The Classic Fairy Tales which has been edited by Maria Tatar is quite an extraordinary read which I found fascinating and helpful, cover to cover. It is a collection of fairy tales which most of us are familiar with on one level or another. Maria Tartar has covered Little Red Riding Hood, Beauty and the Beast, Snow White, Cinderella, Bluebeard, Hansel and Gretel, and given us a good introduction to the works of Hans Christian Anderson and Oscar Wild. Each section of this work, and indeed each of the fairy tales noted here comprise an entire section, is accompanied by a scholarly introduction which is quite readable and very informative.
The author has, in each case, given us a fare selection of the variations of each of these tales as presented by different cultures throughout the world and different eras. This work is well researched, and I say this not lightly. I am modestly familiar with this particular genre, its history and its place in the pantheon of our literature…the author has done her work well. Not only do we get an accurate rendition of the original tale (as close to original as we probably ever will get, as many of these tales received their origin so far back into the mist of time, that it would be impossible to be absolutely accurate as many of them began strictly through oral tradition), but the author has in several cases given us a more modern version of the tale from a feminist view point.

If we take the story of Cinderella, we find that over the past several hundred years that there have been literally hundreds of versions of this classic myth. Tatar has given us a good sampling; not all inclusive, I grant you, but good never the less. The comparisons are stark, well presented and do indeed give us a wonderful overview. I also appreciated the authors various and many comments as to the impact Disney has had on these timeless stories.

This is a very readable book. It can be read cover to cover (which I feel is best), or can be used to research and edify specific stories that the reader might be interested in specifically. Reader be warned though, some of these stories are absolutely grim and a far cry from the diluted and sanitized nursery stories we are now fed. I have always felt that the Brother Grimm, were…well grim, but I find that their rendition of these old stories were far and away more civil than the originals that they made their compilation from. The Brothers actually dropped much of the gore, sex and taboos such as incest, rape and sheer butchering from their versions.

This is a very good and very informative read and a must for anyone interested in the classic fairy tale. Like any such work though, the reader should not stop with just this work, but continue and consider the opinion of other scholars in this field.

On the other hand, and this is just a personal observation, for what it is worth, some times a good cigar is just that; a good cigar. Likewise, sometimes a good story is just that; a good story. I always try not to loose sight of that fact. ( )

Tatar takes examples from some of the biggest fairytale archetypes and compares them to similar tales from around the world to showcase common themes and tropes. Definitely a good introduction for those unaware to the academic world of fairytales, and the criticism essays were well chosen. The only drawback for this novel is the uneven distribution of how closely some stories are given connections and others merely assumed. For example, including the modern and feminist "Bluebeard's Egg" by Margaret Atwood in the Bluebeard category seemed a farther stretch than the Hansel and Gretel chapter, which had two versions from the Grimms placed in it instead. But overall a strongly recommended work. ( )

An excellent collection of basic fairy tales and fairy tale criticism. I appreciate Tatar's inclusion of fairy tale permutations from around the world, along side more recent literary versions. This would be an excellent introduction to the study of fairy tales, as Tatar give extensive analyzing/explanation of the tales, and includes scholarly essays that form the foundation of this field of study. ( )