Fromwickedqueens,beautifulprincesses,elves,monsters,andgoblins,togiants,glassslippers,poisonedapples,magickeys,andmirrors,thecharactersandimagesoffairytaleshavecastaspelloverreadersandaudiences,bothadultsandchildren,forcenturies.Thesefantasticstorieshavetraveledacrossculturalborders,andbeenpassedonfromgenerationtogeneration,ever-changing,renewedwitheachre-telling.Fewformsofliteraturehavegreaterpowertoenchantusandrekindleourimaginationthanafairytale.Butwhatisafairytale?Wheredotheycomefromandwhatdotheymean?Whatdotheytryandcommunicatetousaboutmorality,sexuality,andsociety?Therangeoffairytalesstretchesacrossgreatdistancesandtime;theirhistoryisentangledwithfolkloreandmyth,andtheirinspirationdrawsonideasaboutnatureandthesupernatural,imaginationandfantasy,psychoanalysisandfeminism.InthisVeryShortIntroduction,MarinaWarnerdigsintoarichhoardoffairytalesinalltheirbrilliantandfantasticalvariations,inordertodefineagenreandevaluatealiteraryformthatkeepsshiftingthroughtimeandhistory.Drawingonaglitteringarrayofexamples,fromclassicssuchasRedRidingHood,Cinderella,andTheSleepingBeauty,theGrimmBrothers’HanselandGretel,andHansAndersen’sTheLittleMermaid,tomodern-dayrealizationsincludingWaltDisney’sSnowWhite,Warnerformsapersuasivecaseforfairytaleasacrucialrepositoryofhumanunderstandingandculture.ABOUTTHESERIES:TheVeryShortIntroductionsseriesfromOxfordUniversityPresscontainshundredsoftitlesinalmosteverysubjectarea.Thesepocket-sizedbooksaretheperfectwaytogetaheadinanewsubjectquickly.Ourexpertauthorscombinefacts,analysis,perspective,newideas,andenthusiasmtomakeinterestingandchallengingtopicshighlyreadable.
