Barrington Stoke adds to classic retellings with Frankenstein and Little Women

These retellings will "accentuate the key themes and scenes from the originals in a more concise format, without compromising on literary impact or importance". The publisher continued: "Providing a perfect means to accompany set-text study, these retellings offer even more readers the chance to access important timeless classics". The books will join retellings of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and Landman’s retellings of Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre and Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights. Combined, the list has sold 15,000 copies since 2020, according to the publisher. 

Bathgate commented: "Barrington Stoke was founded to make books as accessible as possible to children and young people who might otherwise be excluded from reading for pleasure and all the benefits this brings. Our work is focused on removing the hurdles that make the process of reading more difficult and so this year’s Dyslexia Awareness Week theme of Breaking Through Barriers could not fit more sympathetically with our mission. Our Classics Retold list is the perfect example of what we’re trying to achieve. Classic texts can be impenetrable to struggling readers due to language and/or length, but we have found a way to enable our readers to access these important and culturally significant works. And we know from the feedback we receive that they are achieving their aim.”

Landman said: “Why did I start retelling the classics? It’s my children’s fault. My sons both did A-Level English and Jane Eyre—one of my all-time favourites—was on the background reading list. ’Great’, I thought. They’re going to love it. I was looking forward to earnest discussions around the dinner table. But the boys didn’t share my enthusiasm. They liked the story itself, but they complained about ‘all the rest’—the Victorian prose, the tedious descriptions, the piety and soul-searching and endless banging on about God. It got me thinking about how impenetrable the classics can be. So many young people aren’t enjoying these brilliant stories because the ornate, antiquated prose gets in the way. Retelling a classic is a little like archaeology—a careful sifting and scraping away of ‘all the rest’ to find the buried treasure at the story’s heart.”

Wood commented: “The Barrington Stoke retellings are a brilliant idea from a publisher that cares deeply about their readers. Making classic texts available to readers who may otherwise struggle to access them is a win for all concerned, and I’m absolutely delighted that I was asked to be a part of it.”