The Oxford Book of Modern Fairy Tales (Paperback)

by Alison Lurie (Editor)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
YA-A delightful volume, full of old favorites and some priceless new gems, with a wonderful chronological arrangement that allows readers to absorb information on literary developments and trends, or simply to enjoy the well-told tales. The biographical notes on the authors at the end are full of interesting material, but again, students are free to ignore the critical analyses if they so choose. The whole collection is first rate and demonstrates beautifully that modern fairy tales are not just for kids.
Cathy Chauvette, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review
`Review from previous edition This collection isn't a book for children, but a book for readers who would like to be.' Marina Warner, Times Literary Supplement

`[An] excellent anthology ... I devoured it with childish voraciousness, reminiscent of those nights of late reading with a torch in the cave of one's bedclothes.' Caroline Moore, The Times

`[a] witty and enterprising story selection ... Ms Lurie turns surprise into a unifying principle. Each of these tales finds some way to turn a traditional fairy-tale formula inside out.' New York Times --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (September 29, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 019282385X
• ISBN-13: 978-0192823854
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,931,585 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Oxford Book of Modern Fairy Tales, May 13, 2000

By A Customer

This book is a comprehensive of 19th Century up to today of fairy tales. It is a great buy because of all the stories you get for your money. It has all the fairy tales we have loved throughout the ages. It is great to give to your children.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars typical oxford, March 18, 2005

By	Isthmus Nekoi - See all my reviews

There is a wide variety of writing styles in this collection although it should be noted there is an emphasis on British authors until you reach the more contemporary tales. It is also a little outdated, cutting just short of the sudden wave of contemporary fairy tale writers from the 1990s.

Also, this may not be an ideal collection for children for a few reasons: the vocabulary from some tales is likely to be difficult, most children will not grasp/enjoy the more modern narrative structures and some parents may object to the overt sexual content in some of the tales.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A marvellous collection of tales., January 3, 2001

By	Christopher Waldrop (NASHVILLE, TN USA) - See all my reviews

Alison Lurie, whose brilliant book "Don't Tell the Grownups" demonstrates both her knowledge of and insight into children's literature, has done a wonderful job of collecting fairy tales from the 19th Century all the way up to the present, including authors such as Dickens, Thurber, and Le Guin. Anyone familiar with Lang's "Prince Prigio" will wish it had been included, but the other tales more than compensate for its absence.