Ella Enchanted

By: Gail Carson Levine

Narrated by: Eden Riegel

"That fool of a fairy Lucinda did not intend to lay a curse on me. She meant to bestow a gift. When I cried inconsolably through my first hour of life, my tears were her inspiration. Shaking her head sympathetically at Mother, the fairy touched my nose. 'My gift is obedience. Ella will always be obedient. Now stop crying, child.' I stopped."

So begins this richly entertaining story of Ella of Frell, who wants nothing more than to be free of Lucinda's gift and feel that she belongs to herself. For how can she truly belong to herself if she knows that at any time, anyone can order her to hop on one foot, cut off her hand, or betray her kingdom, and she'll have to obey?

Against a bold tapestry of princes, ogres, giants, wicked stepsisters and fairy godmothers, Ella's spirited account of her quest to break the curse is a funny, poignant and enchanting tale about an unforgettable heroine who is determined to be herself.

Ella Enchanted is a 1998 Newbery Medal Honor Book and a major motion picture.

©1998 Gail Carson Levine (P)1998 Random House, Inc., Listening Library, An Imprint of Random House Audio Publishing Group

Critic reviews

Newbery Honor Book, 1998

"Eden Riegel's high, childlike voice is the consummate match for this first-person narrative. Her sweet-voiced Ella, under the dominion of a vulgar stepmother and duplicitous stepsisters, reveals the gift of obedience (from fairy Lucinda) to be a scourge that only someone of Ella's sensitivity and intelligence would have the means to outwit. Riegel's smooth delivery of the exotic languages of the elves, gnomes, giants, and ogres enhances the fantasy element while occasional interludes of music add to the medieval air of the story. A lively and satisfying reading of the 1998 Newbery Honor Book." (AudioFile magazine)

"A winning combination of memorable characters and an alluring fantasy realm." (Publishers Weekly) "A high-spirited, comic first novel." (The New York Times Book Review)

loved it

Still one of my favorites. The movie is so wrong! worth listening to, especially for younger girls!

Great book!

I loved this book! It was a great book! The reader is awesome! It is full of fairy tale kind of stuf. There are ogres, fairy's, elves, contours, and gnomes. It is full of magic.

Wonderful story, wonderful telling!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, this book is great for mothers with young daughters. The narrator does a great job modulating her voice and bringing the story to life.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Ella was obviously my favorite character! She was strong and showed great fortitude even when it seemed like she would loose everything.

What does Eden Riegel bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The characters voices are brought to life by Eden. She is able to tell you the story which makes the experience more personal.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

This book made me laugh, made my daughter sypathize for Ella, and created a great memory for us to share.

My all time favorite book!

I read a lot. I probably go through about 30 books per year and would gladly read more if I found the time. Ella Enchanted is my favorite book. I have read it several times and now listened to it.

Poor choice of narrator, but a GREAT story

Where does Ella Enchanted rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Ella Enchanted is a great story for young adults and is among my favorite books.

Who was your favorite character and why?

My favorite character from Ella Enchanted was probably Ella and Charmont! Ella because I think she is hilarious and Charmont because I think he is, well, charming!

Any additional comments?

POOR CHOICE OF NARRATOR. I severely disliked her. Her voice was too young to narrate Ella Enchanted and irritated me. Aside from that, I loved it!

Young reader, but performed well

I have to remind myself that Ella isn't 9 because the reader sounds so young, but she does a good job. I love this story. Such a great twist on the Cinderella story.

A Story Worthy of its Medal

I adored the story and am so glad I was introduced to it in 6th grade. Many important themes and life lessons are introduced. The narrator was decent and did not detract from the story too much, but there were definitely times when we disagreed on how certain sentences or dialogue should be read or interpreted. I also recommend reading the book because you see things like spelling mistakes from Hattie and Olive, details that add to the character development.

This is one of the best Cinderella retellings. Levine is so clever in how she fits in the traditional themes of the story, and she makes the story of Cinderella more believable, even in this fantastical version full of magic and creatures. I am so excited for everyone to fall in love with this book!

The Narrator was perfect

I think that Eden Riegel was perfect as can be I loved then and now.

Can't sleep without this

Have been listening to this audiobook since I was a kid with the original tapes. Can't sleep without it sometimes!

excellent

This is my favorite book. I've read it in paperback upwards of 5 times; the story, character, and world building are simply riveting. The audiobook performance was no less.