Folktales Retold: A Critical Overview of Stories Updated for Children by Amie A. Doughty

Folktales Retold: A Critical Overview of Stories Updated for Children by Amie A. Doughty is another book I received from McFarland for review.  I have a lengthier review at the bottom of this post, more than I usual devote to these books for this one spurred some thinking on my part, so page down for food for thought and discussion...

First, the book description from the publisher:

Folktales and fairy tales are living stories; as part of the oral tradition, they change and evolve as they are retold from generation to generation. In the last thirty years, however, revision has become an art form of its own, with tales intentionally revised to achieve humorous effect, send political messages, add different cultural or regional elements, try out new narrative voices, and more. These revisions take all forms, from short stories to novel-length narratives to poems, plays, musicals, films and advertisements. The resulting tales paint the tales from myriad perspectives, using the broad palette of human creativity.

This study examines folktale revisions from many angles, drawing on examples primarily from revisions of Western European traditional tales, such as those of the Grimm Brothers and Charles Perrault. Also discussed are new folktales that combine traditional storylines with commentary on modern life. The conclusion considers how revisionists poke fun at and struggle to understand stories that sometimes made little sense to start with.

And this time the Table of Contents is critical for really understanding what is inside the covers, here is the Table of Contents:

Acknowledgments vii
Preface xi
Introduction: Unraveling the Folktale Tradition 1

1. The Folktale Revision as a Form 7
2. Humor in Folktale Revisions 15
3. Cultural and Regional Folktale Revisions in Picture Books 36
4. Breaking the Picture Book Rules 52
5. Feminist Folktale Revisions 65
6. Postmodern Folktale Revisions 80
7. Narrative in Folktale Revisions 94
8. Folktale Revisions on Film 115
9. Revising the Folktale Tradition 129
10. The Adult Connection 144

Conclusion: Reweaving the Folktale Tradition 163
Notes 167
Bibliography 173
Index 199

Now for my part. Let me start by saying this is an excellent resource, especially for students needing ideas and resources on modern interpretations of fairy tales in all types of media, especially books and film. Many of the chapters take on the different reinterpretations through literary criticism approaches, such as feminist and postmodern, two of the most popular for analysis these days by students exploring the field. No single book or film is given a great deal of space in the analysis but the greater breadth means there are more jumping off points for a student to pick a few from the chapters and/or the bibliography and run with them for a paper or other assignment. Hopefully this volume is in your school or public library as a resource.

The chapters are helpful and I appreciated the interpretations that were easy to read and understand, once again making this an excellent student resource. It was much more approachable than some other resources on these topics that I have read, the kind that make you stop and parse asentence to understand what is trying to be said.  Overall, that doesn't happen here. Kudos to Doughty for being approachable to her readers. I also applaud her for using reinterpretations that aren't as often written about in academia or at least not published in resources like this.  It's easy to find critical examination of the works of Angela Carter, Margaret Atwood, even Robin McKinley to some extent. But she includes a broader range of YA novels and even romance novels as well as more mainstream films. Popular culture, genre works, picture books are not ignored. It makes the book more diverse and interesting than expected considering its relatively slim page count, another boon to students.

Now for the long time reader and analyzer of fairy tale reinterpretations, there isn't a lot of new information here, but it is a mini-compendium provided in one place, again a jumping off point. And the touching on of some more pop culturally visible interpretations is a bonus. Students would rather write about A Cinderella Story than A Company of Wolves which usually flies over many heads upon the first viewing. It did in the classroom where I first viewed it while at university.  I very much remember the bewildered looks on their faces and this was at the end of the semester when pretty much all the class material had been presented. None of them were there to become folklorists, fairy tale enthusiasts, or even professors. I was the exception in the room but those weren't my goals at the time either.

That said, I wasn't as comfortable with the introduction and conclusion, nothing to argue about, rather minor, but I squirmed a little.  Here is part of what I didn't agree with, not that I completely disagreed, but it oversimplified for me:

What are readers to make of all these revisions? Why do authors feel compelled to write these new versions? Why does the modern audience question the conventions of traditional folktales enough to write about them? Clearly there is something missing in the tales that compels the authors to write these versions. Can the questions that Vande Velde finds in "Rumpelstiltskin" and that others have found in other tales be attributed to the change in form from an oral form to a written one? In other words, do questions arise from the written versions because there is no physical narrator to present the context of the story and to answer audience questions?

I'm not disagreeing that these motivations exist in rewriting folktales, but I think the motivations are much more diverse and complex than this. For example, many authors I have seen appreciate the familiarity of the tales to provide the building blocks for their own stories, not to find missing pieces but to imagine their own stories. (That old argument of there only being a finite number of plots in the world could be inserted here.) Others want to move the story forward, see how characters with a set of restrictions and freedoms would fit into different settings and eras. So often, it's as much about creativity as filling in missing questions.

And that's just scraping the surface on my part. I wanted more discussion of the creators' motivations, not narrowed down to a need to filling in missing blanks. I think one of the appeals of fairy tales is that opportunity to fill in the blanks. But they also allow us to fit ourselves into them a little more thanks to those blanks. No one reads a text the same way. The reinterpretations allow us to use a common tale to explore the commonalities and differences of our experiences as human beings.

And this in no way takes away from the value of Doughty's book which offers her concise analysis of many reinterpretations.  I simply wanted more breadth in the intro, but that wasn't the true purpose of the book.

Wow, I really could go on but I have so many other projects calling.  Any thoughts from you readers?

Etsy Find: Greeting Cards by LittleBeeHive

Cinderella Greeting Card

More Etsy finds, this time greeting cards by littlebeehive. I like the Retro/Japanese influenced style.

Little Red Riding Hood Greeting Card

Puss in Boots Greeting Card

The Folkestone Mermaid

From Local Woman Immortalized in Bronze as Folkestone's Mermaid:

Georgina Baker has been selected as Folkestone’s answer to Copenhagen’s famous “Little Mermaid” statue. Local resident Georgina will strike the distinctive “Mermaid” pose as the model for a life-size bronze statue being cast by celebrated artist Cornelia Parker for the Folkestone Triennial 2011.

The selection ends the artist’s public search for a model from the town to become immortalised as “The Folkestone Mermaid”. When the competition process was launched in June, former Turner Prize nominee Cornelia Parker said, “This is not a beauty contest. I am not looking for a look-alike of the idealised Copenhagen Mermaid, but for a real person, a free spirit, so any shape or size welcome!”

Local women over the age of 18 were invited to enter by sending in a photograph of themselves in swimwear before a final shortlist of candidates was drawn up from which Georgina was chosen. The bronze statue will sit on rocks looking out to sea just outside the harbour wall.

Georgina Baker was born in Folkestone in 1972. A keen scuba diver, Georgina began swimming as a baby and to this day she swims two miles a week. Georgina enjoys the arts, is a qualified interior designer and aerobics instructor, and works part time helping disabled people through physiotherapy.

Folkestone is on the southeast coast of England, by the way. I thought this was a neat way to pay tribute to mermaids, HC Andersen as well as "real" women and the sponsoring coastal town.

Story Finders by Sharon Barcan Elswit

 

I discovered these books at the publisher's (McFarland) vendor table at the American Folklore Society Annual Meeting in October. I received the books as review copies and wanted to share them as two great resources to start the new school semester, term, whatever term applies to those of you in the education system as student or professor.

The Jewish Story Finder: A Guide to 363 Tales Listing Subjects and Sources by Sharon Barcan Elswit

Book description from the publisher:

A subject guide to hundreds of Jewish stories, this book's purpose is to help teachers, rabbis, librarians, folklorists, parents, and storytellers find the right story to match their need. It also will lead educators to a wealth of Jewish stories on universal themes for use in multicultural programs for all ages. The stories are numbered for easy reference and grouped in broad categories--for example, God, faith, and prayer; rabbinic wit and wisdom; tricksters and fools; festivals and holidays. For each story, a list of tellings (author and book title) provides numerous options for the story seeker, and a list of keywords connects the story subject categories. Two cross-referenced indexes make locating stories easy, whether by subject keywords or by title. An appendix lists recommended stories for children of different ages, from lower elementary through middle school. The bibliography of almost 200 story collections and picture-book tales gives the information needed to locate a source for every story in the book.

Here's the table of contents:

Acknowledgments vii
Foreword (Peninnah Schram) 1
Preface 5

I. God, Faith, and Prayer 11
II. The Torah, the Talmud and Their Study 26
III. Biblical Characters and Events 35
IV. Quests for Sacred Objects and Holy Encounters in Later Times 58
V. Rabbis: Wit and Wisdom 76
VI. Wonder Weavers: Tales of Magic 88
VII. Angels, Demons, Spirits, Gilguls, Dybbuks, and Golems: The Supernatural 115
VIII. Talking Animal Tales and Fables 138
IX. Tricksters and Fools 148
X. Human Stories 175
XI. Tales for Festivals and Holidays 199

Appendix: Story Recommendations for All Ages 239
Bibliography 243
Story Title Index 249
Subject Index 259

East Asian Story Finder: A Guide to Tales from China, Japan and Korea, Listing Subjects and Sources by Sharon Barcan Elswit

Book description from the publisher:

A reference guide to 468 stories and folktales from China, Japan, and Korea, this book aims to lead storytellers, folklorists, teachers, and librarians to both popular and lesser-known East Asian stories. Selected for their multicultural appeal to listeners and readers, the stories are divided cross-culturally into broad subject categories, from tales of supernatural love and devotion to stories dealing with Tengu, Tokkaebi, and other mystical creatures.

Table of contents:

Acknowledgments vi
Preface 1

I. Kindness Rewarded and Lessons Learned 11
II. Cherishing the Earth and All Living Things 28
III. Of Wonders, Magical Objects, and Enchantment 45
IV. Supernatural Loves 73
V. Devotion 91
VI. Strange Events and Ghostly Encounters 108
VII. The Power of Dreams 126
VIII. Supernatural Creatures: Tangling with Tengu, Tokkaebi, Yamaubas, Kappa, Ogres 133
IX. The Heroes: There Is No Danger Which These Women and Men Will Not Brave for the Good of All 150
X. Propitious Births and Extraordinary Children 162
XI. Animal Fables 172
XII. Tricksters and Fools 185
XIII. The Way Things Are 204
XIV. The Problem Solvers 225

Appendix A: Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Taiwanese Stories Listed by Country 237
Appendix B: Glossary 248
Bibliography 251
Story Title Index 261
Subject Index 271

Both of these books are great resources, especially for educators, storytellers and those interested in the areas in folklore. Both resources offered tales and sources I was unaware of but also many that I was familiar with despite both of these areas being some of my weaker personal knowledge bases in folklore. Many of the sources books are older and available on the internet with efficient text searching. I always appreciate books that summarize tales as these do. Elswit also provides a helpful subject index to help find similar topics and themes. The Jewish collection won some awards and the Asian collection is just as excellent. The emphasis is on tales and versions suitable for all ages, including children. Overall, highly recommended.

Fairytale Reflections (16) Leslie Wilson at SMoST

Fairytale Reflections (16) Leslie Wilson was this past Friday's post at SMoST. Leslie Wilson writes realistic fiction, not the usual fantasy, but finds inspiration in fairy tales all the same. Her tale of choice was a little surprising, one that is not often discussed at SurLaLune but still annotated and featured on the main site, so this was a refreshing piece to read.  The tale? The Bremen Town Musicians. (Bet you already guessed that with the Arthur Rackham illustration above.)

This post was as wonderful as the rest despite the less popular tale because it addresses that. Katherine Langrish's intro is great, here's an excerpt:

And I think her post is important ( as well as very moving) because it reminds us that the perceived gulf between fantasy and realism in fiction is more mirage than fact. All fiction is invention. Back in the 16th century, Sir Philip Sidney wrote his ‘Apologie for Poetrie’ as a defence of invention, to persuade those people who felt, uneasily, that it was somehow wrong and childish to concern themselves with something ‘untrue’. Sidney wrote:

‘I think truly, that of all writers under the sun the poet is the least liar… for the poet, he nothing affirms, and therefore never lieth. For the poet never maketh any circles about your imagination, to conjure you to believe for true what he writes.

… None so simple would say that Aesop lied in his tales of the beasts; for whoso thinks that Aesop writ it for actually true were well worthy to have his name catalogued among the beasts he writeth of. What child is there that, coming to a play, and seeing Thebes written in great letters upon an old door, doth believe that it is Thebes?’

Here's an excerpt from Wilson's piece, but do click through to read it all:

That tradition is deeply rooted in folklore, and so am I. Like Susan Price, I spent years and years of my childhood reading folktales from all over the world. But it was when I was doing my degree in German that I read the whole way through the three-volume 1900 jubilee edition of Grimm that I was lucky enough to be given in childhood – and, like Susan Price, found my mind going clicketty-clack, categorising the stories, seeing that certain basic plots came up over and over again, with variations – and once a motif from the Nibelungenlied, the medieval Lay of the Nibelungs, in The Two Brothers: the sword put between a man masquerading as his twin brother and his sister-in-law when they have to sleep together. Siegfried puts a sword between himself and Brünhilde when he beds her in the guise of his brother-in-law-to be, Gunther. Maybe the Nibelungenlied draws from popular folklore, maybe the folk story has picked up part of the epic. In any case, it was deeply important to me to read the collection then, one of those things that one knows one has to do, even if one doesn’t know why. What it taught me is what others have said before me: there are only a limited amount of plots. The other realisation was also important: that stories are interdependent and feed each other. When – many years later - I started to write Kummersdorf, I quickly realised the influence, in my story, of The Bremen Town Musicians.

Books by Leslie Wilson:

  

New Issue of Goblin Fruit Available

The newest issue of Goblin Fruit, an online journal of poetry, is available online. There are several poems to be read or listened to, some of which are related to fairy tales.

Here's the table of contents:

Nightfall on Orkney: A Glosa by Neile Graham
Strong as Salt by Rose Lemberg
Callisto at the Corner Coffee Shop by Michelle Muenzler
Snowmelt by Mari Ness
Three bone masks by Rose Lemberg
Snow Bees by Jeannine Hall Gailey
Diamonds and Toads by Christopher W. Clark
Little Songs by Leah Bobet
Drawn Like Silk by Loreen Heneghan

Rapunzel Comic

Found this via Children's/Fantasy Illustrations blog. Not hysterical, but humorous all the same...