Ride on Rapunzel

Fairytales for Feminists

by Maeve Binchy

A collection of the very best of feminist fairytales including such authors as Maeve Binchey, Zoe Fairbairns, Ivy Bannister, Mary Dorcey, Leland Bardwell and Mairide Woods amongst others.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Short Stories, Fairy Tales, Feminism, Womens

143 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1994

About the author

Anne Maeve Binchy Snell was an Irish novelist, playwright, short story writer, columnist, and speaker. Her novels were characterised by a sympathetic and often humorous portrayal of small-town life in Ireland, and surprise endings. Her novels, which were translated into 37 languages, sold more than 40 million copies worldwide. Her death at age 73, announced by Vincent Browne on Irish television late on 30 July 2012, was mourned as the death of one of Ireland's best-loved and most recognisable writers.
She appeared in the US market, featuring on The New York Times Best Seller list and in Oprah's Book Club. Recognised for her "total absence of malice" and generosity to other writers, she finished third in a 2000 poll for World Book Day, ahead of Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, and Stephen King.

Reviews

[Clare O'Beara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short stories fill this slim volume, bringing us a retelling from the woman's point of view of all those fairytales.

You didn't think Jack climbed the beanstalk did you? No, that was his small-business minded mother, who assesses the giant's assets and makes off with the hen that lays golden eggs and the self-playing harp, while telling her son that you have to speculate to accumulate.

Snow White moreover gets a few outings; in one we see the reported findings of a court case in which seven men are held to have kept a young woman in miserable work conditions without pay, while in the other she organises the mine workers into a union and negotiates better terms for them with the prince who owns the mine.

Interestingly the iconic Irish legend of the Children of Lir is told with the stepmother not being the villainess - she wishes to save the four children from their overprotective and ultimately abusive father. I found this unconvincing but at least it was a good try.

The telling is brisk in most tales and little flavour of the individual author emerges. My favourite was a Cinderella tale where the bookish sister notices how the castle is being fleeced by the chamberlain and tells the king how to make economies, while ignoring the wistful prince. This book is a fun read and it does make us think about the old stories being the product of medieval attitudes.

[Kathy McC · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is witty and entertaining. Clever twists on our most beloved fairytales.

[flynnster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Collection of kick-ass fairy tales (usually with Prince Charming's ass getting kicked by the heroines of the tales). Ride on, indeed.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laugh out loud funny .

[Ash · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good; funny, enjoyable and truthful. It's a wry piece of work and a quick read.

[Mandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the stories were good, some not so much. They were nice to have read to me before bed. Many were not kid appropriate though.

[Mckinley · Rating 1 out of 5]

Some authors write about gender and the sexes with humor, humanity and insight. However, I felt pushed away and turned-off reading most of this collection.