So I wondered what you, my readers, thought!
What do you consider a fairy tale?
Does it have to be something from Grimm? Or Mr. Hans Christian Anderson? Or is it something Disney grabbed and reinvented? Or is it any story that has, I don't know, that fairy tale feeling? You know what I mean, right?
So this last week I've read a re-telling of Alice in Wonderland, Red Riding Hood and Peter Pan. Is there only one fairy tale in that mix? Or could they all be considered fairy tales?
In looking the question up on Wikipedia, it says a fairy tale is any story that features European folky/fantasy characters like fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, etc. And it includes magic and happy endings and a moral tale... usually. I think with that definition, we could include Peter Pan and Alice, yes?
What else might be considered a fairy tale, but isn't necessarily something from Grimm?
For me it is about a feeling, more than a specific element in the story :) but, there's usually a prince involved, lol.
ReplyDeleteFinley Jayne: I forgot about the prince! Of course! :)
DeleteHuh, that's funny because I wouldn't have considered any of those three a fairy tale--Alice, Peter Pan, or Red Riding Hood. I can see why Red Riding Hood is, though, since it's a Brothers Grimm story, right? But, yeah, I wouldn't consider Alice or Peter Pan a fairy tale because they were written in the 1800s/1900s. I think of fairy tales as older, even though the Grimms was around in the early 1800s. And, I guess so was Hans Christian Anderson was too. But, maybe it's because the stories that the Grimms based their fairy tales on were older folk tales. I didn't even think of Hans Christian Anderson until Kami mentioned him. So, obviously, I have no real idea of what I consider a fairy tale, lol.
ReplyDeleteJenni: Not even Red Riding Hood? Wow! So, what IS a fairy tale then? An example of one for you?
DeleteGood question. Probably like Jayne said, princesses and prince stories. Or, a rags to riches type story. Or, someone having their birth right stolen from them and they get it back in the end. It always has to have a happy ending.
DeleteVery interesting post. I love fairy tale retellings. I think they are a certain hint of magic, a princess of some sort, and usually a prince, but these days they come in many different forms. I just got done reading a retelling of Rumplestiltskin.
ReplyDeleteRachael: I love 'em too. A retelling of Rumplestilltskin sounds awesome.
DeleteWhat an interesting question! I guess I've always considered fairy tales to be magical stories with some kind of moral. I don't think they're limited to a certain timeframe, as I've read modern fairy tales that are just as good as the old classics. I prefer the darker tales to her HEAs of Disney retellings. Will be curious to see what your other bookclub members think!
ReplyDeleteTerri @ Alexia's Books and Such...
Terri: I love the modern ones too. I would consider The Night Circus to be one...
DeleteYES! The Night Circus is TOTALLY a modern fairy tale.
DeleteI actually wrote a post about this question years ago! Here's the link in case you are interested: http://www.tiftalksbooks.com/2010/08/what-is-fairy-tale.html
ReplyDeleteIn short, I don't think it has to be Euro-based. I think there is more than just Anderson and Grimm. I agree that it is more of a feeling that I get as to how I would categorize it. I would say that it is a feeling of magic, but not always in the literal sense!
I'm on the other end of the spectrum from Jenni. Alice, Peter, and Red to ALL be fairy tales. But why?
ReplyDeleteI think that there is usually a certain age of the story element involved (though I just enthusiastically agreed with you about The Night Circus...)
Maybe it has more to do with archetypes? Stories with universal motifs, themes, and elements. That's a pretty broad definition but maybe if you throw in some sort of use of supernatural elements we've narrowed it down a little more?
I don't know. But I'll be thinking about it. :)
I can see where you're coming from. I still don't think of Alice as a fairy tale, but I would go with The Night Circus and Harry Potter.
DeleteSo out of curiosity, why not Alice? It's got magic, whimsy, some weird archetypes. The overarching theme of growing up? Just curious. :)
DeleteAlso, what about Harry Potter? Modern fairy tale?
ReplyDeleteOoh interesting topic. Fairy tales are definitely magical in one way or another - in the feeling you get while reading them. They have a nostalgic feel of childhood.
ReplyDelete