The Classic Fairy Tales

by Maria Tatar (Editor)

This Norton Critical Edition collects forty-four fairy tales, from the fifth century to the present. The Classic Fairy Tales focuses on six tale types: "Little Red Riding Hood," "Beauty and the Beast," "Snow White," "Cinderella," "Bluebeard," and "Hansel and Gretel," and presents multicultural variants and sophisticated literary rescriptings. Also reprinted are tales by Hans Christian Andersen and Oscar Wilde.


"Criticism" gathers twelve essays that interpret aspects of fairy tales, including their social origins, historical evolution, psychological drama, gender issues, and national identities.


A Selected Bibliography is included.

Genres: Fairy Tales, Classics, Fantasy, Fiction, Short Stories, Folklore, School

394 pages, Paperback

First published November 17, 1998

About the author

Maria Tatar is the John L. Loeb Professor of Germanic Languages and Literatures. She chairs the Program in Folklore and Mythology at Harvard University. She is the author of Enchanted Hunters: The Power of Stories in Childhood, Off with Their Heads! Fairy Tales and the Culture of Childhood and many other books on folklore and fairy stories. She is also the editor and translator of The Annotated Hans Christian Andersen, The Annotated Brothers Grimm, The Annotated Classic Fairy Tales, The Annotated Peter Pan, The Classic Fairy Tales: A Norton Critical Edition and The Grimm Reader. She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Reviews

[Laynerussell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was astonished by how gory the better stories were, and then by how bloodthirsty my children were as readers. The criticism and the selections themselves were great, but seeing kids put down the Ipod to read The Juniper Tree out loud to each other again and again is proof of the necessity of these archetypal tales, especially now.

[Kirstin Dobson · Rating 3 out of 5]

About half of this book was very informative (definitely got redundant after awhile) and I mostly did enjoy reading various versions of the well-know fairy tales included. Still I would have preferred more different fairy tales also told, not just five or six retellings of the same famous ones over and over. Some analysis was fine too, but the same rehashing of the same stories and same points also got old, especially always emphasizing the macabre killings and violence of these stories.

[afdisah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so entertaining and revolutionary in how educational it is too. I haven't read the first edition, so I don't know how they compare, but the essays in this are so informative and interesting and really show how fairy tales and folk tales are such ubiquitous features of our culture, while also managing to deeply exploring the subtle undertones they have psychologically.

Plus, all the earlier versions of the tales shared are totally bonkers. Like, beyond bizarre, which is explained by how the OG fairy tales weren't meant as morals or lessons for kids, they were created to entertain adults during busy workdays (or just noble aristocrats for the readers of Charles Perrault).

Maria Tatar has also included a wide variety of cultures for each collection, so you really get the experience of how these tales are totally independent of each other and in different locations and times with different characters, and yet are so similar in composition. For instance, there's 'little red riding hood,' but there's also 'Tsélane and the Marimo' and 'The Tiger Woman' and all these other diverse versions of the narratives. With the explanatory essays to help, it's super interesting to see how everything ties together. It's almost... magical.

If you want to dive into the more academic side of fairy tales, or just want some weird reads that aren't in any of the larger collections like the Grimm's, Perrault's, or Andrew Lang's, then you should definitely give this a try; there are plenty of cheap online versions out there too, but the introductions to all the popular tale types included here (Bluebeard, Cinderella, Tricksters, etc.) really enhance the experience, so double win!

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting to learn the various versions and history of fairy tales...a far cry from disney. This book inspired the following poem based on "The Little Match Girl" It is dark, but such is the way with fairy tales I have learned.


"The Littlest Match Girl”
By: Shannon Ingram


The vague memory
of my older sister
still haunts my soul
and how she froze to death
on New Year’s day
when others drank champagne and sang
some song about old acquaintances forgotten.


A failed peddler of matches,
an empty belly,
bare feet encased in ice
burned matches in her limp, small fingers
afraid to come home
to face our father’s hand.

I know her struggle all too well
it was mine too-
only with a different ending.

I don’t know why I was the one who survived
the hand of fate
dealt ever so slightly
skewed.

Maybe there are no reasons
no such fate
only luck
good or bad
and happenstance
random events,
the concept of fate
only a barrier
between us and the truth…

That there are no reasons
for why such things happen
to little girls
or anyone.
A concept too heavy to carry
for most
and so,
we tell ourselves stories of fate
and destiny
and life after death
so we can believe
that when we kneel beside their graves
a piece of them survived
somewhere
like a soul
maybe.

Ignorance is bliss,
or so they say
something like that.

[Sarah Reffstrup · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eventyr er insane 😂

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

The great Maria Tatar does not disappoint. This collection includes both well-known and seldom anthologized lesser known variants of numerous fairytales, with insightful and thought-provoking introductins. She also includes several critical essays that provide historical and critical context. Great resource for anyone interested in fairy tales and their critical study.

[Marisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

The fairy tales themselves were really good but everything else was ehh.

[Maja · Rating 3 out of 5]

”there was once a woman who had made some bread. she said to her daughter: “take this loaf of hot bread and this bottle of milk over to granny’s.”

the fact that this quote alone, consisting of two sentences, would be recognised and attributed to a specific story by pretty much everyone at least in western countries, but I would argue also many people beyond that, is precisely why I find fairy tales fascinating.

this was definitely an interesting read but it’s also rather dry and reading several versions of the fairy tales back to back can grow a tad dull so I’d advise read this at a slow pace with another book on the side as a main read. alas, of course, that is not what I did because I can’t properly read two books at once. i still enjoyed reading various variants of tales I’ve already known and also reading full versions of some tales I actually only knew through Disney (gross I know) or just had known the gist of.

funnily enough, Bluebeard may be my favourite fairy tale type.

”turn back,
turn back,
my pretty young bride,
in a house of murderers you’ve arrived.

[maggie · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was purely for my writing class; forced to read this against my will

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

good varied collection and nice to see how fairytales have changed over time to fit social norms or expectations

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes, I needed to read this one for school, but it was so interesting that I thought I'd tell you all a little about my thoughts on it. The Classic Fairy Tales is about as bland of a title as you can get when it comes to this collection. Edited and selected by Maria Tartar, most of the book contains fairy tales while about a fourth of it is articles and criticism concerning fairy tales both modern and ancient.

The fairy tales are all separated into different sections in the book so that the reader can compare several versions of one story--for instance, five different ways of telling Little Red Riding Hood--all at once. There may be what is considered the 'original' tale, the first written down, and then several others recorded from oral tradition, as well as modern takes on the old story. I liked comparing how the traditional stories we all know and love differ from more violent, older stories. They're completely different from modern interpretations as well, which tend to be more feminist, less concerned with eradicating eroticism, and sometimes seem to turn the fairy tale completely upside-down for the fun of it.

While the criticism tends to get a little dull--and may begin to blame Disney for overtaking the fairy tale market--the collection does make some interesting points that I think any fan of traditional (or modern!) tales will enjoy. I know that I'm not the only one out there who's a sucker for any great fairy tale retelling to hit the market these days and this book explains some of the fascination humanity seems to have lingering over the idea of these tales Pick this up and read it for yourself, then discuss with me because I want to hear what you think of the different versions of stories, which may be the true original, and which may be your favorite!

[Mike Anastasia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tatar's book, along with Jack Zipes' anthology, represent the cream of the collective crop with regards to fairytale studies. This book is denser than Zipes' and also has more material, but I found Zipes' writing style easier to read over the long haul. As someone who wasn't terribly interested in folklore, it can get a bit banal at times.

This version, more so than Zipes', is loaded with gore. As many people know, most of the Disneyesque fairy tales we grew up with were actually riddled with drug usage, murder and rape. This book does a good job of keeping things transparent while also carefully helping the reader out with period linguistics and complicated terms.

[Amie Doughty · Rating 3 out of 5]

I taught this book in my Folktale Tradition class, and it was effective enough, though there are some things I prefer about the first edition (like the critical essays). I'm also a bit baffled by some of the story selections, particularly in the Andersen section. The trickster section needs work as well, as there is no clear definition of trickster offered and the tales are not all clearly trickster tales.

[Naomi Begg · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not easy reading! Its basically half really creepy fairy tales and half essays about them. Would only recommend if you like studying English, unless you were going to skip the introductions and just read the fairy tales. Although even then, it tends to be several versions of the same story and can get tedious.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great collection of some of the most common fairy tale types, each presented with several variations. A good intro to the rather diverse world of fairy tales, and includes a number of short but (mostly) interesting essays as well.

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this edition of Classic Fairy Tales. One's perspective expands when the different versions of the various tales are placed side by side for examination. It is also interesting to analyze and understand the history, folklore, and situations behind each tale.

[Maureen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nice to have all the stories in one place, and seeing how the versions differed was kinda neat, but I could have done without the piles of feminist criticism.

[Georga Hackworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is probably one of the best fairy tale books that I have been given to read. Not only does it have the traditional stories in it, but it has more modern re-tellings.

[Edie McQueen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a good anthology, Maria Tatar I love you x

[Saide · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wrote an essay based on what I truly learned from this fascinating book:
A Rite of Passage ‘To Eat or To Be Eaten’
The primary subject of the two fairy tales: Hansel and Gretel and the Little Thumbing are to narrate the rite of passage from a powerless childhood to the resourceful young adulthood. Two woodcutter families decide to get rid of their children during the famine and by doing so put their children in a dire position of to eat or to be eaten.
Centuries ago, long before industrial revolution, the spinning old ladies were the traditional narrators of the fairy tales that recorded the brutal life of peasantry. Those authentic visual historians of the past were not only one of the main sources of domestic entertainment but also the ones that hold the mirror of reality and reflect the hopes and horrors of those dark ages. The characters of their tales were wishful survivors of wars, diseases and famines, who were able to surpass obstacles and come out alive and rich by punishing their enemies.
Both stories of Hansel and Gretel and Little Thumbing have a similar
opening. The poor peasant families of the wood-cutters are on the verge of losing everything and feel that the up-coming famine would evidently consume the last resources that they have. Therefore, the parents who obviously see their children in the normal circumstances as a natural resources . Because of famine the aspects of receiving the benefits from them in the future is unknown, they realize that they can no longer afford to feed the children and decide to abandon them.
In Brothers Grimm’s Hansel and Gretel, father anxiously asks his wife:” What will become of us? How we can provide for our poor children when we don’t have enough for ourselves?” (The Classic Fairy Tales, P 184). In that fairy tale it is the children’s mother who pushes the doubtful father to get rid of the kids because the situation is so bad that: “Then all four of us starve to death” (The Classic Fairy Tales, P 184). The Little Thumbing has a slightly different circumstance: the woodcutter’s family in that fairy tale is in a more dire position; there are seven young kids who are completely helpless and the youngest one, the Little Thumbing is sick and has a hard time coping in life even before the famine. The same question worries Little Tumbling’s father in Charles Perrault collection when he expresses his frustration to his wife with heavy heart:” I refuse to watch them die of hunger before my very eyes” (The Classic Fairy Tales, P 200). In Perrault’s version of the fairy tale Little Thumbing, it is the mother in the family who resists the temptation but her husband insists that they should get rid of the children if they want to live through the famine. Finally the mother unwillingly accepts the horrible decision of abandoning their children too.
Both stories show no sign of rivalry in the siblings of the two families. It seems that the un-claimed massage of both stories is to create an ultimate test for the deserted children. The tragic option that the parents take allows the children to enter into an initiation call and let them step into a rite of passage which in the end will turn them into independent adults if they can manage to survive. The ritual aspects of the hurdle binds the children together as members of one generation, who encounter the horrific attempts of the generation before as a test for the transitional step to adulthood. They must overcome those obstacles independently so they can come back together alive and resourceful and become the adults who not only will take care of themselves but of their parents too. The harsher the life is, the tougher the test that the kids must undertake, and it seems that the children of the two fairy tales who are already living below the poverty line have no choice but head towards the unknown territories which would give them two basic options: to eat or to be eaten.
Bread seems to be the basic form of nourishment available for the two
families. It is interesting to see that the mothers are the source of the food in both stories. As long as the kids are within the families (up to the middle of the stories) they are eating the bread as the only homey food. It is only when the children separate from their parents that different foods make their way into the forefront of children’s consumption. It is interesting to see that when the story develops, even the children themselves become part of various ways of food consumption. In Hansel and Gretel, the witch’s edible house and her fantastic welcome food are a dream that comes true for the hungry kids. She serves them: “wonderful meal of milk and pancakes with sugar, apples and nuts” (P 187). The seven hopeless brothers in Little Thumbing however express a different reaction: they would rather be eaten by the Ogre as the youngest one, Little Thumbing suggests to Ogre’s wife that: “What shall we do? If you don’t take us in, the wolves in the forest will surely devour us this very night” (203). The Little Thumbing and his brothers have a chance to see plenty of different food in Ogre’s home (203) and even receive offer for consuming those food but lose their appetite after finding out that they are the next meal. One can see that both the witch in Hansel and Gretel and the Ogre in the Little Thumbing have plenty of food but they still fancy the tender flesh of the poor kids. The Ogre wants his wife to cook the children with a tasty sauce (203) and the witch imagines that: “They will make a tasty morsel” (188). The cannibalistic desires of strange adults can be speculated in a way that eating the children who are subjected to ultimate poverty and have no parental care is in fact a fearful projection of behavior conducted by cold hearted parents . The witch in Hansel and Gretel indeed is an unconscious reflection of kid’s mother who insists in abandoning her children. It becomes clear that when the children are able to kill the cannibalistic witch and return home safely, their mother is no longer alive. The same can be said for the father in the Little Tumbling, he is the one who kicks his children out of the house, therefore the woodcutter who outcast his kids, in the story morphs to Ogre, and like Little Tumbling’s father has seven children. That is why there is a parallel destiny for their father who discards them and Ogre who by fatal mistake kills his seven kids. The other similar aspect that the children of both fairy tales share is their
ability to outsmart their opponents. At their parent’s first attempt to get rid of them, they are able to return through marking their passageways. After losing their parents for the second time, when they are forced to find their own way, they are able to use their intelligent capacities and outwit the strangers who have the
intention of eating them. In Hansel and Gretel’s story, Hansel keeps substituting a little bone for his finger so he will not be fat enough to be eaten by the witch and his sister tricks the witch and pushes her into the oven. In the Little Thumbing, the youngest and the smartest brother confuses the Ogre who attempts to kill them
during the night and saves his brothers lives by changing their hats to the Ogre’s daughter’s crown. The young characters of both fairy tales learn a real life lesson through independent acts; they complete their rite of passage by cooperation with each other. The peasants’ children not only kill the powerful cannibal opponents but also go back home rich and secure, they find a way to eat rather than to be
eaten.Maria Tatar in her introduction to Hansel and Gretel’s chapter in her book, The Classic Fairy Tales emphasizes on an important point that: “ The peasants of folktales may have to worry about famine, but children in fairy tales live perpetually under the double threats of starvation and cannibalism” ( P 179). Those fairy tales while reflecting and elaborating the double threats, they are also
celebrating the rite of passage from childhood to adulthood through a traumatic test. The children learn to wean themselves from the limited resource inside the family and become young adults who are able to generate a new source of food.



BIBILIOGRAPHY:
1- Hallett Martin (Editor), Karasek Barbara (Editor), The Child As A Hero, Folk and Fairy Tales,
2- Weber, Eugen. “Fairies and Hard Facts: The Reality of Folktales.” Journal of the History of Ideas. 42.1 (1981): 93-113. JSTOR. 17 Oct. 2005 3-Tatar Maria (Editor), The Classic Fairy Tales, Norton and Company, First Edition, 1999, London.

[morgs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many great fairy tales to read and I love how the stories were categorized!

Here are the fairy tales I read for my personal compilation (too many characters for private notes):

"Introduction": xi - xxvi
"The Frog King, or Iron Heinrich" (Germany): 55 - 58
"The Dog Bride" (India): 82 - 83
"Beauty and the Beast" (France) told by JeanMarie Leprince de Beaumont: 39 - 49
"The Tiger's Bride" by Angela Carter: 58 - 67
"Jack and the Beanstalk" (England) retold by Jospeh Jacobs: 272 - 277
“Momotaro, or the Peach Boy” (Japan) told by Yei Theodora Ozaki: 270-272
"Sleeping Beauty in the Wood" (France) retold by Charles Perrault: 123 - 130
"The Juniper Tree" (Germany) retold by the Brothers Grimm: 245 - 251
"Hansel and Gretel" (Germany) retold by the Brothers Grimm: 236 - 241
"The Young Slave" (Italy) retold by Giambattista Basile: pages 92 - 95
"Brothers Grimm Snow White" (Germany): pages 95 - 101
"Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" by Anne Sexton: 102 - 105
"The Story of Grandmother" (France): 14 - 15
"Little Red Cap" (Germany) retold by the Brothers Grimm: 18 - 21
"The Tale of the Tiger Woman" (China): 26 - 28
"Tselane and the Marimo" (South Africa): 28 - 29
"Mr. Fox (England) retold by the Joseph Jacobs: 199 - 201
"Bluebeard" (France) retold by Charles Perrault: 188 - 193
"The Little Mermaid" (Denmark): 283 - 300
"The Little Match Girl" (Denmark): 301 - 303
"The Red Shoes" (Denmark): 309 - 314
"Cinderella or Ashenputtel (Germany)": 148 - 153
"The Three Gowns (Latin America)": 162 - 166
"The Story of the Black Cow (India/Himalayas)": 169 - 171
"Yeh-hsien (China)": 146 - 148
"Donkeyskin" (France)": 154 - 162
"Vasilisa the Fair (Russia)" retold by Alexander Afanasev: 263 - 269
"Breaking the Disney Spell" by Jack Zipes: 414 - 435
"Neil Gaiman: Instructions": pages 3 - 4

[Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay so I highly recommend taking a class in folklore and Fairy tales to understand the complex relationship we have to Fairy tales. Instead of thinking Fairy tales are just some children stories. Think of the Fairy tales function. What are they trying to say? And thats when they get interesting. This book here proves this idea that the working classed owned these tales and now Disney had corporatize the Fairy tale into meaningless. It doesn't have a soul.

But other than that I think Fairy tales is a unique medium because they are based on change like folk tales. You change the story as long as it still has the same essence. So overall 5 stars. I had fun writing essays about the Fairy tales in this book. Its really complex stuff at the end of the day.

[Louise Rainey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. I've always been fascinated by fairytales and the repetition of themes seen in various parts of the world. This book is a collection of fairytales organized into types. For example, there are several version of the classic "Beauty and the Beast" story. You can read the French version Disney based their movies on. I adored the Italian version, where the beast is a pig and keeps ruining the dresses of his prospective brides. You can compare "Cinderella" stories from Egypt, England, and China. The essays are also engaging and informative. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in fairytales or including fairytale themes in their writing.

[Kristyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent text for learning/teaching about fairy tales and their many variants across time periods and cultures. I particularly enjoyed the way this text was laid out, as it provided multiple versions of each classic tale; some of these are very current, as modern authors such as Gaiman and Atwood are also included. There's also a good deal of literary criticism at the end of the book, but I do wish there were more essays specific to the tales therein. This text makes a great accompaniment to The Great Fairy Tale Tradition, edited by Jack Zipes.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fantastically laid-out, well-compiled, and absolutely critical entry point into the realm of Folklore as an academic area.

While it's not really for anyone who isn't truly prepared for the drudgery of parsing dense academic arguments (some of which are outdated, though even the most egregious of them (yep, lookin' at you Freud) are still necessary to understand for contextual purposes), it's an absolutely critical resource for anyone interested in actually exploring the study of such things!

[Mike Cross · Rating 2 out of 5]

What should be a fun book on the history of fairy tales and how and why they have changed over time, turns into an academic mismatch of disjointed and overlapping chapters (from outside contributors) and a total over analysis of the subject. So much is unnecessary and contributes little other than frustration. The author's own contributions are excellent, but the contributions of others mostly miss the mark. If you are really interested in the subject, read the sections on the different fairy tales and skip the rest.

[collette · Rating 5 out of 5]

read for “fairy tales”

i had a good time with this !!! my professor had us read a few tales and a few essays(?) (i don’t know if that’s the technical term for what they would be) from this and it was a really good time. i had a really fun time reading both the original versions as well as different iterations of tales i thought i was familiar with. this class has genuinely changed my view of fairy tales as well as disney movies and i’m so so so glad i had the chance to take it with my favorite professor 🫶🏻

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had no idea there were so many fairy tale variations. I especially loved reading The Little Mermaid--it had been years since I'd read it as a child. Sad and haunting. Hans Christian Anderson's fairy tales are so heart-wrenchingly beautiful.
Read for Fairy Tales with Dr. Ginsberg Fall 2019. (Such a fun class!!!)

[Eirini Papadopoulou · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading parts of this as part of my fairytales course has been quite enjoyable, and I'm really considering reading the rest of it for leasure - which I rarely do with academic analyses, if that says anything about the quality of the text.
As a feminist theory enthusiast, I really appreciated being able to read the excerpt from "The Madwoman in the Attic!"

[Elena · Rating 5 out of 5]

The short essays on the fairy tales at the back are interesting. And the fairy tales themselves are entertaining. Despite this being a book chosen for a university course, it is actually really interesting and I would happily add it to my list of favourite books.
Each fairy tale has different versions, which is interesting. Not only old ones, but also versions by modern writers, such as Roald Dahl. His Little Red Riding Hood stories were incredible.
I loved every minute of it.