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

~ Zipes (Author) "A long time ago in a kingdom by the sea there lived a Princess tall and bright as a sunflower..." (more)
Key Phrases: double enchantment, donkey prince, heterosexual antagonisms, Snow White, Little Red Riding Hood, Sleeping Beauty (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

The collection is well worth reading, as it pulls together revisionary fairy tales as disparate as the Merseyside Fairy Story Collectives Snow White, and Anne Sextons sinister, obsessive lyric Briar Rose....
–Belles Lettres

Product Description

Jack Zipes has put together the first comprehensive anthology of feminist fairy tales and essays to appear since the women's movement gained momentum in the 1960's. He has selected works by such gifted writers as Angela Carter, Margaret Atwood, Tanith Lee, Jay Williams, Jane Yolen, Anne Sexton, Olga Broumas and Joanna Russ-all of whom, whether they consider themselves "feminists" or not, have written innovative stories which seek to break the classical tradition of fairy tales. The accompanying critical essays, by Marcia Lieberman, Sandra Gilbert, Susan Gubar and Karen Rowe, discuss how fairy tales play an important role in early socialization, influencing the manner in which children perceive the world and their place in it even before they begin to read.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; 2nd edition (November 15, 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0415902630
• ISBN-13: 978-0415902632
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #73,233 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #31 in	Books > Literature & Fiction > World Literature > Mythology > Folklore
  #63 in	Books > Nonfiction > Women's Studies > Feminist Theory
  #79 in	Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Fairy Tales

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 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 (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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.

21 of 22 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

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.

12 of 14 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 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.