We all remember the fairy tales of our childhood but what we may forget is that fairy tales were originally spoken, not written, and often they were cautionary tales told to adults as well as children.
Before the age of television and movies, storytellers were welcome entertainers for all ages. We may also forget that the stories existed long before Walt Disney. His films, often seen as the "authorized" versions, are only part of a vast collection of folk and fairy tales around the world.
More recently, some of the most well-known stories have been expanded by creative writers into wonderfully entertaining novels. Some follow the storyline we know and some branch off into wild and wonderfully creative fantasies.
The best known example of this phenomenon is Wicked by Gregory Maguire, which has also been made into a successful movie. This book gives us the biography of the Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz, demanding our sympathy because of her terrible childhood. Maguire has done a number of other novels in this vein. Mirror, Mirror is, of course, the story of Snow White, set in 1502 in Tuscany, with the wicked queen being no other than Lucrezia Borgia. Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, set in 17th century Holland, is a chilling but fascinating reworking of the Cinderella story.
Another dark, unusual retelling of Snow White comes from fantasy writer Tanith Lee, who, in her book White as Snow, weaves the story we know with the classic myth of the goddess Demeter and her daughter Persephone, creating a powerful story of how mothers and daughters are bound together for good or ill.
Robin McKinley writes for the young adult audience but appeals to older readers as well with her wonderful fantasies. Her early book, Beauty, and a later version, Rose Daughter, are both novelized versions of Beauty and the Beast. Her story follows the traditional version but in much more depth so that the reader becomes involved in the lives of these two strong characters who find themselves outcast from normal society. The Door in the Hedge takes us through the door into Faerieland and a retelling of two favourite stories, The Princess and the Frog and The Twelve Dancing Princesses, as well as two original fairy stories.
Another young adult writer, Donna Jo Napoli, is a master at retelling the old tales. Spinner is the story of Rumpelstiltskin told in a way that both horrifies and enchants the reader. Zel is the tale of Rapunzel locked in her tower, exploring the psychological depths of all the characters and their powerful emotions.
In a more modern setting, we find The Godmother by Elizabeth Ann Scarborough. A frustrated Seattle social worker trying desperately to help her clients makes a wish for a fairy godmother for "the whole damned city." Her wish is granted in the form of a silver-haired eccentric godmother who sorts out a cast of characters that reads like a modern day Brothers Grimm. Hansel and Gretel, Cinderella and others are recognizable in the stories of Rose's problematic caseload of abusive relationships and addictions.
The godmother theme continues in The Fairy Godmother by popular fantasy writer Mercedes Lackey. In this enchanting tale, the Cinderella character breaks with tradition to become the Fairy Godmother herself - and finds it no easy task.
Finally, in a thrilling new children's novel The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor, the true Alyss, heir to the throne of Wonderland, is cast into the world of Victorian London. When she trusts Lewis Carroll to tell her story, he gets it all wrong. In the meantime the Royal Bodyguard, Hatter, searches the world to find Alyss and bring her back to her rightful throne.
Bring your childhood stories into adulthood and read some of these books from your local library.
A Good Read is a column by Tri-City librarians that is published every Wednesday. Barb Buxton is head of adult services with Port Moody Public Library.
