Overview

Essays on imagining a better world in dark times, from one of our most esteemed scholars of fairy tales Fairy tales take us to a world where magic is commonplace, where wishing works, where the conflicts in our hearts are literalized in the world around us. The living, vibrant, democratic genre of the fairy tale draws stories from people and places all over the globe, and spreads them just as broadly. Yet in a world exhausted by war, famine, climate devastation, and political strife, are these tales still valid? Are they merely an escape, or are they something more? The eminent folklorist Jack Zipes argues here that fairy tales remain relevant and powerful, that they still speak truth to power. Indeed, he writes, we cannot do without them. In this collection of essays on such beloved tales as “Hansel and Gretel” and “Puss in Boots”; on the authors L. Frank Baum, E. T. A. Hoffmann, and the Brothers Grimm; and on the dubious influence of Disney, Zipes introduces readers to the history of the fairy tale and explores why the stories retain such a fierce hold on our imagination. He argues vigorously for the fighting utopian spirit the tales uphold—something our world sorely needs.

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9780300282382

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Reviews

“Sparkling with insights into fairy tales’ marvelous fulfillment of hopes for a better world, this fascinating book reminds us why we need fairy tales—and the work of Jack Zipes.”—Ann Schmiesing, author of The Brothers Grimm: A Biography “Zipes reveals how fairy tales, often seen as escapist, do serious cultural work for us. They not only mirror and magnify real-life conflicts but also model resistance and resilience, showing us a way out of the woods.”—Maria Tatar, author of The Heroine with 1001 Faces “This book shimmers with wishes and a desire for knowledge. Zipes reinforces the indispensable contribution fairy tales offer to humanity. This volume aims an uncynical arrow at hope.”—Kate Bernheimer, editor of My Mother She Killed Me, My Father He Ate Me

Author Information

Jack Zipes is professor emeritus of German and comparative literature at the University of Minnesota. He has edited more than twenty collections of fairy tales and many books about fairy tales and children’s stories. He also translates tales, including The Wounded Storyteller: The Traumatic Tales of E. T. A. Hoffmann. He lives in Minneapolis, MN.

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