Once Upon a Time: A Short History of Fairy Tale

This may perhaps be more accurately described not as a history of fairy tale, but as a history of the ways in which people have thought about and related to fairy tales: as facets of a national identity, for instance, or as universal guides to human experience, or through the lens of psychoanalysis or feminism. It definitely is short, though, at 180 pages. But it packs a lot into those 180 pages, giving the interestingly paradoxical sense of an author thinking very, very deeply about the subject even while barely having time to scratch the surface of it. It may, perhaps, be a little bit dense, but it's never dry, and it's full of sharp observations, interesting insights, and compelling food for thought about a genre of storytelling so show more familiar that it's easy to take it for granted, but that seems to contain infinite possibilities for adaptation, interpretation, and engagement.

Fascinating stuff, and the sort of book it seems like one could come back to repeatedly and find new substance in. show less

Many thanks to Oxford University Press for the ARC via NetGalley.

I thought this a charming and comprehensive guide through the multifaceted world of fairy tales. The writing is clean, confident, with numerous relevant examples and quotations provided. Due to its length, it naturally cannot cover all the minutiae of the extensive historical development of the genre, but provides instead a satisfactory overview of the major checkpoints on the way. As such, it makes for a reference book of some substance and authority, especially regarding some of the common themes in fairy stories, as well as some influential theories and literary practices in relation to the same.
The subject matter is approached from several different points of view, show more there are ample illustrations that supplement various points of argument, and the extremely extensive reading list at the end is a useful tool for anybody who considers this book a mere stepping stone on the way to more specified knowledge.
Personally, I particularly enjoyed the author's thoughts on how the existent corpus of fairy tales was explored in feminist theory and literature, and the focus on modern literary retellings in different media that not only completely transform the source material itself, but continue to redefine the genre and its functions even today. show less

It’s how all good stories start

Once Upon a Time: A Short History of Fairy Tale by Marina Warner (Oxford University Press, $18.95),

We just can’t get away from fairy tales, and for good reason—these stories speak to us in particular ways that we don’t seem to outgrown. Whether you prefer the classics or TV’s Grimm, in Once Upon a Time: A Short History of Fairy Tale, Marina Warner has written the definitive overview of fairytales for the non-specialist.

Warner organizes the book thematically; we get the low-down on the story’s tellers, adaptations (both over time, across cultures, and for stage and screen), and even the interpreters (Bruno Bettleheim’s the big one, but there are others) who have altered the way we read fairy show more tales. Warner reminds us that fairy tales offer us a window into past generations, a nostalgic look at our own childhoods, insight into our psychology, and plenty of intellectual stimulation.

Stop feeling guilty about your Fables comic books and broaden your horizons with this necessary guide to the incredibly rich legacy of our storytelling traditions.

Reviewed on Lit/Rant: www.litrant.tumblr.com show less

This little book provides a pretty decent glimpse at the history of fairy tales, along with enough information to allow readers to delve further into this subject. The writing style is very academic, and might be a bit slow-going for readers unused to reading college level academia oriented stuff, but it's still definitely enjoyable. I found the organization of the text within each chapter a bit muddled, which made the book a bit harder to follow at times. I also wished that the author had provided a brief summary of the basic fairy tales she references within the text or in boxes alongside the text where each story is first mentioned. I have read a lot of fairy tales, and the 1001 Arabian Nights collection, but there are still a few show more stories the author mentions in her text as if the reader ought to know them by name, that I don't recall just from their names.
Overall, though, this was a fun book, and anyone who like to read history and/or fairy tales would probably enjoy this book. show less

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way changes my views or opinions of this book.

I love fairy tales, hence why I chose to read this book. The cover is absolutely beautiful and captured my attention immediately. However, the book was unsuccessful in doing so. I was expecting a story, some sort of whimsical fairy tale, even a twisted tale would have been okay. Instead, this book breaks down every angle and reason behind what happens in fairy tales, and dissects them. I wasn’t looking for an informative book, instead, I was hoping for something to get lost in. Instead, I just felt lost.

Short, readable overview of the history of fairy tales and some of the cultural impacts they've had over time. Nothing greatly revelatory if you already read about fairy tales a fair bit, but plenty in it despite its short nature.

What it says on the tin: a short history of how fairy tales have been told, written, collected, adapted, and evolved; how they represent the nation’s/cultures they originated from; the sanitization that started long before Disney; how and why modern artists and audiences continue to interact and connect with these age-old stories.