The Complete Fairy Tales of Charles Perrault (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Sally Holmes (Illustrator), Nicoletta Simborowski (Translator), Neil Philip (Translator) "THERE WERE ONCE a king and queen who were very upset that they had no children at all, more upset than words can say..." (more)
Key Phrases: old fairy, young princess, Tufty Ricky, Marquis of Carabas, Little Red Riding Hood

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Gr. 4-6. In his introduction, Philip gives Perrault his due as a folklorist who told the tales without "literary embroidery" and as a writer whose retellings are characterized by acerbic wit rather than by sentimentality. This volume includes all 11 tales attributed to Perrault, including his dramatic "Little Red Riding Hood," without a huntsman coming to the rescue, "Sleeping Beauty," in which the princess doesn't live happily ever after until she has endured bitter trials, and the bloody tale of "Bluebeard," as well as lighter stories such as "The Fairies," in which a good girl is blessed with jewels falling from her mouth while her bad sister is cursed with toads springing from hers. The illustrations, line drawings with watercolor washes in delicate hues, are well crafted and, in the best sense, pretty. Though they're a bit misleading, since the writing presents the tales "unprettified," the pictures should attract readers. The volume ends with a biography of Perrault, notes on the translation, and a page or two discussing the origin and history of each tale. Carolyn Phelan

From Kirkus Reviews

An intelligent new translation of all 11 stories, true to the original (the three verse tales have, sensibly, been rendered as prose, but the morals are in lively verse) and doubly welcome since the only other edition of merit in print (Dover, 1969, paper only) omits three of the tales. Simborowski is a translator and teacher; Philip, a well-regarded folklorist and critic, adds an introduction and extensive scholarly notes on the stories' predecessors and variants. There's also a fine note on ``Translating Perrault'' (``It is hard to convey in English...the splendid brevity...His distinctive wit and elegance are based in succinctness and economy. Many retellings...replace this asperity with a winsome, sentimental air that is entirely absent from the original...''), as well as a generously long bibliography. Holmes's delicate art--decorative grace-notes that occasionally blossom into full-blown illustrations, comfortably sharing a page with text or extending over a spread--are traditional in style, setting events in a comely time past. It's grand to have the real thing in such fine new dress--an essential reference for folklore collections, in attractive format that's sure to appeal to young readers. (Folklore. 5+) -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 156 pages
• Publisher: Clarion Books (August 16, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395570026
• ISBN-13: 978-0395570029
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 7.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #93,255 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 Excellent source for enthusiasts, January 31, 2002

By	Whitney S. Christiansen "Promotional Project ... (Bloomington, IN) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perrault, April 19, 2000

By A Customer

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.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Charles Perrault, August 12, 2005

By	George Alonso "The Man from Uruguay" (Kearney, NE) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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."