Customer Reviews

Beauty and the Beast: And Other Classic French Fairy Tales

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This paperback collection is an abbreviated version of the original hardbound which is now out of print. Even with some of the material missing, this collection is well worth the money. It can be hard to find fairy tale collections that contain the work of the women (such as Beaumont and d'Aulnoy) in the French salons that influenced Charles Perrault. This is one of the best collections, and it includes many of the tales that are mentioned by scholars but hard to locate. None of the stories are watered down and they paint a picture of why fairy tales are an important part of literature. In the end, they are entertaining stories and can be read just for fun, too.

This is a wonderfull collection. Jack Zipes is unrivalled in his knowledge and understanding of the Traditional stories. Very few people know the entire story of Beauty And The Beast. Most of them don't even know what the story is about or what the true meaning of the story is. Most people assume that the Traditional French stories were told and writen by men. Actually, they were told and writen by French aristocratic women. The majority of the writers in this book are women, while only two of them are men. The women were the ones who put in all of the horrific and gory details into their stories. They came up with all kinds of ways to make their heroines and heroes suffer. Despite what many people believe about the traditional stories (especially the Disney script-writers), not all of them have a happy ending. Some of the stories in this book have either a sad or a tagic ending. the Yellow Dwarf, The Ram, and The Palace Of Revenge are perfect examples. Finally, the magic spell is never broken by the kiss on the lips or saying "I love you". Spells are broken either through an act of violence or through self-sacrifice; the heroines and heroes have to experience a great deal of pain and suffering. The characters are not always able to overcome the terrible and cruel forces that are always persuing and tormenting them. Whatever happens these stories are rich in depth and complexity. This book is perfect for anyone who wants to add to their collection of Traditional stoeies, or anyone who wants to know and understand these stories better. I also reccommend reading J.R.R. Tolkien's lecture/essay On Fairy Stories.

Not only is this collection of fairy tales entertaining reading, Zipes goes into the history of the French literary salon and the backgrounds of the fairytales. Wonderful book.

What a lovely collection of fairy tales! People have their favorites from among the French tales; they're familiar and classic, but too often watered down. It's delightful to see a collection of some original "parlor" stories in their beautiful prose, an amazing form of literature that I feel is rather ignored. The introduction gives depth and history to the stories as well.

If I was a betting person, I would bet that this oft told story was the result of a middle aged or older man who was seeking a method of introducing the concept that the troll like features of old age need not discount the nature of the love and affection required to be felt by such persons who prefer the company of fair maidens who might be seduced into giving them that pleasure. Having the ear marks of the fantasy like prominence of isolation and illusion that accompanies old age, and the unlikelihood that such a worn out vision of masculinity might have appeal for the flower of youth, the mind of man can be very cunning, and is often very seductive while preying upon the naive, softhearts of the dew that lies in the hearts of young maidens, fair or not. Drawn in to the care taker role of a kindly, parent-like figure, however disfigured by the ideal model of the Prince that young maidens are taught to favor, the marketing has worked for some years as we can see by the recent wedding of Jack Welch from the much touted, and idealized wedding of his new fair princess, and can be seen in many other instances of fantasized idealism that grace the covers of many celebrity photo magazines meant to send the message of similar outcomes. There has been no sequel, however, from the perspective of the troll or the maiden as society is left to ponder such an unlikely but perhaps sacred alliance. Whether the distinction is holy or not has much to do with the many years of a course of events that most will never know, and few will seek to discover. While the power of logic has never been a part of the romance ideology of love, perhaps our illusions of it are shortsighted and misaligned within the context of the flesh and blood that such a union represents. Where most men might tend to view any male as beast, few women take that position, and measure the man by a broader yardstick in relation to herself, and her experience with the world. From the perspective of the maiden, which is rare, unique insights about her condition are possible to be deduced from her submission in that circumstance and may reflect her reduced array of option, rather than her choice. Few would consider this tale much else but the submission of a highly desirable beauty to the beast she fawns. But is there justice amidst the fantasy? This may well be a modern day tale for women's choice.