New Twists on Old Favorites: 12 Fascinating Book Retellings

Snyckers’ novel serves as a counter-narrative to J.M. Coetzee’s Disgrace. Lucy struggles with PTSD after a brutal assault—the same assault featured in Coetzee’s book. She feels betrayed by the way Coetzee depicted her, and plans to confront him and reclaim her story. 

But trying to find a man you feel has wronged you when you’ve become a recluse proves difficult. Lacuna explores trauma, identity, and the ethics of storytelling, questioning who has the right to tell someone else’s story and how such narratives impact the lives of those involved. 

Wide Sargasso Sea explores the life and backstory of Bertha Mason, the madwoman in the attic from Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre. Set in the lush landscape of Jamaica in the early 19th century, the novel is divided into three parts. The first part follows Antoinette Cosway, a Creole heiress, during her troubled childhood in Jamaica. As the daughter of a white plantation owner and a mentally unstable mother, Antoinette grows up in a society fraught with racial and economic tensions.  

The second part shifts to Antoinette’s marriage to an unnamed Englishman, widely understood to be Edward Rochester. Rochester’s inability to understand Antoinette’s background and his fear of her slowly pushes her towards madness. In the final part, Antoinette, now known as Bertha, is imprisoned in Rochester’s mansion in England. 

Mr. Timothy is perfect for fans of A Christmas Carol. Timothy Cratchit, now in his 20s, is no longer the sickly, cheerful child saved by Ebenezer Scrooge’s generosity. Instead, he is a troubled and disillusioned man haunted by the memory of his father, Bob Cratchit, and the shadow of Scrooge’s philanthropy.  

Living in a brothel and teaching the madam to read, Timothy becomes embroiled in a plot that seems closer to the London of Jack the Ripper, rather than the joy at the end of one of Dickens’ most iconic works.  

Vo’s novel transforms the familiar landscape of 1920s America into a landscape filled with magic and the supernatural. Jordan Baker, who in Fitzgerald’s original novel was a peripheral character, is at the heart of Vo’s retelling. Jordan is a queer, Vietnamese adoptee navigating the opulence and decadence of the Jazz Age. She has magical abilities, including her talent for manipulating paper into enchanted objects.  

As a queer Vietnamese woman, Jordan’s experience contrasts sharply with the predominantly white, heteronormative society around her. The prose is lush and poetic, mirroring the opulence of its setting while also hinting at the underlying moral decay. 

Everett explores Twain’s classic Huckleberry Finn from the point of view of James, an enslaved African-American man. After escaping a dangerous home life, James is forced to embark on a journey back to his hometown in the Deep South. Everett’s novel put an adult lens on a book that’s widely considered to be a children’s classic, interweaving the well-known story with a modern but fitting perspectives on religion, race, slavery, and humanity.  

Miller’s retelling of the myth of Achilles is told from the perspective of his lover, Patroclus. Patroclus, a young exiled prince, is taken in by King Peleus and raised alongside Achilles.  Patroclus accompanies Achilles, and their bond strengthens, transcending friendship. 

Their idyllic life is disrupted when Helen of Sparta is abducted, leading to the Trojan War. Achilles is called to fulfill his destiny, and Patroclus, bound by love and loyalty, follows him to Troy. 

The other co-winner of the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for fiction and an astute retelling of Dickens’ David Copperfield, Kingsolver’s Demon Copperhead explores the ways in which our society has progressed since Dickens’ novels—and the horrifying ways in which it has stayed the same. 

Damon Fields, also known as Demon, is a child growing up in America’s foster care system. His world is colored by the belief that if there’s anything that you want in the world, you’ll have to get it yourself. His life as a youth in Southern Appalachia affords him his own unique set of challenges, coupled with the difficulties of being raised in the foster system. 

Patel’s novel is a compelling reimagining of the story of Kaikeyi, a complex character from the Indian epic, the Ramayana. Her childhood is marked by a keen intelligence and a desire for knowledge, yet she is constrained by the limited roles available to women in her society. Her mother’s abrupt departure and her father’s coldness drive her to seek her own path, yearning for the autonomy denied to her in her own home.  

As Kaikeyi grows, she discovers her ability to commune with the gods and access the Binding Plane, a mystical realm where she can manipulate relationships and influence outcomes. This newfound ability gives Kaikeyi access to a power that she’s never known.  

These Violent Delights is a gripping reimagining of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Set in 1920s Shanghai, two star-crossed lovers find one another again amidst political turmoil and gang rivalries. The story follows Juliette Cai, the heir to the Scarlet Gang, and Roma Montagov, her former lover and now a rival gang leader from the White Flowers. 

Juliette, who has returned to Shanghai after studying in New York, finds herself embroiled in the struggle to uncover the origins of the disease and prevent its spread, while navigating her complicated feelings for Roma. 

Spinning Silver is perfect for fans of classic fairytales. This retelling of Rumplestiltskin intertwines the lives of three women: Miryem, Wanda, and Irina.  

Miryem, the daughter of a poor moneylender, takes over her father’s failing business and transforms it into a prosperous enterprise through her shrewdness and determination.  

Wanda, a peasant girl from an abusive household, becomes Miryem’s servant to pay off her family’s debts. 

Irina, the daughter of a duke, is thrust into a political marriage with the young tsar, Mirnatius, who harbors a dark and deadly secret. 

Haynes takes the male-centric narrative of Homer’s The Iliad and turns its focus toward the women’s place in the conflict. 

From the vengeful goddesses Athena and Hera to mortal women like Queen Hecuba of Troy, Briseis, Andromache, and Penelope, Haynes gives voice to those in traditional retellings.  

Bannen’s retelling of Turandot is an historical fantasy novel that weaves together elements of romance, tragedy, and adventure against the backdrop of 13th-century Mongolia. The Bird and the Blade is told from the perspective of Jinghua, a slave girl with a gift for languages and a sharp intellect. She becomes entangled in the fate of Prince Khalaf after he is captured and imprisoned by the Mongol conqueror, Timur. 

Jinghua, secretly in love with Khalaf, becomes his translator and confidante as he navigates the treacherous political landscape of the Mongol court. As their relationship deepens, Jinghua is torn between her love for Khalaf and her desire for freedom.