Welcome to the final Online Book Club discussion of Ella Enchanted.
Did you enjoy the ending of the book? I loved how the story was so exciting and adventurous! The story just flew by because there was so much action. I definitely enjoyed the reading experience this month.
At the beginning of this section, Ella makes it to the wedding. I really wasn't sure that she was going to be able to get there. I wasn't sure if she was going to be able to convince Lucinda to reverse the curse, but I definitely didn't think that she would leave her conversation with Lucinda feeling blessed to be obedient. Could you believe that Lucinda made Ella be happy about having to be obedient? What did you think of the gift that Lucinda gave the bride and groom? She really doesn't understand giving gifts to people. I can't understand how she really believes her gifts help others. Can you imagine being forced to be with your significant other for every single moment of the rest of your life. That would be incredibly overwhelming.
Ella's father inadvertently took advantage of Lucinda's commandment to be grateful for being obedient when he introduced Ella to her potential suitor. Of course, he didn't know that Ella had to be obedient, but he definitely benefitted from it. Ella really embarrassed herself when she kept overtly flirting with that first suitor. Didn't you internally cringe when she was so forward? I was so relieved when Mandy told Ella she didn't have to be glad about the curse. And, I was really glad that her dad decided to not pursue an engagement with the suitor.
Were you surprised when Dame Olga and Ella's dad got engaged? I think that was definitely foreshadowed throughout the book. And, since this is a Cinderella-type story, it made sense for the story to take that turn. I liked that Lucinda gave them an annoying gift. I wasn't really sure how it would affect the pair to have eternal love. It didn't seem to affect the way Ella's dad conducted business. He definitely still traveled, even though they were pledged to each other forever. Dame Olga sure wasn't very happy when she found out that Ella's family had no money. That gave her the ammunition she needed to put Ella to work. Don't you think she would have made Ella work regardless of her money situation? I don't really see her welcoming Ella into her family. Ella was too different than Dame Olga's daughters.
Did you enjoy Char and Ella's letters? I thought it was nice that they were able to stay connected to each other through their correspondence. Did you agree with her reasoning when she wrote the fake letter that said she was married? I understood that she thought she would put the kingdom at risk, but it still made me sad. I wished there was another way for her to tell Char she couldn't marry him without being so cruel and false. His diary entry after he found out about Ella's "marriage" was really sad.
What did you think of the ball scenes? I was glad that she got another chance with Char, but I thought it was a little cruel that she would attempt to see him again since she didn't have a plan for how they could be together. She was playing pretty fast and loose with his emotions, in my opinion. I was glad that the scenes were a little different than the original Cinderella story--it was interesting that Hattie ripped off her mask and exposed her.
Do you think the way she got out of the curse was realistic? It was nice that she broke the curse herself and didn't depend on a fairy godmother or a prince to save her. It was nice that she got a happy ending since she had been so unhappy throughout the book.
I hope you enjoyed reading this book this month! If you liked this book, check out this list I made that has similar titles. Make sure to let me know if you check out anything on the list.
Before you go, make sure you check out this link Gail Carson Levine posted on her website. It shows pictures of her house--I think I could write stories, too, if I lived in a house this beautiful! And, check out this article that talks about the importance of Ella Enchanted for young readers.
Thanks for following along with us this month! Make sure to leave a comment to let me know what you thought of the book. And, make sure to join us again next month as we read A Man Called Ove. I look forward to hearing from you in the comments section!
Add a comment to: Ella Enchanted, Week 3