept that not all retellings are created equal.
Breathing new life into old stories can be tricky, like tracing one’s finger along the edge of a knife. Even if the blade has dulled with time, it can — and maybe should — still leave a mark.
These three reimaginings possess substantial sharpness, maximizing their predecessors’ narrative potential.
Please note that featured books are arranged in ascending order from lowest to highest page number. Students who are Ohio residents can apply for a free Columbus Metropolitan Library card online or at Thompson Library’s Circulation Desk, according to the University Libraries’ website.
“The Hours” by Michael Cunningham. Credit: Lucy Lawler | Managing Editor for Content
“The Hours” (1998)
Genre(s): parallel novel, historical fiction
Page count: 226
Core qualities: eclectic, melancholy and resonant
Some may view 24 hours as inconsequential, but one day can make or break an individual’s very existence. This statement holds true in “The Hours,” a cross-generational spin on Virginia Woolf’s 1925 novel “Mrs. Dalloway.”
Three women — the wistful Clarissa Vaughan, the restless Laura Brown and Virginia herself — go about their lives in 1999, 1949 and 1923, respectively. By the time the sun sets, each character has extensively grappled with their fears and dark impulses, undergoing permanent changes as a result.
Similar to its source material, “The Hours” displays a rare degree of introspection. What sets the Pulitzer Prize-winning work apart, however, is its sheer level of interconnectedness. The intricate threads connecting Clarissa, Laura and Virginia require many backward glances to properly untangle — and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Standout quote: “It had seemed like the beginning of happiness, and Clarissa is still sometimes shocked, more than thirty years later, to realize that it was happiness; that the entire experience lay in a kiss and a walk, the anticipation of dinner and a book.”
“Elektra” by Jennifer Saint. Credit: Lucy Lawler | Managing Editor for Content
“Elektra” (2022)
Genre(s): mythological retelling
Page count: 287
Core qualities: evocative, multifaceted and insightful
In today’s publishing landscape, interpretations of Greek myths are perhaps the most common retellings on the market.
Jennifer Saint missed the mark with her debut novel “Ariadne,” which was stunningly written, yet failed to establish the Cretan princess as a dynamic figure in her own right. Luckily, Saint regained footing with her sophomore release “Elektra.”
This engaging, emotionally affecting tale weaves together three women’s perspectives on the legendary Trojan War. These women include Clytemnestra — Helen of Troy’s sister and queen of Mycenae — Cassandra — the famously tragic Trojan prophetess, cursed to never be believed — and finally Elektra — Clytemnestra’s daughter and a paragon of patriarchal loyalty.
Reading this book means seething with anger one minute and exhaling with pure despair the next. Comparable to a well-executed slap, Saint’s portrayal of ancient Greece’s gendered injustice stings in a deliciously satisfying way.
What’s more, “Elektra” does not share the same fatal flaw as “Ariadne.” Clytemnestra, Cassandra and Elektra exhibit complex and vivid personalities, rife with relatable imperfections.
Standout quote: “Can’t you see that it just goes on, over and over? The gods demand their justice, but we suffer for it, every time.”
“All’s Well” by Mona Awad. Credit: Lucy Lawler | Managing Editor for Content
“All’s Well” (2021)
Genre(s): contemporary thriller, magical realism
Page count: 354
Core qualities: immersive, mind-tingling and wry
Mona Awad is, quite simply, a weird but wonderful talent. Titled “All’s Well,” her third novel fuses plot elements from two William Shakespeare plays: the widely acclaimed “Macbeth” and the more esoteric “All’s Well That Ends Well.”
The story follows Miranda Fitch, a fallen actress-turned-college-theater-director who battles unexplainable chronic pain.
Passed around from doctor to doctor — and consistently undermined by her own students — Miranda struggles to accept the cruel fate she’s been dealt. That is, until three mysterious men appear with a golden elixir, setting her down a path of redemption and revenge.
An incisive critique of women’s healthcare in modern-day America, “All’s Well” is funny to an almost inappropriate degree. Awad even succeeds at making the reader doubt Miranda’s pain at times, creating an erratic sea of situations that escalates with every turn of the page.
Standout quote: “My crying would leave a bad taste. That would just be bad theater, wouldn’t it? A bad show. You want a good show. They all do. A few pretty tears on my cheeks that you can brush away. Just a delicate little bit of ouch so you know there’s someone in there. So you don’t get too scared of me, am I right? So you know I’m still a vulnerable thing. That I can be brought down if need be.”
Check back in next month for another entry of “Lucy’s Little Library,” the column that recommends three must-reads to Ohio State’s literature lovers. Credit: Lucy Lawler | Managing Editor for Content
