Posted on: 17/03/2023
Every culture around the world has its own fairy tale traditions and in western tradition these are predominantly the stories that were written and collected by Hans Christian Anderson and the Grimm Brothers during the nineteenth century.
These fairy tales are an essential part of early childhood for many. They lay the foundations for narrative convention and play a huge part in developing children’s understanding of right and wrong; good vs evil; the virtues of a hero and the vices of a villain; and they depict what a happy ending should be like - although not all end happily.
In the introduction of Philip Pullman’s wonderful collection, Grimm Tales for Young and Old he states that, ‘There is no psychology in a fairy tale. The characters have little interior life; their motives are clear and obvious. If people are good, they are good, and if bad, they’re bad.’ In reading these stories we see ‘conventional stock characters’ emerge time and time again: the jealous stepmother; the benevolent godmother; conniving siblings; the innocent, pure princess; the protective father and the brave prince amongst others. As Pullman goes on to explain, stylistically, the stories move with a ‘dream-like speed’ and spare little time for superfluous detail or psychological ambiguity.
Whilst being full of supernatural enchantment and wonder, these stories can also be violent and disturbing. Some, like the earliest written version of Little Red Riding Hood, were not originally intended for children. The image of a wolf dressed in grandmother’s clothing for example, or the cottage made from gingerbread are chilling portents to an evil character’s intentions. The princess’ strange obsession, in The Three Snake Leaves, to not marry anyone unless they agree to be buried alive with her when she dies is another example. Perhaps it is these darker elements that are an essential part of these stories’ allure and longevity.
There is no doubt that tales such as these, told to us when we are young, will be with us forever. And, as with any classic, they have been retold and reimagined by generations past and present. Modern retellings have opened the door to deconstruct this traditional genre’s assumptions about beauty, relationships and gender. With this in mind, we have compiled a book list of Fairy Tales with a Twist. Authors who have innovated on these well-known tales in a wide range of exciting ways to inspire a more contemporary audience.
In this list, we have included books like Cinderella Liberator by Rebecca Solnit, a feminist retelling, where “Ella” does not marry the prince but rather stands up for the principles she believes in. This book is part of a fantastic four-book series by different authors called A Fairy Tale Revolution. On a similar note, we have included The Little Match Girl Strikes Back by Emma Carroll which is a reworking of the classic by Hans Christian Anderson and endows the matchstick girl with a clear sense of agency and mission. Gender Swapped Fairy Tales by Karrie Fransman and Jonathan Plackett is a revelatory retelling which swaps the genders of all the main characters and Fairy Tales for Everyone by Boldizsár M Nagy is an inclusive collection of tales, featuring LQBTQ+ characters.
We have also included in this list retellings which champion racial and cultural diversity. Rumaysa, A Fairy Tale by Radiya Hafiza, retells the story of Rapunzel, amongst others, through the eyes of the protagonist who is Muslim. One day, she realises that she can escape her imprisonment in the tower after dropping her hijab out of the window. The Rough-Face Girl by Rafe Martin follows a similar narrative structure to Cinderella but is a traditional Algonquib Indian tale set by Lake Ontario.
This list is by no means exhaustive, but we do hope there is something here for everyone.
Posted in: Book Lists
