The stories of magic and transformation that we call fairy tales are one of the oldest known forms of literature, and also one of the most popular and enduring. While most people think of the fairy tale as having come into existence almost magically long ago, they are in fact still being created. And while they are principally directed to children and have child protagonists, these modern fairy tales, like the classics, have messages to those of all ages. In The Oxford Book of Modern Fairy Tales, editor Alison Lurie collects such modern stories of the late nineteenth century up to the present. Here are trolls and princesses, magic and mayhem, morals to be told and lessons to be learned--all the elements of the classic fairy tale, in new and marvelous stories. Including the works of Charles Dickens, Nathaniel Hawthorne, George MacDonald, Mary De Morgan, H.G. Wells, Robert Louis Stevenson, Joan Aiken, Carl Sandburg, Angela Carter, James Thurber, Louise Erdrich, and many more, here is a treasury of tales that, though set in an unreal and irrelevant universe, have much to tell us about the real world in which we live. YA-A delightful volume, full of old favorites and some priceless new gems, with a wonderful chronological arrangement that allows readers to absorb information on literary developments and trends, or simply to enjoy the well-told tales. The biographical notes on the authors at the end are full of interesting material, but again, students are free to ignore the critical analyses if they so choose. The whole collection is first rate and demonstrates beautifully that modern fairy tales are not just for kids. Cathy Chauvette, Fairfax County Public Library, VA Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. `Review from previous edition This collection isn't a book for children, but a book for readers who would like to be.' Marina Warner, Times Literary Supplement `[An] excellent anthology ... I devoured it with childish voraciousness, reminiscent of those nights of late reading with a torch in the cave of one's bedclothes.' Caroline Moore, The Times `[a] witty and enterprising story selection ... Ms Lurie turns surprise into a unifying principle. Each of these tales finds some way to turn a traditional fairy-tale formula inside out.' New York Times
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