The Classic Fairy
Tales:
A Pathfinder
History
The following texts explore the history of the fairy tale (how it has morphed and been transformed over centuries), the impact of the fairy tale in our society, and the influence of the fairy tale on our popular beliefs.
Dollerup,
Cay. Tales and Translation: The Grimm Tales from Pan-Germanic Narratives
to Shared International Fairytales. Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing
Company, 1999.
Davis GR166 .D65 1999
This book provides an excellent history of the development of the Grimms’ tales and their translation into Danish and other languages. The book also proposes an interesting theory: that the Grimms’ tales inspired Andersen to write his tales, and once his tales were translated into German and other languages, the “international fairy tale” was born. Dollerup does a superb job of showing how the fairy tales became known internationally and subsequently influenced the writing of other tales on a global scale.
Opie, Iona
and Peter. The Classic Fairy Tales. New York: Oxford University Press,
1974.
Davis/SILS Lib GR550 .O6
Included in this collection of fairy tales is a wonderful juxtaposition of the history of the Classic Fairy tales and the tales themselves. Twenty-four classic tales are presented as they originally appeared in English, and each tale is preceded by a brief history of the specific tale. Illustrations are also included. The comprehensive introduction explores people’s interest in fairy tales and the evolution of the tales, and it is a good overview of the culture of fairy tales. Within the introduction are subsections for “Charles Perrault” and “The Grimm Brothers and Hans Andersen,” among others. This book admirably accomplishes its purpose: to remind readers of the original English contexts of these fairy tales.
Tatar, Maria.
The Hard Facts of the Grimms’ Fairy Tales. Princeton: Princeton
University Press, 1987.
Davis/UL PT921 .T38 1987
This book is an extensive analysis of the Grimms’ book of fairy tales, originally called Nursery and Household Tales. Tatar provides in-depth analyses of the main types of heroes and villains appearing in the stories, and she also delves into the way in which the Grimms constructed the tales. Thought-provoking in its content, this book is an excellent introduction to the “real” Grimms’ fairy tales for someone who is not as familiar with the implications of the tales.
Zipes, Jack.
Fairy Tales and the Art of Subversion: The Classical Genre for Children
and the Civilization Process. New York: Routlegde, 1983.
Davis/SILS Lib PN3437 .Z56 1983
Throughout this book Zipes deftly explores the social history of fairy tales, specifically the ways they have influenced children and reflect the time period in which they were written. The specific chapters dedicated to Perrault, the Brothers Grimm, and Andersen are particularly interesting, as they analyze the “civilization,” “socialization and politicization,” and “domination” processes in these writers’ tales, respectively. This book is an first-rate source to use for looking deeper than the often entertaining and “innocent” surface of the fairy tale.