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The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
1992 | Family, Sci-Fi
I love the Muppets.
This film is the best of many retellings of Dickens classic ghost tale.
Gonzo is my favourite as Charles Dickens, his narration along with Rizzlo the rat is humorous and fun.
Kermit as Bob Crachit as the lead book keeper is amusing and his team of rats are hilarious.
Michael Caine plays Scrooge who's path of redemption is believable as he is visted by three ghosts who show Scrooge the errors of his ways.
Also, the songs are catchy.
Disney tried other versions but none can top this one. A true Christmas classic to watch every year.
  
Unmarriageable: A Novel
Unmarriageable: A Novel
Soniah Kamal | 2019 | Fiction & Poetry, Romance
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
One of these days I really need to read Austen. I enjoy so many retellings - Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, Bridget Jones' Diary, and I know I have a copy of Mr. Darcy, Vampyre around here somewhere! (And now that I pulled up The Lizzie Bennet Diaries to link it here, I'm sorely tempted to sit down and watch the whole thing again but I have books to read!)

Anyway. Austen. I've read a bunch of retellings but believe it or not, I haven't read the original. I really need to get on that, but instead, I read Unmarriageable, which is Pride and Prejudice set in modern-day Pakistan! It's SO GOOD. The themes of family honor, class structure, and rumors damaging reputations translates incredibly easily into Pakistani society, which is why Soniah Kamal wrote it. In her Afterword, she writes:

"Was there any worry more Pakistani than the concern about what might bring a family honor or dishonor? .... Was there anything more Pakistani than [Charlotte's] calculated, 'arranged' marriage? ... Was there anything more apropos to Pakistan than class issues, snootiness, and double standards?"

She goes on to say she was already reading the book as if it was set in Pakistan, so why not write it that way for other Pakistanis? Kamal explains that Pakistan is very much a mix of Pakistan and English culture, and that the emphasis on learning English and English culture comes at the expense of their own indigenous culture, something forced upon them by colonizers. Unmarriageable is her way of melding the two cultures.

I really enjoyed this version of the classic, and it has me even more interested in other versions, such as Ibi Zoboi's Pride and Sonali Dev's Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors. Book Riot actually ran a short list recently on diverse Austen retellings, and I've added every one of them to my To-Read list!

You can find all my reviews (and links to the things mentioned above) on my blog, http://goddessinthestacks.com
  
Goddess of Legend
Goddess of Legend
P.C. Cast | 2019
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The characters (0 more)
Inspiring
This was the 2nd book that I read in the Goddess series and it was just as good as the first one I read. I love how strong and thought out the female characters are, how they tend to be more mature women that are still finding themselves rather than the clichéd teen dramas, and the attention to detail that Cast puts into the world building.

This is a retelling of a sorts of the Legend of King Arthur and is simply brilliant. If you enjoy retellings of fairytales and myths then you really must read this series, please note that it isn't for younger readers as it has explicit content.