Fairy Tales: Traditional Stories Retold for Gay Men (Paperback)

by Peter Cashorali (Author) "ONCE, ON THE other side of the mountains, on the edge of the Endless Forest, a boy lived in a cottage with his mother and..." (more)
Key Phrases: hairless gentleman, hunting poodle, spat the seawater, Uncle Frank, Angry Prince, King Crossbill (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Those amused by the notion of Hansel as a Bavarian drag queen or of an Ugly Duckling whose transformation is wrought by aerobics and yoga will find writer/performer Cashorali's reworkings of traditional fairy tales diverting reading. Those expecting more imaginative or substantive alternatives to tradition will be disappointed. The facile humor (exemplified by the inevitable pun of the title), moreover, will strain readers' patience. Cashorali works with obscure as well as familiar tales (including stories retold by Hans Christian Andersen, the Brothers Grimm and Italo Calvino, among others); his usual strategy is to change heroines into gay heroes and to move them into a distinctly upscale, urban milieu. His protagonists make wisecracks about poppers and ACT-UP, and dream of making it big in Hollywood. Such capitulations to yuppie readers narrow the appeal of the book; ironically, the most engaging tale of all, a reworking of "Puss in Boots" featuring a dog in penny loafers, is effective to the degree that it only incidentally dramatizes any element of gay life. Author tour.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description
Using the magical and mythic language of classic stories from around the world, Fairy Tales takes familiar myths and folktales and turns them into stories about men coming out, learning to trust themselves, looking for and finding love, facing AIDS, and helping those they love.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: HarperOne (January 3, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0062513095
• ISBN-13: 978-0062513090
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #214,506 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A gay adventure awaits you!, October 18, 2000

By	Bruce Aguilar (Hollywood, CA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

The quiet power of these tales is as mystifying and timless as the originals from which they are spun. By recasting and reshaping both favorite and obscure fairy tales from our youth with gay themes, Peter Cashorali has given gay men the myths and legends on which empires are made. Queit, pensive, reflective, moral, funny, entertaining, sexy, thoughtful and just plain fun are the words I'd use to describe this collection. The 17 stories are easily read in one sitting (some only a page or two long), but are hard to forget. I chose to read one a night, right before bed. If you have a lover, reading them to one another makes for great bedtime stories. Each is begun with a simple line drawing that forshadows events to come. A nice design element is each of these drawings are picked up on the jacket cover. If you happen to not know the tale on which a particular story is based, it is refrenced on the bottom of each stories first page. This makes it really easy to find and read the original to see just how much Cashorali has reworked it. I espicially loved the range of gay life portrayed; from girly boys to butch boys, S&M, AIDS, aging, looking for lasting love and dealing with a loss, this book covers it all. And don't forget the manditory enchanted objects, talking animals, handsome princes, frogs, ogres and withces needed for any good fairy tale! All are included and no one feels left out.

Fairy tales give us a shared history, something to aspire to, and to learn from. Finally - finally gay men have their own! I can't recomend this book enough. We all owe a huge debt of gratitude to Cashorali. I'm sure the Brothers Grimm would be proud as well. Buy it and I'm sure you'll savor it's rich tales for years and years to come!

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fairy Tales provides healing and humor for gay men, April 15, 1998

By	Brian Throckmorton (Lexington KY) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

In this book, Peter Cashorali takes familiar folk tales and recasts them with gay men and boys in the starring roles: finally, a world where it's the gay man who finds love or fulfills his dream or solves the problem.

As I read these stories, I felt emotional blocks inside me falling into place, having been suspended for decades; as a child, I had read the original versions of these stories, but I could not identify with the heterosexual protagonists and so felt a certain distance from the stories. Those stories weren't about me.

But now, I have this wonderful set of tales, filled with humor, wisdom and compassion. The archetypes are there for me too, now--I can my heart resonating when the prince loves a boy, when the outcast gay man ends up succeeding. I believe that every gay man will benefit from reading these stories, to repair his childhood tapestry that included no gay figures.

The stories work well when read aloud, too. The sources of the tales are given, so that you can trace them. The illustrations are charming and delicate.

I would say that sometimes the humor of the texts is a little cheesy--for instance, getting a laugh by introducing some anachronistic detail like a car--but not enough to really detract from the effect. It's also worth noting that a quite wide spectrum of gay life is represented here, and Mr. Cashorali is brave about playing with stereotypes, subverting them and showing the nuggets of truth inside them.

(I have to confess--I have not read a couple of the stories yet, though I've had the book for a year. I couldn't stand to reach the end, so I have saved two of the stories... I also bought the sequel to this book, which is equally good.)

This book, and its sequel, are the only books I would unhesitatingly recommend to every gay man.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars where oh where was this book when i was a tyke?, April 12, 2000

By	Jonathan Lapin "fletcher rabbit" (Brooklyn, NY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

it is funny and it is moving and it is profound.

the retelling of these traditional stories from a gay vantage point is nothing short of brilliant. some of them, like "beauty and the beast" will stay with me forever.

i have sat and read passages aloud over the phone to friends, and everyone seems to agree this is a classic book.

and the sequel (still not in paperback, god knows why!) is just as good.

if you are a gay man with a sense of humor, and a need to understand where and how you fit in, cashorali's book is for you. and it makes a great gift!