After watching Once Upon a Time and in the middle of the hubbub about the release of Snow White and the Huntsman I decided that it was time I became a little more well-read in the fairy tale department. And by that I mean original fairy tales, retellings, modern fairy tales, and literary criticism.
I immediately knew that Ana would be able to provide me with a gold mine of recommendations, and so I asked her if she would compose me an introductory list, telling her to bear in mind that I was a downright newbie.
As I knew she would, Ana composed a thorough and exciting looking list (Ana really is the best!). Based on that list, I searched my library catalogue and started composing a birthday wish list. Unfortunately, not many of the books on my birthday wish list turned into actual gifts for my birthday (not that I’m complaining because I got some stellar birthday gifts – more on that Sunday). So for now I’m left with a relatively small pile of books. But all are ones I thoroughly enjoyed, or very much looking forward to. I aim to read the other books on her list by slowly buying them all (the “slowly” is no accident, it is a reminder to myself).
The current pile of Fairy Tale read/to-be-read books. Minus the Angela Carter book I own (I forgot to add it!)
Having now read five of the seven books pictured, I started contemplating if I might not format them into separate themed posts. The name “Fairy Tale Friday” came to mind, but I was pretty sure I had seen it in the blogosphere before. After asking around on twitter, it appears it is a recently relaunched meme hosted by Literary Transgressions and Books 4 Learning. I plan to join the meme (bi-)weekly and share my thoughts and progress on fairy tale themed reading.
I should note that I have also been browsing Buried in Print‘s Fairy Tales Good Reads shelf, which makes for some exciting recommendations as well. And of course, I plan to add some of the classics, like Grimm’s fairy tales.
This is where you come in. Are there any fairy tale themed books that I absolutely must read? That are all-time-favourites? That I possibly cannot live without? Please let me know! Any recommendations are welcome.
I like this new meme a lot! Like you, I’ve got many fairy tales to catch up with
Off the top of my head I can only name the Grimm brothers and Hans Christian Anderson as main sources for fairy tales. I hope to discover new stories through your blog and this meme!
I’m really glad to have been able to help
If you ever decide you’d like to read ABOUT fairy tales, anything by Marina Warner, Maria Tatar or Jack Zipes is worth checking out. Also, did you see this article?
I recently bought myself the compilation ‘My mother she killed me, my father he ate me’ (Forty new fairy tales), edited by Kate Bernheimer – a collection of old fairy tales rewritten by contemporary authors. I can also recommend Kate Bernheimer’s ‘Horse, Flower, Bird’ (eight new fairy tales) – I liked it a lot.
Great idea Iris! I look forward to reading more from you. I’m always wanting to read more fairy tale-ish books.
I haven’t had a chance to read any books from them yet but Robin McKinley and Donna Jo Napoli write a lot of fairy tale retellings. Many people have told me the books are really good!
I read Cloaked in Red by Vivian Vande Velde a while back. It was a really cool idea. She broke down the story of Little Red Riding Hood and wrote 7/8 reimaginings of the story. I think she wrote a similar book for Rumpelstiltskin and maybe for some other fairy tales.
I love fairy-tale books. Robin McKinley is one of my favorites, so I’m glad to see her in your stack, although Deerskin is my least favorite of her books. Patricia Wrede’s Dealing with Dragons books are also great. Enchantment by Orson Scott Card is an interesting re-telling of Russian tales.
I really like fairy tale retellings. Robin McKinley is one of my favorites: Beauty, Deerskin, etc. I also really love Pamela Dean’s Tam Lin- although that’s from a ballad, so does it count as fairy tale? Not sure, but it’s a great book
I would add Cinder by Marissa Meyer – retelling of Cinderella, if that counts as a fairy tale! (Cinderella sort of seems almost not dark enough!)
This sounds like a fun project. I’ve not read as many fairy tales as I should have (as an adult that is), so I look forward to your posts! The only author who comes to mind is Angela Carter who has done a lot of retellings of fairy tales–but you have maybe already read her?
I second many of Anna’s recommendations, and also the other commenters’ recommendation of Robin McKinley’s Beauty. And have you read Ella Enchanted? (probably) And Pamela Dean’s Tam Lin is a guilty pleasure of mine, though nowhere near as good as Fire and Hemlock so best not to compare them.
YES to Robin McKinley, as many of the other commenters have noted. I like Deerskin a lot, but be warned that there is some dark stuff in it. McKinley’s Spindle’s End is another good one, and it’s a retelling of “Sleeping Beauty.” I would also recommend Juliet Marillier’s Wildwood Dancing, which is loosely based on “The Twelve Dancing Princesses.” A couple of others mentioned “Tam Lin” retellings — The Perilous Gard by Elizabeth Marie Pope is definitely my favorite. Oh, and A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce is a wonderful take on “Rumpelstiltskin.”
I’ll second Danielle’s recommendation of Angela Carter, and I have on my shelves a very good Oxford anthology of fairy tales that was edited by Alison Lurie. Then there’s Kingdoms of Elfin by Sylvia Townsend Warner – I haven’t read all of the stories, but those that I have I’ve loved.
Iris, I recently read The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey – a retelling of the Russian fairy tale about the snow maiden. I loved the tale but especially her beautiful writing!
Oooh Iris, I’m giving my fairy-tale reading plans a kick with reading Grimm’s fairy tales, one a week, so I’ll be watching your blog with interest!
As well as Andersen and the Grimms, you really should add Perrault and E.T.A. Hoffmann to your list. And Marina Warner’s ‘From the Beast to the Blonde’ is brilliant background reading.
I hope you enjoy it!
That sounds like such an interesting plan Helen. I will be checking your blog with interest too (not that I didn’t do that already
).
I’ll be adding your suggestions to the list. I’d like to mix up the “original” tales (or at least the classics) with the modern retellings.
I was going to suggest Cinder too – but see it’s already been done. It’s one I really liked.
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Oh, I bet there’s a lot of overlap between the titles we’re interested in: it would be fun to read something together. Hope you’re enjoying your project so far (have fallen behind in all-things-online over the past few weeks, so am late learning of this)!
I’d love to read something together at some point! I’m very much a novice though so I’ll probably be reading lots that is basic stuff to you.
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Patricia mckillip is a beautiful fairytale writer. I suggest The Firebird, The Forgotten Beasts of Eld, The Changeling Sea, Ombria in Shadow.
She both borrows from folklore and creates her own and her prose is musical and lovely
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