Don't Bet on the Prince: Contemporary Feminist Fairy Tales in North America and England [Paperback]

Jack Zipes (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0415902630 | ISBN-13: 978-0415902632 | Publication Date: November 15, 1986 | Edition: 2nd

This anthology of feminist fairy tales and critical essays acts as an example of how the literature of fantasy and imagination can be harnessed to create a new view of the world. It demonstrates how recent writers have changed the aesthetic constructs and social content of fairy tales to reflect cultural change since the 1960s in area of gender roles, socialization and education. It includes selected works from such writers as Angela Carter, Margaret Atwood and Jay Williams, and critical essays from Marcia Lieberman and Sandra Gilbert.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; 2nd edition (November 15, 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0415902630
• ISBN-13: 978-0415902632
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #146,421 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Front of the Next Wave, June 20, 2004

By 

Kevin L. Nenstiel "omnivore" (Kearney, Nebraska) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Don't Bet on the Prince: Contemporary Feminist Fairy Tales in North America and England (Paperback)

This book is divided into three parts. The first, "Feminist Fairy Tales for Young (and Old) Readers," is the selection of stories you want to read aloud to your daughter or son. These stories have sophisticated subjects and good language, but no lengthy exposition of narrative that bogs down a reading out loud. Most set up admirable gender roles, but some, such as "Snow White," are explicitly political, and can help you raise good activists.

The second section, "Feminist Fairy Tales for Old (and Young) Readers," is comprised of more structurally complex stories that invite a silent reader to take time and try to swallow them. Though intended for adult readers, literate children can follow them, and for the most part should be encouraged to do so early and often. Sex roles and social station dominate these stories, but we get glimpses of how these issues are impacted by war, work, and more.

The third section, "Feminist Literary Criticism," is pretty slow-moving. Most of us are already familiar with the idea that fairy tales have detrimental effects on our children, especially our daughters, and while we may be briefly interested in a scholarly explanation of why this is so, the common reader won't get as much good out of this part as the previous two.

Educator, writer, and scholar Jack Zipes has compiled here an excellent antidote to the stultifying fairy tales that molded the minds of most of us when we were young. Zipes is the editor of several thematic books of fairy tales, and this is neither the least nor the last. Whether you approach this work as a parent, a reader, or a scholar, this book is highly rewarding.

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Engaging twists and turns, for young and old alike., July 6, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Don't Bet on the Prince: Contemporary Feminist Fairy Tales in North America and England (Paperback)

I read this first as a little girl, before i knew how to spell feminism let alone define it. The stories captivated me then for their ability to lead my mind into another land more fantastical than my own. Later in life, re-reading this book i was compelled by the issues, thoughts and questions Zipes raised in my mind. It is not feminism that kills you with its anger, it is feminism that makes you think. Sometimes whimsical, sometimes daring, and sometimes blatant, it always stands there to be read and re-read. A constant delight.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Look at Feminist Views of Fairy Tales, April 28, 2000

By 

Julia Starkey (Medford, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Don't Bet on the Prince: Contemporary Feminist Fairy Tales in North America and England (Paperback)

This is such an amazing book. It's part of what lead me into my research into looking at strong female characters in folk tales. This book is a must for people who don't want to read stories about wishy washy princesses waiting for the prince, and scholars alike. I reccomend this book highly.