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Monday, 2 October 2017

Tales from the Past Part Five: Rapunzel Stories

By Sharon Bryant

The Rapunzel Story


Rapunzel is one of the fairy tales in the Brothers Grimm collection initially published in 1812. It is very similar to an Italian tale, Petrosinella, published in 1634. Rapunzel storylines are infrequently used in romance novels, perhaps owing to difficulties incorporating some elements like Rapunzel’s very long hair. Rapunzel affords opportunities to explore themes such as innocence, jealousy and the consequences of poor judgment.
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Once Upon a Tower

Once Upon a Tower by Eloisa James contains echoes of the Rapunzel story. We meet Gowan, Duke of Kinross for whom “Fishing for a bride had taken precedence over fishing for salmon.” He likes to be in control and asks for Edie’s hand in marriage thinking she is the most serene woman he has met. However, Edie is in fact passionate and independent of spirit. Both characters have trouble expressing their feelings and must find a way to broker their increasingly tempestuous relationship.


Cress

In Cress, The Lunar Chronicles Book 3 by Marissa Meyer, Cress is trapped on a satellite and forced to follow the instructions of Sybil who reports to Levana, the evil Lunar Queen. Captain Carswell Thorne is part of a group of rebels led by a cyborg who hope to defeat Levana. The group attempts to rescue Cress. Cress has researched Thorne from her satellite home, and thinks she is in love with him. This action-packed space adventure contains elements of romance.


Bitter Greens

Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth tells the story of Charlotte-Rose who enters a convent in her forties because this is the will of the king. While she is there, she hears the tale of Margherita who was trapped in a tower by a witch, and of Lucio, the young man who discovers her.

Do you notice any elements of the Rapunzel tale in the romance novels you read? Which elements like best?

I love to love: Our eldest daughter is getting married on Saturday. We are so excited.

I love to laugh: We’ve just returned from overseas. We had the most wonderful night chatting with our host in Galway.

I love to learn: Travelling overseas is the best. You learn so much.
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11 comments:

  1. Unknown3 October 2017 at 06:56

    Thanks so much for the mention of Bitter Greens. I'm so glad you enjoyed it.

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    1. Marilyn Forsyth3 October 2017 at 09:02

      Hi Kate! I've just started reading 'Beauty in Thorns'. I loved the inspiration behind it (that you talked about at my local library a few months back) and am really enjoying it so far.

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  2. Sharon Bryant3 October 2017 at 08:13

    Thanks for dropping by Kate. I loved "Bitter Greens". Your writing kept me eagerly turning the pages right through to the end.

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  3. Cassandra Samuels3 October 2017 at 08:41

    Hi Sharon. Yes this is a hard one to use for romance but such an interesting one if you could manage it. A challenge indeed that these three authors have managed beautifully.

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    1. Sharon Bryant3 October 2017 at 09:52

      Hi Cassie, I agree. It's fascinating to see how all three authors have taken on this challenge and written such fascinating and intriguing tales containing elements of the Rapunzel story.

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  4. Marilyn Forsyth3 October 2017 at 08:57

    Hi Sharon! Firstly, congratulations on your daughter's wedding. It's a special time when your child gets married and I hope you had time to enjoy it on the day. Rapunzel has always been one of my favourite fairy tales and I love Kate Forsyth's take on the theme in 'Bitter Greens' (but then, I love all her books :D ). Thanks for recommending Eloisa James' 'Once Upon a Tower', too - it looks like my kind of book.

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    1. Sharon Bryant3 October 2017 at 09:57

      Hi Marilyn, thank you. The wedding went beautifully. We are so proud of our daughter and son-in-law. I also loved the way Kate handled the Rapunzel tale. There is a twist at the end of "Bitter Greens" that I never saw coming. I want to reread it now with that extra knowledge. I hope you enjoy "Once Upon a Tower" as much as I did.

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  5. Enisa Haines3 October 2017 at 16:02

    Hi Sharon. Thanks for the insight into the Rapunzel theme. Yes, it's difficult to do in romance, so those authors who successfully write stories utilising parts of Rapunzel, kudos to them!

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  6. Sharon Bryant3 October 2017 at 17:05

    Hi Enisa, I agree with you. The three Rapunzel based tales I have mentioned are all great reads. All three authors met this challenge and succeeded.

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  7. Malvina3 October 2017 at 20:07

    I love romances based on fairy stories. Rapunzel is not done as often but when it is I find it a knock-out story. When I visited Ireland recently I saw some round towers that looked like Rapunzel towers, which was so exciting!

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  8. Sharon Bryant3 October 2017 at 20:32

    Hi Malvina, the imagery of the tower is particularly powerful in Eloisa James' and Kate Forsyth's Rapunzel stories. I also love reading books containing elements of fairy tales and seeing how the authors incorporate elemnts these within their stories.

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