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annehalliwell's review
challenging
funny
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? Yes
5.0
I loved this. Do I agree with every bit of theory included? Hell no. But the format of explaining reasoning for choosing takes to represent feminist ideals and then providing them all in full? Awesome.
jcousins's review
4.0
An interesting collection of fairy tales, including a couple of critial essays, where the herione stands on her own two feet.
milliebm22's review
informative
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
anya_reading's review
4.0
A collection of re-imagined fairy tales. I am not familiar with the wide range of folk tales out there, so some stories, like Russalka, seemed new and original to me (please correct me if this is not).
I read this purely for some interesting fairy tales, though I did skim through some of the feminist literary criticism at the end. A lot of what I was seeing was not new to me: many stories center on women as passive forces, with marriage and riches as common endings for those who have been "chosen" (often due to their immense beauty).
My favorite stories from this book were "Russalka" and "The Green Woman," the latter story reminding me so much of writer Madeline Miller's Circe that I could have easily imagined this witch as a prototype, or a small-town colleague.
I read this purely for some interesting fairy tales, though I did skim through some of the feminist literary criticism at the end. A lot of what I was seeing was not new to me: many stories center on women as passive forces, with marriage and riches as common endings for those who have been "chosen" (often due to their immense beauty).
My favorite stories from this book were "Russalka" and "The Green Woman," the latter story reminding me so much of writer Madeline Miller's Circe that I could have easily imagined this witch as a prototype, or a small-town colleague.
lraven13's review
3.0
I had originally rated this 5 stars and I'm adjusting to 3 1/2 due to various factors. I'm going to start with, I love this book. It was the first feminist fairy tale book I ever read and my 12 year old self is still in awe that it was in my junior high school library. It definitely began my path towards feminism.
My favorite stories are "The Princess Who Stood on Her Own Two Feet", "Prince Amilec", "Russalka" and "Wolfland."
But now more than 30 years after that first reading, looking at a copy I've owned since 1999, I'm bothered that it isn't intersectional.
There's no doubt in my mind that there are feminist fairy tales from women of color (and trans women) in the time period these were chosen from (1970-1982, if you don't count Zipes contribution.) It makes me want to find those stories and edit a book. Those voices are equally relevant to the ones shared with its pages.
Intersectional feminism was a struggle then as it is now and here is a place it really shows. While I do absolutely recommend the book, I also recommend seeking out a wider range of authors and tales. We all deserve to see ourselves in the stories we read. And we deserve to see each other.
My favorite stories are "The Princess Who Stood on Her Own Two Feet", "Prince Amilec", "Russalka" and "Wolfland."
But now more than 30 years after that first reading, looking at a copy I've owned since 1999, I'm bothered that it isn't intersectional.
There's no doubt in my mind that there are feminist fairy tales from women of color (and trans women) in the time period these were chosen from (1970-1982, if you don't count Zipes contribution.) It makes me want to find those stories and edit a book. Those voices are equally relevant to the ones shared with its pages.
Intersectional feminism was a struggle then as it is now and here is a place it really shows. While I do absolutely recommend the book, I also recommend seeking out a wider range of authors and tales. We all deserve to see ourselves in the stories we read. And we deserve to see each other.
bowienerd_82's review
I didn't finish this one before it was due back at the library, and it wasn't worth it to me to renew it. It had a poor start, with the long and overly pedantic intro (which frequently came off as man-splain-y), and I wasn't particularly into any of the fairy tales. I think this was a case of the wrong choice of editor, plus some people either trying too hard or not hard enough.
faerietalebooks's review
5.0
Kept picking up and putting down this book over the past few years. But it was never a book I intended to give up on. It's quite heavy and in-depth in its feminist analysis of fairy tales. I really enjoyed Zipes' selections and his researched opinion. I look forward to reading more of his works in the future.
kikiandarrowsfishshelf's review
5.0
A feminist look at fairy tales including short stories. This book is split into three sections - tales for younger readers, tales for older readers, and criticism. The works have appeared in various sources elsewhere.
Included in this collection are feminist working of Beaty and the Beast, a discussion about "Snow White", an examination of the illustrations for "Little Read Riding Hood", a prince's quest to marry a spoiled princess, as well as a princess saving a prince.
The stories and poems are wonderful, though I have to wonder, why do feminist fairy tales end in marriage, even if it marriage to a partner who proves his worth? Is it because of social conditioning or because we long for a partnership of equals?
Included in this collection are feminist working of Beaty and the Beast, a discussion about "Snow White", an examination of the illustrations for "Little Read Riding Hood", a prince's quest to marry a spoiled princess, as well as a princess saving a prince.
The stories and poems are wonderful, though I have to wonder, why do feminist fairy tales end in marriage, even if it marriage to a partner who proves his worth? Is it because of social conditioning or because we long for a partnership of equals?