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Cinderella

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This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

32 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2004

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Henry W. Hewet

5 books2 followers

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5 stars
1,582 (39%)
4 stars
1,062 (26%)
3 stars
1,015 (25%)
2 stars
283 (6%)
1 star
102 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 100 reviews
Profile Image for Wendy,  Lady Evelyn Quince.
357 reviews222 followers
September 15, 2021
As a child, I never could relate to Cinderella, despite being poor like her and wishing for a bit of glamor in my life. Oh, the story of being orphaned and having a stepmother frightened me. The cruelty and unfairness stepmama and her daughters inflicted on Cinders horrified me. But she took it all in stride, like a happy victim. Stoicism in the face of adversity is a trait I admire, but Cinders seemed to be ok with her lot; she just wanted to go to one party.

I've read Cinderella in three languages, read at least a dozen different cultural takes on this story, and seen this performed via puppetry, on stage, tv, film, or cartoon in multiple forms. As a child, I loved Red Riding Hood because she wore red, my signature color. In the versions I read, it was she who outsmarted the wolf, not the huntsman. And I liked Snow White more, just because she had dark hair; shallow, I know.

But the even more shallow reason I couldn't relate to Cinders is her tiny peds. I was 5 feet tall by age 10 with size 8 feet. I eventually grew 5 more inches, and my feet widened and lengthened over time, so now I can't fit into anything smaller than a 9 1/2 W (so I usually wear a 10). In the original version of Cinderella, her stepsisters cut off parts of their feet to fit into the glass slipper. One cut off her toes, the other sliced off the heels. As they limped along with the easily-fooled Prince, a bird flew behind them, telling the stupid Prince to look at the trails of blood left behind.

I know it's my insecurity, and it's completely irrational to dislike a fairy tale character for petty reasons. But petty is what I am when it comes to make-believe because it's not reality, so it doesn't matter. I'm ok with that.

I'm happy to say I passed my pettiness on to my now-adult child. She hated Cinders for being such a pushover and for her tiny feet as well. At 5'8", my daughter's size 9 1/2 feet would never fit into a stupid glass slipper. Plus, who'd want a prince who was more focused on a girl's foot than her face? Her favorite fairy tale princesses were Gretel (not a princess, but whatever) because she was smart and was the one who pushed the witch into the fire; Rapunzel since she had long blonde hair like Rapunzel; and Sleeping Beauty because Beauty got to sleep in for 100 years, and my daughter prized her sleep.

FTR, I've nothing against naturally small feet. Feet are feet. It's the silly obsession that some women have to pretend they have small feet when I can clearly see their cockroach killer shoes are as long as my forearm. (Seriously, that elongated, pointed-toe heels look is not flattering).

Big, small, tall, short, and the oft-forgotten medium are all great. But why the obsession with petiteness as the apex of feminine beauty? It gets weird in books when a heroine is described as having tiny teeth. Like, for real, we're fetishizing baby teeth as sexy?

Anyway, why this rant on a silly fairy tale? There's a Cinderella movie out, and I'm--again--going through books trying to donate to Little Library. I have tons of different Cinderella books from my homeschooling days to give away. Which made me wonder why Cinderella is the most popular fairy tale. Her martyrdom? Her transformation? The fairy godmother? The shoes?

It's always the shoes.

3 stars
Profile Image for Literary Ames.
843 reviews403 followers
July 26, 2014
An okay 1855 retelling of a classic that dates back to at least the 17th century.

I've not read any of the classic versions before so certain elements leapt out at me that did not appear in Disney's adaption.

Here, Cinderella's father is alive and blindly infatuated with his wife while he neglects his daughter.

'Yet the poor thing bore this ill treatment very meekly, and did not dare complain to her father, who thought so much of his wife that he would have scolded her.'


An explanation of Cinderella's name leads me to wonder if her real name is Isabella.

'...she used to sit in the chimney-corner amongst the cinders, which had caused the nickname Cinderella to be given her by the family...'


And also known to her stepmother as Cinder-wench.

'elastic glass slippers' - an oxymoron, if ever there was one. If I didn't know any better, Hewet is referring to plastic. Plastic was in development at this time; the first type patented a year after publication.

The patronizing paternalistic morality of the commentary when referring to the rules imposed on the temporary freedom she is granted by her Godmother, the Queen of the Faeries, is shudder-inducing:

'...an everlasting lesson to all the pretty little Cinderellas in the world to keep their word, and to act in good faith by such as befriend them.'


I didn't realise that Cinderella spends more than one night at the ball with the Prince, though it makes more sense, giving him time to become fixated on his wife-to-be. Then, expending time and resources on finding her when she leaves for good without giving him a name with which to find her.

'...she not only forgave them with all her heart, but wished for their affection... allowed her sisters to lodge in the palace, and gave them in marriage, that same day, to two lords belonging to the court.'


I'm not the type to forgive and forget, but as Cinderella was deprived of love and affection from these people, she's in a position to demand it now. She can force them to kiss her shoes if she wished. However, there's no mention of what becomes of her stepmother or her father. Perhaps their fate is less rosy.
Profile Image for Ankit Saxena.
848 reviews235 followers
July 31, 2019
Nice try to the legendary folktale/fairy-tale that no one can ever forget after reading once. All old times from school days refreshed when I was into fairy tales being child. Always cherished this tale to make it short, it explained well. Illustration makes it good for children but should have been much better.
Profile Image for Julie  Webb.
105 reviews17 followers
January 2, 2016
Cinderella will always be my favorite princess fairytale from childhood. This version is a nice telling. It is free online, I got mine at Amazon, and was a quick and charming read. I have always loved how sweet Cinderella is, a good natured girl, she treats all with grace and charm. The underlying message has always been be happy where your at in life, though some may argue that the just get their rewards, it is clearly the first and not the latter. As Cinderella's mother lay dying she instructs the young girl, "My child, always be good; bear every thing that happens to you with patience, and whatever evil and troubles you may suffer, you will be happy in the end if you are so." Cinderella heads this advice and in the end is all the happy for it.
Profile Image for John Yelverton.
4,435 reviews38 followers
June 4, 2016
A more Disneyesque version of the classic fairy tale, though the author feels compelled to explain the moral of the story to you, because you're obviously not smart enough to figure it out for yourself.
Profile Image for Marquise.
1,958 reviews1,429 followers
May 14, 2019
Loved the black-and-white inky illustrations by Thwaites, for the courtly Versaillesque aura it has when it depicts the ball scenes; I always preferred it to resemble real courts rather than the more magical/otherworldly/faerie versions some illustrators go for.
Profile Image for Claudette.
17 reviews6 followers
December 9, 2017
Cinderella

Cinderella is my favorite fairytale. And I wish people would remember that she only wanted to go to a ball and wear a beautiful gown. She wasn't man hunting. She wanted to have some fun because she had been long denied it.
Profile Image for Caitlin.
82 reviews
March 2, 2016
2016 Book Challenge: Read a book you can read in a day.

I love this story! Not for the popular Disney "princess" and "prince-charming" reasons. If all you see is that, then you don't fully understand the story.

I love it because it is so much more than a love story! Cinderella knew who she was long before she ever met the prince. Her character, integrity, grace and kindness is what attracted the prince. The moral is simply so beautiful it transcends time.

If we put ourselves in Cinderella's position, we can ask ourselves... How do I treat my enemies? How do I respond to people who ridicule me? How do I treat the people around me? Do I serve others, even when I've had a bad day? Can I easily forgive others? Can I express gratitude in all things I have been given? Am I willing to put other's happiness before my own? Can I abide by the boundaries set for me? Am I responsible and reliable?

Reading this, I discovered that the Fairy Godmother, is God. He knocks on our door when we need Him most, and it is our choice to let Him in. And if we obey Him, and follow His commands, then he will provide for us and perform magic in our lives. He will be able to accomplish what we can't do on our own.

I have four favorite quotes that changed my perspective on this story:

1. "You see how fortune befriends the good-hearted, and even out of such unpromising material as a pumpkin and mice, can make a coach and six, with which to honor her worthy favorite. So Cinderella goes to the ball; but to teach her to be diligent and faithful in her engagements, her fairy godmother enjoins upon her that she return home at twelve."

2. "On this second night, as you have taken notice, dazzled by worldly show and the pleasing flattery of her royal lover, Cinderella overstays her time, and is compelled to make her way back to her father's house on foot and in rags- an everlasting lesson to all the pretty little Cinderella's in the world to keep their word, and to act in good faith by such as befriend them."

3. "Although virtue goes home in rags, it will leave some token behind- some foot-print by which it can be known and traced wherever it has once walked. We shall hear from that little lost glass slipper again!"

4. The very last line, "The amiable qualities of Cinderella were as conspicuous after as they had been before marriage."

Why the curfew? Why the glass slipper left behind?
17 reviews2 followers
January 27, 2012
Cinderella
By: Henry W. Hewett

This book is an older version of the book Cinderella. The genre is fiction. In my opinion this book is a great book I like it because personally like the older version of any book especially if they are somewhat fantasy. I also liked how the stepmother was described in this book.
In this book Cinderella gets invited to the ball and her step sisters try and steal it to show the mother, the stepmother of Cinderella. The stepmother sooner or later finds out about the invite so her stepmother acts like she does not know about and makes a HUGE list of chores for Cinderella to do that night. The step sister’s end up going to the ball instead of Cinderella and after hours of working, a godmother shows up and helps Cinderella get ready to go the ball. So she gets a limo instead of a carriage. She shows up at the ball and the prince asks her to dance and she loses her glass slipper as she was running up the stairs as the clocked struck 12! The prince finds her glass slipper and spends days trying to find her to return the slipper of hers.
Of course what would this book be like without characters? My personal favorite character would have to be the stepsisters, out of the stepmother, the prince Cinderella and the godmother. I like them because they are so funny and they act like themselves even though they are twins. I also really like really like the author because he really explained the setting and all of the characters. I personally think that this book’s theme is to also be aware of great things. I really like the setting of the story especially when they are at the ball because it was explained very thoughtfully.
Is this book a kid book? Yes. I think this book is a kid book, in fact, I think that it is better than the regular Cinderella. I also think that they would enjoy it more the regular one because this book was explained great. I also think that the author made this book for all ages by the way he explained the characters.
I would rate this book on a scale from 1-10 probably a 9. I would not give this book a 10 because there were a few things that the author could have explained more like the setting of the house. I would recommend this book to someone because I think this is a great book!

Profile Image for Nyssa.
904 reviews73 followers
May 29, 2011
I downloaded this thinking it was the original. Unfortunately, it is "just" a retelling, with a guide for those who may have otherwise missed the moral(s) of the story.

An example:

Never mind--her heart is in the right place--she is a charming good creature; and although virtue goes home in rags, it will leave some token behind--some foot-print by which it can be known and traced wherever it has once walked

The worst thing about this edition, however, is that the illustrations were stripped out but the tags were left in their place:

[ILLUSTRATION: CINDERELLA'S ARRIVAL AT THE PALACE IN HER ELEGANT GILT
CARRIAGE, WHICH ATTRACTS GENERAL NOTICE AS IT DRIVES UP TO THE MARBLE
PORTICO; OF WHICH INFORMATION IS COMMUNICATED TO THE PRINCE, WHO HASTENS
TO THE DOOR AND WELCOMES CINDERELLA, HANDS HER OUT OF THE CARRIAGE, AND
GRACEFULLY LEADS HER INTO THE PALACE, WHERE THE NOBLES WELCOME HER AS A
PRINCESS.]



Profile Image for Amanda.
168 reviews
March 2, 2011
Like Beauty and the Beast, I read Cinderella because I'm currently between novels. It was an even faster read than Beauty and the Beast; I was able to finish it in about 20 minutes. The short story progressed so quickly! An interesting difference between the story and the Disney version is that in the story, Cinderella's father is alive but simply unwilling to stand up for his daughter. Also, instead of one great ball where Cinderella loses her glass slipper, there are two balls. Of course, the story has the same great ending as the movie. :) If you have half an hour, it's worth it!
Profile Image for Therese.
2,285 reviews
June 24, 2017
I have always liked this story, but I was hoping this would have a little more detail to it. I.e. where is the father?! There was one difference than the cartoons and movies that I have seen, that being that she went to the ball not just the first night, but also the second night. We only know about the first night which is combined with the second. The author thinks having your own mother and on sisters is just perfect, and I guess in an ideal world it would be. Unfortunately this is not often the case.
Profile Image for Dawn Blain.
1 review
March 9, 2015
Cindrella

What I liked about this book was how well written the story was and with GREAT detail!!! What I didn't like about this book was how many French words there was in the story. I would recommend this book to a school teacher for lower grades because it is a children's story and is a Fary Tale. I chose this ranking because I loved the story and the main plot and also the famous parts and how they were originally promoted.
Profile Image for Cindy.
326 reviews73 followers
August 11, 2016
Huh. So this is the story of Cinderella. Can't say I'm impressed.

I gather that this isn't the original, and for that I'm glad because this is seriously lame. Cinderella is too nice, too beautiful, too special. It was quite sickening and disappointing, honestly.

Cinderella wasn't even my favorite Disney princess growing up, so my expectations weren't high.
Hopefully the original is better.
Profile Image for Lynie Carmona.
10 reviews32 followers
May 1, 2014
Not exactly accurate

this was very mellowed down to the original Grimm fairy tale. the iconic cutting of the step-sisters' feet was left out, and it was much too rushed. but altogether, it's a good read for young readers who don't mind a constant morale-teaching throughout the book.
Profile Image for Katelin Graham.
1 review
June 17, 2014
Ok

This is just the basics of the story we all know. It has absolutely NO details. That is why I gave it a 4 star. I didn't feel like I was apart of the book. I just felt like I was reading it which I hate. This is very short you can read it in about a half an hour. Recommend for kids 8-12
Profile Image for Amy K.
Author 20 books406 followers
January 21, 2015
A sort of weird telling of Cinderella. The story was normal, but some of the wording was weird, especially when referring to the prince as her lover. Not a bad version of the story though. It'd been a free download and had been on my kindle for a while so I thought I'd give it a try...fun quick read.
15 reviews
July 27, 2015
Awesome

I love fairy tales and I love the original one's and this is extremely high in my list of the top five not the first , nor the second but the third. Over my life time I have seen every Cinderella story there is. And my favorite was a foreign movie of Cinderella. It was pretty darn close to this one but it will do. Lol love fairy tales.
Profile Image for Michelle.
103 reviews5 followers
February 2, 2018
This book was okay. I’ve both read and watched quite a few of the Cinderella stories and this one struck me as a little bland. In its defense it was rather short, but it didn’t convey any great depth of character, and it didn’t evoke any strong emotions for me. It would be suitable for small children, however. Perhaps my 3 year old daughter will find it more enjoyable than I.
Profile Image for Monika.
57 reviews
December 23, 2010
I cannot believe I am about to say this, but I've never read the "original" story..I've only known and grew up on the disney version...I loved this version even more and I cannot wait to have kids ro be able to read this to them <3
2 reviews
July 3, 2011
I enjoyed this version of Cinderella and appreciated the morals and character values that it expresses. This would be a good book to share at bedtime with a child. I did read it on my kindle and the illustrations are not included and I would have enjoyed seeing the pictures.
Profile Image for Kristina.
271 reviews
December 31, 2011
I prefer the Disney version of the Cinderella character, this version she is a little too meek for my liking. In other versions she has a little more spunk. I still like it though, love to read the classic versions of fairy tales
Profile Image for cindy .
12 reviews2 followers
January 3, 2015
Love for Cinderella

This story is for all ages. Sometimes it's good to go back to original stories. The story reminds us that if good at heart good things will come your way in time.
Profile Image for Cindy.
149 reviews13 followers
March 13, 2016
You can definitely see the lesson to be learned from Disney's version of Cinderella but this version goes deeper. Disney makes it cute where as Hewet makes sure you don't miss is by repeating it and then emphasizing it again.
Profile Image for Julia.
18 reviews
April 20, 2016
Eh

I thought that this would be the really dramatic version with beheadings and blood everywhere and everything lol. Whoops. Also in this one, Cinderella just forgives everyone ??????
Profile Image for Jenifer.
67 reviews17 followers
June 11, 2011
I can't believe I never read the original until now. It's nice to know what everything is based on. It was a much quicker read than I anticipated. Finished it in less than 30 minutes. Cute book!
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