The Complete Fairy Tales

By Charles Perrault, Claude Perrault, Charles Giraud, et al.

Book Overview

"Oh grandmama, what great big teeth you have "

Charles Perrault's versions gave classic status to the humble fairy tale, and it is in his telling that the stories of Little Red Riding-Hood, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and the rest have been passed down from the seventeenth century to the present day. Perrault's tales were enjoyed in the salons of Louis XIV as much as they were loved in the nursery, and it is their wit, humor, and lively detail that capture the imagination of adult and child alike. They transmute into vivid fantasies the hidden fears and conflicts by which children are affected: fears of abandonment, or worse, conflicts with siblings and parents, and the trials of growing up.

In addition to the familiar stories, this edition also includes the three verse tales--the troubling account of patient Griselda, the comic Three Silly Wishes, and the notorious Donkey-Skin. This translation by Christopher Betts captures the tone and flavor of Perrault's world, and the delightful spirit of the originals.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B007YTIXDQ
• ISBN13: 9780199585809
• Release Date: November 2010
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 4.8" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

Perrault Tales with Harry Clarke Illustrations

Absolutely marvelous artwork. This is a facsimile reprint of the 1922 George G. Harrap original with 40 b & w and 12 full page colour plates by the inimicable Harry Clarke, macabre illustrator of Poe and Faust. It lends quite a twist to the old tales.

A KEEPSAKE FOR A YOUNG READER'S LIBRARY

Who can resist a fairy tale? This beautifully rendered edition includes such timeless classics as "Little Red Riding Hood," "Cinderella" and "Sleeping Beauty." All eleven of Perault's tales are enchantingly illustrated in ripe watercolors - never has Red Riding Hood's grandmother's cottage looked so venerably aged or forbidding. A handsome volume to be treasured.

For the fairy tales scholar, *NOT* bed time reading...

This is a collection of eight fairy tales originally written in 17th century France. The stories include the familiar "Sleeping Beauty" and "Little Red Riding Hood," but both with unfamiliar endings. Other stories include the incredibly gory "Bluebeard," the esoteric "Rickety Topknot," and the didactic "Diamonds and Toads." The stories highlight traditional themes such as obedience and kindness, but are often subverted by complicated plot twists (the moral of "Bluebeard" is particularly hard to decipher). Unlike their more familiar, sanitized, modernized counterparts, these fairy tales are gruesome stories with a wry sense of humor and without sentimentality - though they all begin "once upon a time," few end "happily ever after." The language is dramatic, with long sentences and difficult syntax. The stories range in length, from 5 to 15 pages. The text is printed large and accompanied by small in-line and full-page illustrations, portraying scenes and characters from the stories. A good match for the stories, the illustrations are very dark and murky, in shades of gray; the people have bulging eyes and grotesque expressions. The book also includes an Afterword about the history of fairy tales and an Appendix offering the original verse morals that concluded each story. Though the book jacket indicates that it is for "All Ages," these stories are entirely inappropriate for most young children; filled with ogres with a particular taste for eating children and other bloody scenes, the subject matter of these fairy tales are not at all appropriate bedtime reading. With its scholarly additions and grisly subject matter, this book may not belong in a juvenile collection, but adults and older children may enjoy exploring the origins of fairy tales.

Excellent source for enthusiasts

Our oral history of the tales of "Cinderella" and "Sleeping Beauty" have certainly changed! This is an excellent source for anyone hoping to find the roots of the fairy tales which we all know and love today. Perrault's prose is surprisingly terse, which may grate with the modern conception of these tales, but he also holds nothing back. Thankfully, Philip and Simborowski include all of his tales, even the dark and disturbing "Donkeyskin," which has been left out of most translations. I have used this book as pleasure reading, but it really shines when I pull it off the shelf for serious essays and presentations. Philip and Simborowski provide helpful anecdotes on Perrault's life and the stories themselves, rounding out a work as complete as Perrault's original.

Classic tales

Charles Perrault was a French civil servant in the late 1600s. He had a little son, and decided to write down to old French folk tales that he heard the servants telling and retelling. These include Cinderella, Blue Beard and even Sleeping Beauty.