The Fairy Tale: The Magic Mirror of Imagination

by Steven Swann Jones

One of the best known and enduring genres, the fairy fales origins extend back to the preliterate oral societies of the ancient world. This books surveys its history and traces its evolution into the form we recognized today. Jones Builds on the work of folklorist and critics to provide the student with a stunning, lucid overview of the genre and a solid understanding of its structure.

Genres: Nonfiction, Fairy Tales, Folklore, Academic, Reference

Paperback

First published September 1, 1995

Reviews

[Janin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an -excellent- book into the psychology, history, intepretations and origins of fairy tales. Written in terms the layman (or woman) can clearly understand.

[Katherine Sas · Rating 3 out of 5]

A useful little history of the fairy tale genre, although mostly valuable for telling you what else to read.

[Karin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting study of why fairy tales remain current and popular. First Jones explains the differences between fairy tales,myths, legends, folk tales, jokes, fables. He explains what the 3 different audiences ( child, adolescent and adult) are meant to learn from fairy tales. At the end he takes 3 literary fairy tales- Cat in the Hat (child) The Wizard of OZ (adolescent) and Where the Wild Things Are (child), goes thru them to show that they follow the fairy tale structure, lessons and endings.

[Felicia Caro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Steven Swann Jones' "The Fairy Tale: The Magic Mirror of Imagination" is a great beginner's introduction to the fairy tale genre. While much of his criticism stresses what seems to me "dated" (actually the book is a bit dated for this field) concerns regarding the fairy tale - the regulation of female protagonists to domestic duties under the patriarchy, for example - I really learned a lot about the fairy tale genre as being a form of story exemplary of the "common" person, the "regular" man or woman, the "ordinary". I'd say I, for the most part, agree. Swann Jones makes clear that fairy tales usually feature a main character who isn't *special* in any particular way and under enormous social pressure as well. My response to both these criticisms is this: how can we find a way to understand the fairy tale story as a way of expressing the *extraordinary* tasks of women (whether in the domestic sphere or otherwise)? That these are tasks which shouldn't be looked down upon but instead, revered? It is the ideology of the domestic sphere being somehow less important than other duties that needs to be deconstructed. And, how can we find a way to understand that the very basic components of being human is special in itself? Swann Jones seems caught in traditional ideas of value, and I think the point of the fairy tale (if there is one) is that it always seeks to question those traditional ideas by upholding an idea of an eternal past/present - which comes together in a very nice paradox. That being said, I apprieciate Swann Jones' dedicating a chapter to male protagonists in fairy tales as well as women, particularly because I have come across the common misconception that fairy tales are almost exclusively for girls and women, which is definitely not the case. Two more things: Swann Jones' conception of the fairy tale as a story type that aims to *validate magic* is absolutely brilliant. As are his thoughts on the global nature of these stories as opposed to national. A solid four stars.

[sophia · Rating 3 out of 5]

he uses too many words sometimes but generally brings up good points. his analysis of cat in the hat seemed a bit silly tho