Top 5 Reading Materials for all Fairy Tale Lovers
Top 5 Reading Materials for all Fairy Tale Lovers
Anyone who reads fantastical fiction knows that fairy tales feel almost like their own sub-genre. There is something just completely utterly addicting, atmospheric, and even cozy about fairy tales. Here is a list of various reading materials for the every day fairy tale lover, starting with interesting and working all the way to the most interesting.
Anyone who reads fantastical fiction knows that fairy tales feel almost like their own sub-genre. There is something just completely utterly addicting, atmospheric, and even cozy about fairy tales. Here is a list of various reading materials for the every day fairy tale lover, starting with interesting and working all the way to the most interesting.
While Lane Library's Guide is last on this list, that does not make it boring!
This guide has been carefully curated to make another list of outside sources, such as links to websites that feature free resources to read classic fairy tale stories, many of which feature fairy tales from around the world. Of course, how could a library resist recommending some book titles? You will find recommendations throughout the guide as well. Explore to your heart's content!
Catherine Siemann's "'But I'm Grown Now': Alice in the Twenty-First Century"
Interested in discourse over a well-known story?
Alice in Wonderland has been a lifelong favorite for many fairy tale lovers. Originally published in 1865 by Lewis Carroll, Alice has seen many transformations from her original work. Siemann’s article looks at how some of these different reiterations like America McGee’s Alice’s video games, Tim Burton’s movie, and graphic novels and their darker undertones. She examines what changes are made in these new reiterations and how that changes the stories.
Maybe you're interested in a more thought-provoking piece?
Here’s an option if you’re interested in a more academic approach to fairy tales. How has fairy tales evolved throughout our literary history? Jack Zipes, a well-known scholar of fairy tales, examines the evolution of fairy tales from their origin as oral traditions, through different prominent time periods, to what they have become today. And if you enjoy Zipe's content, he has multiple published academic books on fairy tales.
Love the atmospheric feel of fairy tales but want an original tale? Something that feels familiar but new all at the same time?
Catherynne M. Valente’s Fairyland series is perfect for you. Reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland and the Narnia series, the first book in the series, The Girl who Circumnavigated a Ship of her Own Making follows a young girl named September who is presented with the opportunity to briefly escape her boring life to visit Fairyland. But she quickly discovers that things aren't quite what she hoped they would be.
The New Republic's "The Irresistible Psychology of Fairy Tales"
Ever wonder why everyone seems to love fairy tales so much?
Unlike most older literature, fairy tales still gets traction and love from everybody, not just literary scholars. The New Republic’s article “Irresistible Psychology of Fairy Tales” examines why that may be by centering what people in the field of fairy tales are saying, from scholars to popular authors. Not only is this piece captivating, but can lead you to new authors and their work!