The Reader's Shelf—Fables for Adults: Fairy Tales Respun

If you've ever sat down with Charles Perrault, the Brothers Grimm, or even Hans Christian Andersen, you've probably noticed that fairy tales were not originally written for children. Even the magical realm of the Arabian Nights is only glimpsed through the frame of Scheherazade's impending murder: hardly an innocuous bedtime story. You may think you know the bones of the old plots, but these books will surprise and enchant you.

Anne Sexton's Transformations (Mariner: Houghton. 2001. ISBN 0-618-08343-X. pap. $13) is a strange and gifted collection of poems that retell 17 Grimm fairy tales. Dark and quirky, lusciously ironic, disturbing and erotic, but oddly refreshing, her writing exhibits depths upon depths. Perhaps the most interesting result of reading Sexton is a greater appreciation for the vast ambiguities present in the originals.

For more of the literary perspective on fairy tales, consider Complete Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde (Signet. 1990. ISBN 0-451-52435-7. pap. $5.95); Emma Donoghue's Kissing the Witch: Old Tales in New Skins (HarperCollins. 1999. ISBN 0-06-440772-1. pap. $11.99); Olga Broumas's Beginning with O (Yale Univ. 1977. ISBN 0-300-02111-9. pap. $16); A.S. Byatt's The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye (Vintage. 1998. ISBN 0-679-76222-1. pap. $13); and Margaret Atwood's The Robber Bride (Anchor: Doubleday. 1998. ISBN 0-385-49103-4. pap. $15).

In “The Fairy Tale Series,” a confederation of novels edited by Terri Windling, a diverse assortment of talented fantasy authors (including Charles de Lint, Kara Dalkey, Patrica C. Wrede, Pamela Dean, Steven Brust, Gregory Frost, and Tanith Lee) tackle even more diverse themes and settings to retell classic tales. The eight standalone books span time and cultures from ancient Japan to World War II Poland, from college students to apocalyptic cults to urban fantasy, but Jane Yolen's haunting Briar Rose (Tor. 2002. ISBN 0-7653-4230-8. pap. $6.99), a retelling of the Sleeping Beauty story in the shadow of the Holocaust, stands out even among this stellar list. When Becca's grandmother Gemma dies, leaving a box of mysterious documents that call Gemma's past and even her name into question, Becca travels to Poland to understand her grandmother's legacy. Yolen illustrates how a simple bedtime story can transform heartbreaking history.

Returning to the theme of the darker side of childhood adventures is Angela Carter's The Bloody Chamber (Penguin. 1990. ISBN 0-14-017821-X. pap. $12). Her brilliant collection features mesmerizing and seductive reinterpretations of classic fairy tales and legends that offer an erotic, terrifying thrill.

Other contemporary authors offering their own retellings include Juliet Marillier's Daughter of the Forest (Tor. 2000. ISBN 0-312-84879-X. $25.95; pap. 2002. ISBN 0-7653-4343-6. $6.99), based on the Celtic swans myth and the first in her “Sevenwaters Trilogy”; Judith Berman's Bear Daughter (Ace. 2005. ISBN 0-441-01322-8. pap. $16), which draws on Native American myths from the Pacific Northwest; and Gregory Maguire's takes on the tale of Snow White, Mirror, Mirror (ReganBks: HarperCollins. 2004. ISBN 0-06-059453-5. pap. $16). You may also enjoy these somewhat excellent older titles: two Sleeping Beauty reinterpetations, Sherri Tepper's Beauty (Spectra: Bantam. 1992. ISBN 0-553-29527-6. pap. $7.99) and Orson Scott Card's Enchantment (Del Rey: Ballantine. 2000. ISBN 0-345-48240-9. pap. $14.95), and Robin McKinley's retelling of Charles Perrault's fairy tale “Donkeyskin,” Deerskin (Ace. 1994. ISBN 0-441-01239-6. pap. $14).

Finally, don't miss Salman Rushdie's Haroun and the Sea of Stories (Penguin. 1991. ISBN 0-14-015737-9. pap. $14). A lighter tale than Rushdie's fans are accustomed to, this story of young Haroun's quest for a happy ending is delicious with language and will leave you giddy with delight. Haroun's father, the Shah of Blah, loses his gift of gab at just the wrong time, and his subscription to the sea of stories is cancelled by mistake. Haroun kidnaps a water genie and stumbles into a war where the purity of story itself hangs in the balance. Written for children, this collection is eminently suitable for adult readers as well.

For a comprehensive list that includes the selections above and more, visit “A Fairy Tale Reading List” under Mythic Reading lists; “Fairy Tales for Adults,” a list compiled by readers; and “Traditional Tales and Scholarship”.