6 Totally Incredible Books That Will Change Your View on Fairy Tales
When you're not binging "Once Upon A Time" on Netflix, check out these 6 books that take the magic of the fairy tales with the humor and complexities of adulthood.
"Sleeping in Flame" by Jonathan Carroll
This novel is"Rumpelstiltskin" but with a hipster screenwriter and TIME TRAVEL between past lives to find his true love (WHO has been his true love in all his past lives and if that doesn't make you believe in love, what will?).
"Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister" by Gregory Maguire
Gregory Maguire is the GIFT of an author who gave us the wonderful book/play "Wicked.". This novel is about Iris, Cinderella's stepsister and her crazy different perspective on the entire "Cinderella" story. Additionally, the novel is set during the Dutch Tulip Mania and there's an exciting amount of colorful flower imagery and paintings. Maguire is REALLY into rewriting fairy tales; he's written versions of "Snow White," "Alice in Wonderland" and obviously "The Wizard of Oz" series.
"Briar Rose" by Jane Yolen
Jane Yolen is the QUEEN of transforming fairy tales from light children's stories into adventurous novels. This is a historical spin on the usual "Sleeping Beauty" tale but instead of the evil Maleficent, the villain is the Nazis.
"Once Upon a Time: A Short History of Fairy Tale" by Marina Warner
For those craving a non-fiction read, Marina Warner's book on the HISTORY behind fairy tales. She explores the origins of the stories and on the censorship of fairy tales in the Victorian Era. It's factual, but fun.
"Some Kind of Fairy Tale" by Graham Joyce
This story is scarily similar to "Sleeping Beauty;" a teen is kidnapped, returns to her family decades after disappearing and blames the incident FAIRIES. And she stayed the same age the entire time! WHAT?! This novel is full of time travel paradoxes and magic, with a touch of reality about the ripple effect of a kidnapping and mob mentality.
"The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales" by Bruno Bettelheim
Another non-fiction piece, this time a little less about history and a whole lot more about psychology. APPARENTLY fairy tales have an effect on the way the readers view themselves as children, and this book takes a Freudian approach to the way characters view themselves and the way readers view themselves in light of the characters.