Fairy Tale Study & Critical Thinking - Suggestions For A ‘Starter Library’
Here is a non-comprehensive list of books, in no particular order, on the study of literary fairy tales and critical thinking that I recommend having in your fairy tale reference library - especially if you are just beginning this adventure. These are not books for beginners necessarily but are books you are likely to return to again and again so may like to consider purchasing your own copies rather than just borrowing them. I will probably add to this list from time to time and will also include books that I haven’t yet read but would like to and are recommended by others. I will be posting other suggestions for ‘personal fairy tale library collections’ at various times both non-fiction and fiction so stay tuned!
NOTE: No list for students of fairy tales would be complete without recommended volumes/collections of the tales themselves but I will post that list separately at another time. There is bound to be some overlap as often good collections of tales are included in the text by the author/s and/or editors discussing them. Books like these may appear on both lists.
The Oxford Companion to Fairy Tales by Jack Zipes
A wonderful cross-reference book of tales, fairy tale motifs, authors/recorders of the literary forms, illustrators, commercial use, operas, ballets, film, music, origins and even authors such as Terry Pratchett and Jane Yolen who regularly use fairy tales in their own writing. This book even has illustrations scattered throughout! A great reference or a wonderful read when you have a few minutes at a time. Although arranged alphabetically you can start anywhere and will end up jumping around through the wonderful cross-referencing provided.
Highly recommended - buy this one! You’ll use it again and again.
Touch Magic by Jane Yolen
Right here are many of the reasons why we should bother to keep fairy tales alive and why studying them is a worthwhile pursuit. Ms. Yolen writes as if she were speaking directly to you, without using scholarly language and with an obvious love for her subject. When people ask why bother with fairy tales this book says it all here - clearly and easily accessible to the average reader. Full of quotable quotes and well researched it’s required reading for anyone who works with fairy tales, folklore and fantasy.
Very highly recommended - if you haven’t read it yet, make it a priority!
From the Beast to the Blonde: On Fairy Tales and Their Tellers by Marina Warner
An amazing study of the famous tales in particular and their (mostly female) authors, approached by cultural context. Sounds dry but it’s not at all! It’s lavishly illustrated and filled with fascinating information that is worth revisiting to make sure you absorbed it. One of the highly recommended ‘must-reads’ for anyone interested in fairy tale study. Discussion of fairy tale meanings and origins willl often end up mentioning this book. When you read it, you’ll see why.
Highly recommended - you’ll want your own copy to return to often.
The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales by Bruno Bettelheim
One of the first books to look at the influence of fairy tales and the possible meanings behind them, it’s exceptionally Freudian in it’s thinking but a good stirrer for the brain cells. It too should have a permanent place on the bookshelf. People still quote Bettleheim - a lot. Although most folklorists criticize his views it’s definitely a ‘don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater’ sort of deal. Make up your own mind about this one. Although I don’t agree with a lot in this book I still enjoyed it. Importantly, he was an avid supporter of letting children read/listen to fairy tales as a valuable tool for life and argues for their importance in society. It’s worth remembering as you read Bettelheim’s discussions that at the time that a lot of these tales were being told/collected, children were essentially ‘mini-adults’ - there was no ‘teenager’ either. That makes a big difference in perceptions of symbols and motifs. Whatever side of the fence you end up on regarding his views, reading it through properly is well worth your time.
Highly recommended - a reference book to own and a good one to check-in on when studying.
The Great Fairy Tale Tradition: From Straparola and Basile to the Brothers Grimm (Norton Critical Editions) by Jack Zipes
Considered by many to be one of the essential books on fairytale study this is also enjoyable to read. The book has a ‘tales’ section in which tales are put together by ‘type’ (eg. Clever Thieves, Envious Sisters, Good at Heart and Ugly as Sin, Abandoned Children, The Beast as Bridegroom etc) and Zipes comments on each of these and their context. There are illustrations and a section about the ‘authors’ as well as critical articles, all of which, when put together, make for a well rounded overview of the study. The book is intended for use as part of a course so has a more scholarly approach in the writing but is still very accessible to the average fairy tale enthusiast.
Highly recommended - the range of tale origins, rather than just, say, Grimm’s, is very important to understanding the popularity of fairy tales throughout the world, and it’s neatly packaged in this volume.
Folk and Fairy Tales (3rd Edition) by Martin Hallett (Editor) and Barbara Karasek (Editor)
I stumbled across a glowing review of this book a couple of years ago (I can’t remember where) and hunted it down - it was well worth it! It’s not just a collection of tales but discusses the themes, oral tradition of folk and fairy tales and other pertinent subjects throughout the text. There is also a wonderful collection of essays included in the back (Tolkein and Bettleheim are two of the authors) that even if the book weren’t already so wonderfully informative would make it worth getting. Obviously meant for scholarly study with its breakdown by subject/category and format it’s still very accessible to the layman. I noticed it recently on the shelves in a local bookstore so perhaps this is becoming more widely known and in demand (and therefore more available).
Highly recommended - a good read and excellent reference.
Spells of Enchantment: The Wondrous Fairy Tales of Western Culture by Jack Zipes
This is one of my favorites and although more an anthology of literary fairy tales than a critical studies text I’m including it here for this reason: the range of tales and authors in this volume is tremendous! From the 2nd century through to 1988, the authors range from before Giambattista Basile and Charles Perrault to Oscar Wilde and Mark Twain right through to current writers like Jane Yolen and Tanith Lee. The collection, it must be noted, is explicitly for adults and was one of the first such books. The timeline plus the notes on the storytellers are a wonderful addition to the 67 stories included (illustrations included).
Highly recommended - not an essential book but a wonderful one.
The Classic Fairy Tales (Norton Critical Editions) by Maria Tatar
I must admit I have not read this book cover to cover yet. It’s also considered one of the introductory books to fairy tale studies and the approach is very different to the Zipes book. The book has a section devoted to six well known tale ‘types’ (Little Red Riding Hood, Snow White, Hansel and Gretel, Bluebeard, Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella) and their multicultural variations. Being a Norton book it includes a number of critical essays on the various aspects of fairy tales which is very useful and good food for thought. I really should finish reading this!
Recommended - well worth the price.
The Annotated Classic Fairy Tales by Maria Tatar (Editor)
A wonderful read of the classic tales and learning via annotations as you go along. Beautifully illustrated and presented, it harks of the magic of discovering these tales for the first time. Tatar notes the importance of the illustrators in interpreting these tales too - something which is often forgotten when studying criticism. A gorgeous book and a pleasure to read as well as a wealth of information to study all contained in one handsome book. For highschool students and adults.
Very highly recommended! You’ll keep this one where you can see it.
The Annotated Brothers Grimm by Jacob Grimm, Wilhelm Grimm, A. S. Byatt (Introduction) Maria Tatar (Translator)
Just like the book above, this is a beautiful addition to your library and useful too. A selection of 40 tales - some familiar, some not, some even a little bawdy - this is also meant for high school level and adults. The illustrations, as with all these annotated editions, use a variety of artists and complement the text and notes wonderfully. The introduction by A.S. Byatt is particularly poignant.
Highly recommended after adding The Annotated Classic Fairy Tales first.
The Annotated Hans Christian Andersen by Hans Christian Andersen, Maria Tatar (Editor), Julie K. Allen (Translator)
As with the two books above, this is wonderfully annotated, illustrated and informative. The annotations include historical notes, critical interpretations and mention of the folkloric influences on Andersen’s writing. There’s a section of 12 tales for children and another for adults.
Highly recommended after adding The Annotated Classic Fairy Tales first.
The Illustrated Book of Fairy Tales by Neil Philip (Compiler), Nilesh Mistry (Illustrator)
I am including one children’s book here that I really enjoyed, though it may be a little controversial. The illustrations aren’t to everyone’s taste though I personally love the way the main story points form a single illustration. In addition to the wonderfully wide multicultural range of tales there are notes of interest scattered throughout, relevant to each story (eg. ) These tales are closer to the original forms than a lot of children’s fairy talee books and are not for the very young - parent’s discretion should be advised. Recommended ages would be seven or eight and above (at least, depending on the child). The layout of this book with its wealth of facts relating to the tales is a format I loved as a child and would spend hours reading over and over. It’s the kind of book that led me to search for the facts and meanings behind and within the tales - a good early primer for critical thinking.
Recommended - worth a look, though some parents may not be comfortable with their children reading this collection.
