Once Upon a Time: Erotic Fairy Tales For Women (Richard Kasak Books) [Paperback]

Michael Ford (Editor)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Central to the upbringing of many women is the institution of the fairy tale: the picturesque fable designed to convey moral truths to young girls, and prepare them for the demands and responsibilities of marriage and family life. But how relevant to contemporary lesbians are the lessons of these age-old stories? The contributors to Once Upon a Time retell their favorite fairy tales, adding their own surprising and sexy twists. Characters as famous as Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, and Goldilocks, typically portrayed as powerless over their own fates, are transformed by a magical cast of writers intent on unleashing the hidden power of these archetypal figures.

In addition to exploding the stereotype of the imperiled beauty, several authors appropriate the power of the traditionally male hero by recasting their tales entirely with women, casting a new light on the obscured but omnipresent sexuality of this "innocent" literature. Genuinely subversive and deeply sensual, Once Upon a Time is sure to be one of contemporary lesbian literature's classic collections.

Contributors include: Dorothy Allison, Katya Andreevna, Laura Antoniou, Red Jordan Arobateau, Isobel Bird, Francesca Lia Block, Kate Bornstein, Pat Califia, Christa Faust, Dorsie Hathaway, Corrina Kellam, Jenifer Levin, Heather Lewis, Lee Lynch, Carol Queen, Robin Podolsky, Shar Rednour, Cristina Salat, Joan M. Schenkar, Marcy Sheiner, Linda Smukler, Wickie Stamps, Robin Sweeney, Cecilia Tan, Kitty Tsui, Karen X. Tulchinsky, Mam'selle Victoire

Product Details

• Paperback: 370 pages
• Publisher: Richard Kasak Book (August 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1563334496
• ISBN-13: 978-1563334498
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #2,180,311 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Misleading Title, November 21, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Once Upon a Time: Erotic Fairy Tales For Women (Richard Kasak Books) (Paperback)

While I have enjoyed this book (Excellent writing, what I would call real erotic literature), the general-sounding title implies that the story collection encompasses gay, straight, and bisexual tastes for women. This is not the case. The stories are, for the most part, lesbian in slant. This is fine, especially since the writing is so good. However, after a while, this focus starts to feel restrictive for those of us not in the know. I would have appreciated it if the title made the overall gist of the stories clear.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pretty Good!, November 23, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Once Upon a Time: Erotic Fairy Tales For Women (Richard Kasak Books) (Paperback)

I thought this book was quite good. The descriptions are great and the storylines are wonderful. There's something for everyone in this collection, whether you're straight, gay or bi. I read this with my fiance and he loved it as much as I did!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding and original stories, September 28, 2006

By	E. B. MULLIGAN "Bronwyn" (Tampa, Florida) - See all my reviews (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Once Upon a Time: Erotic Fairy Tales For Women (Richard Kasak Books) (Paperback)

I bought this anthology to read the story "The Changling' by Lee Lynch (terrific, very original story).

and got a very well written anthology by a host of authors, my favorites were from -

Dorothy Allison
Laura Antoniou
Pat Califia
Heather Lewis
Linda Smukler
Cecilia Tan


Not to be missed - this is Keeper