View source for Ella Enchanted

{{Short description|1997 novel by Gail Carson Levine}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{About|the novel|the film adaptation|Ella Enchanted (film){{!}}''Ella Enchanted'' (film)}}
{{Infobox book  | <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Novels or Wikipedia:WikiProject_Books -->
| name          = Ella Enchanted
| title_orig    = 
| translator    = 
| image         = Ella enchanted (book cover).jpg
| image_size    = 200px<!-- First edition cover preferred -->
| caption       = Book cover
| author        = [[Gail Carson Levine]]
| cover_artist  = 
| country       = United States
| language      = English
| series        = 
| subject       = 
| genre         = [[Fantasy fiction|Fantasy]]
| publisher     = [[HarperTrophy]]
| release_date  = 1997
| media_type    = Print (Hardcover, Paperback) and [[Audiobook]]
| pages         = 240
| isbn          = 0-06-440705-5
| oclc          = 39641341
| preceded_by   = <!-- Preceding novel in series -->
| followed_by   = [[Fairest (novel)|Fairest]]
}}
'''''Ella Enchanted''''' is a fantasy novel written by [[Gail Carson Levine]] and [[published]] in 1997. The story is a retelling of "[[Cinderella]]" featuring various mythical creatures including [[Fairy|fairies]], [[elf|elves]], [[ogre]]s, [[gnome]]s, and [[giant (mythology)|giants]].

The book won a [[Newbery Honor]] in 1998.<ref name="Newbery">[http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/newberymedal/newberyhonors/newberymedal.cfm Newbery Medal and Honor Books, 1922-Present] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110211140111/http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/newberymedal/newberyhonors/newberymedal.cfm|date=2011-02-11}}. Association for Library Service to Children. Accessed on June 29, 2010.</ref> In 2006, Levine went on to write ''[[Fairest (novel)|Fairest]]'', a retelling of the story of "[[Snow White]]", set in the same world as ''Ella Enchanted''. In 2018, Levine published ''Ogre Enchanted'', a [[prequel]] to ''Ella Enchanted''.

On April 9, 2004, a [[Ella Enchanted (film)|film loosely based on the novel]] was released. It was directed by [[Tommy O'Haver]] and stars [[Anne Hathaway]] and [[Hugh Dancy]] as Ella and Prince Charmont, respectively. The film received mostly mixed reviews, and was criticized for its changes to the source material and addition of new characters. Levine stated that the film is "so different from the book that it's hard to compare them" and suggested "regarding the movie as a separate creative act".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kidsreads.com/authors/au-levine-gail-carson.asp |title=Gail Carson Levine |access-date=2008-11-11 |publisher=Kidsreads.com |archive-date=2008-10-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081028030200/http://www.kidsreads.com/authors/au-levine-gail-carson.asp |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Summary==
{{Long plot|section|date=November 2023}}
As a baby, Ella of Frell receives the "gift" of obedience from the fairy Lucinda, but it turns out to be a terrible curse, as Ella is forced to obey even the simplest commands. After her mother's death, Ella discovers the family cook Mandy is her fairy godmother and receives her mother's necklace and a magic book from her. At the funeral, Ella meets Prince Char, who comforts her. She then meets Dame Olga and her terrible daughters, Hattie and Olive.

Ella is sent to finishing school by her father, alongside Hattie and Olive. Before leaving, she meets Char again and they continue to bond. At school, Hattie discovers Ella's obedience. She uses it to bully Ella, steal her belongings, and force her to end her friendship with her best friend. Fed up, Ella set out to find Lucinda and reverse the spell. She uses the magic book to track her to a giant's wedding.

On her journey, Ella is trapped by ogres, who command her not to run away, intending to eat her. She stays up all night practicing their hypnotic language to talk them to sleep and escape. She then encounters Char and a group of soldiers, who apprehend the ogres. One of Char's men is sent to escort Ella to the wedding.

Having learned that Lucinda turns ungrateful recipients of her gifts into squirrels, Ella uses an alias when meeting her and asks her to gift her with more mettle, as she is too obedient. Lucinda dismisses her, telling her to be happy with her qualities, forcing Ella to feel happy because of her "gift."

Ella's father tells her he's financially ruined and must marry Dame Olga. Lucinda gifts the bride and groom eternal love. Peter reveals to Olga he's broke after the wedding. Olga is livid, but due to Lucinda's gift, she is unable to stay angry at him. Instead she begins to transfer all of her hatred to Ella. Char comes to visit Ella before he travels abroad but Hattie orders her to stay in her room until he leaves. They secretly write to each other while he's gone. After Peter leaves for an extended work trip, Hattie tells Olga about Ella's obedience, and Olga makes Ella a servant.

Months later, Ella and Char have fallen in love and Char wishes to marry Ella. She hesitates, as her curse could put him in danger as king. To spare him, she makes him think she has run off with a rich earl. Mandy calls upon Lucinda and confronts her about the disastrous consequences of her gifts. Lucinda disbelieves her, but Mandy convinces her to try it for herself, living for three months as a squirrel and three months being obedient.

Six months later, Ella has continued to endure her step-family's torment. She learns that Char will be returning soon and three royal balls will be held. Lucinda returns disheveled and remorseful about all the suffering she has caused. Ella begs her to remove her curse but Lucinda vows that she will no longer perform acts of big magic and Ella will have to find a way to do it herself.

With Mandy and Lucinda's help, Ella goes to the royal balls in disguise. At the first, she dances with Char, who still pines for Ella and doubts the letter he received. At the third, he introduces her to his parents. Hattie jealously unmasks Ella, forcing her to flee and lose one of her glass slippers. Char finds it and goes to her home, where he asks Ella if she loves him. When she says yes, he tells her to marry him, unknowingly forcing her to comply. After an internal struggle, Ella refuses and then embraces Char, as her love and care for him broke Lucinda's spell. She explains everything to him, and then freely and happily accepts his marriage proposal.

Ella is welcomed warmly into the royal family. She takes no revenge on her stepmother and stepsisters beyond not inviting them to the royal wedding. Mandy becomes the castle cook and fairy godmother to Char and Ella's future children. Ella's first person narrative ends with her telling the reader that "So we still live in love and laughter".

==Analysis and publication history==
While all the familiar plot elements of the Cinderella story are still present in this retelling, they are given a different significance. In particular, in Levine's version Cinderella/Ella and the Prince have known each other all along and had already long since fallen in love before the balls, but are unable to realize their love until the end of the story. As noted by Levine, the plot element of Ella being cursed with obedience fills a logical flaw in the original Cinderella story, explaining why she had to obey her stepmother and stepsisters.{{Citation needed|date=November 2023}}

The book was revised in 2011.<ref>Gail Carson Levine. Ella Enchanted (1997). Revised edition, 2011. Cover art by Greg Call. 65th Printing. New York: Harper, HarperCollins, 2014. 9780064407052, obverse title page.</ref>

In 2012, it was ranked number 85 on a list of the top 100 children's novels published by ''[[School Library Journal]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://blog.schoollibraryjournal.com/afuse8production/2012/07/07/top-100-chapter-book-poll-results |title= Top 100 Chapter Book Poll Results |author= Bird, Elizabeth |publisher= A Fuse #8 Production. Blog. [[School Library Journal]] (blog.schoollibraryjournal.com) |date= July 7, 2012 |access-date= December 8, 2021 |archive-date= July 13, 2012 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120713031015/http://blog.schoollibraryjournal.com/afuse8production/2012/07/07/top-100-chapter-book-poll-results |url-status= dead }}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{wikiquote-inline}}
*[http://www.harpercollinschildrens.com/kids/gamesandcontests/features/fairest/ Gail Carson Levine's] official website
* {{ISFDB title|id=10270|title=Ella Enchanted}}

{{Cinderella (Fairy tale)}}

[[Category:1997 American novels]]
[[Category:1997 fantasy novels]]
[[Category:American children's novels]]
[[Category:American fantasy novels adapted into films]]
[[Category:Fiction about curses]]
[[Category:Novels about fairies]]
[[Category:Novels about nobility]]
[[Category:Novels about royalty]]
[[Category:HarperCollins books]]
[[Category:Novels about magic]]
[[Category:Newbery Honor–winning works]]
[[Category:Novels based on Cinderella]]
[[Category:Novels set in fictional countries]]
[[Category:1997 children's books]]
[[Category:Children's books about princes]]
[[Category:Children's books about magic]]
[[Category:Children's books about fairies]]
[[Category:Children's books based on fairy tales]]
[[Category:Young Hoosier Book Award winners]]