Customer Reviews

The Complete Fairy Tales of Charles Perrault

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Our oral history of the tales of "Cinderella" and "Sleeping Beauty" have certainly changed! This is an excellent source for anyone hoping to find the roots of the fairy tales which we all know and love today. Perrault's prose is surprisingly terse, which may grate with the modern conception of these tales, but he also holds nothing back. Thankfully, Philip and Simborowski include all of his tales, even the dark and disturbing "Donkeyskin," which has been left out of most translations. I have used this book as pleasure reading, but it really shines when I pull it off the shelf for serious essays and presentations. Philip and Simborowski provide helpful anecdotes on Perrault's life and the stories themselves, rounding out a work as complete as Perrault's original.

This is a lovely book with beautiful illustrations of Perrault's classic fairytales. At the end of the book Philip spends at least a page briefly discussing each fairy tale and it's history. If you want more in depth criticism of fairytales, check out his text on Cinderella or works by Zipes or Warner. If you want a beautiful book of fairy tales, this is great.

This is a complete collection of the fairy tales collected by Charles Perrault, the heart and soul of European fairy tales. Beautiful illustrations, easy to read text, highly recommended. These are original versions, without the Disney "variations."

I purchased this book for my wife who has chosen fairy tales as one of her specializations for her English degree. This review is my quick summary of her comments on the book.


The book is nicely illustrated (by Sally Holmes) and it has a brief introduction that provides a little history of Charles Perrault and fairy tales in general. Additionally, in the back of the book , there are a few notes for each fairy tale.

The versions of the stories are entertaining and the morals are in verse. However, the authors took liberties in their translation and writing that deviate from the original meanings of the stories as originally written in French. The greatest liberties being taken with the morals; in order to re-create the rhyme the literal meanings are lost.

Overall it is a pleasant read, but of little academic value for those seriously studying fairy tales. A better suggestion is the dual language book, translated by Stanley Appelbaum titled "The Complete Fairy Tales in Verse and Prose".

Who can resist a fairy tale? This beautifully rendered edition includes such timeless classics as "Little Red Riding Hood," "Cinderella" and "Sleeping Beauty."

All eleven of Perault's tales are enchantingly illustrated in ripe watercolors - never has Red Riding Hood's grandmother's cottage looked so venerably aged or forbidding.

A handsome volume to be treasured.

Great to have well designed book, with interesting illustrations and good translations. Very user-friendly book.

I actually read these a year or so ago, but I reread a couple of them this week while my online group was discussing them. The online discussion reminded me how dark these stories were, full of violence and terror and unpredictability.

The things we face in life, in other words. The things we seek out in books.

The tales are uncut, not politically correct, and the children don't always survive. Just as the author intended I'm sure. Not much more to add here. Good reading but if your young ones have been raised on books where the three little pigs don't boil the wolf into a delicious stew (different author, not in this book, just as an example), well be forewarned.

It was my fault I did not pay attention to the reader age group 9-12yrs. I thought this book would have more details in the stories such as in the real Cinderella it mentions that the evil step sister had to cut parts of their feet to fit into the glass slipper, the prince notices the blood and then asked Cinderella the chamber maid to try on the slipper. This is never mentioned in this version. Of course I understand this is geared for children, and I was looking for the adult, true translation, version. The same for the Bluebeard story, looks like I will be returning my copy. Hopefully a younger person can find some use for this book.

I find this book very well written to be appreciated by all ages. Each story contains a few pictures, and a concluding moral. Anyone who loves fairytales would find this book a pleasure to read...