Folktales Retold: A Critical Overview of Stories Updated for Children

by Amie A. Doughty

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.

219 pages, Paperback

First published March 17, 2006

Reviews

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another great McFarland read for those of you who join me in my dorky adoration for academic breakdowns of pop culture. It’s also another great read for picking up other reads, as it’s a huge list of books and movies that retell stories you already love in ways that you didn’t think of before. I highly recommend it.