Customer Reviews

Language and Gender in the Fairy Tale Tradition: A Linguistic Analysis of Old and New Story-telling

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Recently, Catherine Orenstein authored a book about Little Red Riding Hood through the ages, titled 'Little Red Riding Hood Uncloaked', studying the tale's influence in popular culture and vice versa. The book made great armchair reading for anyone slightly interested in the subject.

Now Alessandro Levorato has published a more scholarly study of the famous fairy tale in 12 versions published over the past 300 years. She takes the seldom used linguistics approach to studying the tale, breaking down each tale into word choices and meanings, as well as other nuances of grammar and language usage. This is not easy reading, but it is meaningful. Levorato's study is divided into six main sections with a final section summarizing the conclusions drawn from the entire study. The texts of the twelve versions show how society has changed, especially concerning gender issues. The book is recommended for anyone interested in any of the primary subjects of fairy tales, linguistics, or gender issues in literature. It should be made available in any reputable university library, too.

For anyone wondering which versions of the tale are analyzed, here is a list of the authors and titles:

1. Oral version: 'The Story of Grandmother' (l5th-l6th c., French)
2. J. Perrault: 'Little Red Riding Hood' (1697, French)
3. Brothers Grimm: 'Little Red Cap' (1812, German)
4. Sabine Baring Gould: 'Little Red Riding Hood' (1895, British)
5. James Thurber: 'The Little Girl and the Wolf' (1939, American)
6. Catherine Storr: 'Little Polly Riding Hood' (1955, British)
7. Merseyside Fairy Story Collective: 'Red Riding Hood' (1972, British)
8. O.F. Gmelin: 'Little Red Cap' (1978, German)
9. Angela Carter: 'The Werewolf' (1979, British)
10. Angela Carter: 'The Company of Wolves' (1979, British)
11. Chiang Mi: 'Goldflower and the Bear' (1979, Chinese)
12. Roald Dahl: 'Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf' (1982, British)

I found it intersing but I think it's expensive, for the price I expected more.