Stories which subvert expectations have been popping up more and more in media. An example of this from classic literature though is the werewolf short stories by Angela Carter. These go against the traditional format of the Little Red Riding Hood story, by having the grandmother be the wolf in The Werewolf or the wolf becoming Red Riding Hood’s new husband in The Company of Wolves. The Charmed Wife is another instance of a re-examination, taking a look at the fairy tale of Cinderella and retelling the traditional aspects of the story from a different perspective.
(This book does go into details about themes of abuse, so keep that in mind before going into the story.)
Published by Hodder and Stoughton, The Charmed Wife follows a princess who is planning to kill her husband. During her initial quest for revenge, she reflects on the state of her marriage, wondering how a seemingly perfect relationship could have dissolved to such a point, and if there is any way she can come out of it without losing herself.
When I first heard about this story, the idea of examining the pains of abusive relationships through the lens of a fairy tale really caught my attention. And I have absolutely fallen in love with it: it is a beautifully penned masterpiece of writing. More importantly however, it felt very relatable to my own personal experiences with a toxic relationship. I really appreciated the avenue Grushin went with this story, something which she summarises perfectly in the acknowledgements: “As a child, I loved the traditional fairy tales… As an adult, I questioned them.”
Reading this book, I was astonished about how Grushin was able to pen the emotions of the protagonist so eloquently. This isn’t just reflected in the main character’s perspective, but in her interactions with the people around her. It shook me because I have heard this sort of thing from my friends in the past, almost word for word:
Her hands were empty now. Her heart was empty. She knew the truth at last – but the deeper truth, the truth behind the truth, was that she might have known it once or twice already and had tricked herself into forgetting.
Because who were we to destroy your Happily Ever After? You didn’t notice anything amiss, and you did seem happy. At first, anyway.
This story very accurately goes over the feelings of depression and pain that someone can go through due to an unhealthy relationship, but this book also does have its moments of alleviation and even some comedy. The little anecdotes about the princess’ mice friends – who actually have a short lifespan, so it follows the original companions Brie and Nibbles as well as their generations of children – was a nice side plot to the main story which didn’t feel disconnected.
There is also a hell of a plot twist as the book approaches its conclusion. Throughout the story, there are clues to this, some subtle and others that seem so obvious in hindsight. It’s almost like Grushin was daring the reader to guess it ahead of time.
The Charmed Wife may focus on someone surviving abuse in her love life, and though it is depressing and sad, it’s also very cathartic. Despite empathising with all the pain and suffering that the princess goes through, there is also the feeling of hope the reader has for her, quietly praying that things can and will get better for her. The story still had that enticing tone that I felt when I first experienced fairy tales as a child, but the update to the traditional formula felt like a breath of fresh air. This novel is a wonderfully dark spin on fantasy stories and is a must read.
READ NEXT: 20 Best Survival Horror Games You Should Play
Some of the coverage you find on Cultured Vultures contains affiliate links, which provide us with small commissions based on purchases made from visiting our site. We cover gaming news, movie reviews, wrestling and much more.
