Beauty and the Beast: And Other Classic French Fairy Tales (Paperback)

by Various (Author), Jack Zipes (Translator) "A MILLER bequeathed to his three sons all his worldly goods, which consisted just of his mill, his ass, and his cat..." (more)
Key Phrases: literary fairy tale, blue beard, terrible dragon, King Charmant, King of Whiting, Little Thumbling (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
The original, seventeenth-century French fairy tale, ""Belle and the Beast""--the basis of the contemporary Disney motion picture and Broadway musical--is joined by other beloved tales, including ""Cinderella,"" ""Sleeping Beauty,"" and ""Little Red Riding Hood.""

Product Details

• Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: Signet Classics (March 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451526481
• ISBN-13: 978-0451526489
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #455,971 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great collection of French fairy tales, March 30, 2000

By	Heidi Anne Heiner (SurLaLune Fairy Tales.com) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

This paperback collection is an abbreviated version of the original hardbound which is now out of print. Even with some of the material missing, this collection is well worth the money. It can be hard to find fairy tale collections that contain the work of the women (such as Beaumont and d'Aulnoy) in the French salons that influenced Charles Perrault. This is one of the best collections, and it includes many of the tales that are mentioned by scholars but hard to locate. None of the stories are watered down and they paint a picture of why fairy tales are an important part of literature. In the end, they are entertaining stories and can be read just for fun, too.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Collection I Have Ever Read, February 13, 2005

By	Jennifer Richards (Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews

This is a wonderfull collection. Jack Zipes is unrivalled in his knowledge and understanding of the Traditional stories. Very few people know the entire story of Beauty And The Beast. Most of them don't even know what the story is about or what the true meaning of the story is. Most people assume that the Traditional French stories were told and writen by men. Actually, they were told and writen by French aristocratic women. The majority of the writers in this book are women, while only two of them are men. The women were the ones who put in all of the horrific and gory details into their stories. They came up with all kinds of ways to make their heroines and heroes suffer. Despite what many people believe about the traditional stories (especially the Disney script-writers), not all of them have a happy ending. Some of the stories in this book have either a sad or a tagic ending. the Yellow Dwarf, The Ram, and The Palace Of Revenge are perfect examples. Finally, the magic spell is never broken by the kiss on the lips or saying "I love you". Spells are broken either through an act of violence or through self-sacrifice; the heroines and heroes have to experience a great deal of pain and suffering. The characters are not always able to overcome the terrible and cruel forces that are always persuing and tormenting them. Whatever happens these stories are rich in depth and complexity. This book is perfect for anyone who wants to add to their collection of Traditional stoeies, or anyone who wants to know and understand these stories better. I also reccommend reading J.R.R. Tolkien's lecture/essay On Fairy Stories.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining and Informative, April 20, 2000

By	Diana R. Sherman "zellandyne" (Granada Hills, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Not only is this collection of fairy tales entertaining reading, Zipes goes into the history of the French literary salon and the backgrounds of the fairytales. Wonderful book.