Bibliograph

Fairy tales for the disillusioned, enchanted stories from the French decadent tradition, edited and translated by Gretchen Schultz & Lewis Seifert

Type

Label

Fairy tales for the disillusioned, enchanted stories from the French decadent tradition, edited and translated by Gretchen Schultz & Lewis Seifert

Language

eng

Bibliography note

Includes bibliographical references (pages 247-249)

Illustrations

illustrations

Index

no index present

Literary Form

fiction

Main title

Fairy tales for the disillusioned

Nature of contents

bibliography

Oclc number

953617658

Responsibility statement

edited and translated by Gretchen Schultz & Lewis Seifert

Series statement

Oddly modern fairy tales

Sub title

enchanted stories from the French decadent tradition

Summary

"The wolf is tricked by Red Riding Hood into strangling her grandmother and is subsequently arrested. Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella do not live happily ever after. And the fairies are saucy, angry, and capricious. Fairy Tales for the Disillusioned collects thirty-six tales, many newly translated, by writers associated with the decadent literary movement, which flourished in France in the late nineteenth century. Written by such creative luminaries as Charles Baudelaire, Anatole France, and Guillaume Apollinaire, these enchanting yet troubling stories reflect the concerns and fascinations of a time of great political, social, and cultural change. Recasting well-known favorites from classic French fairy tales, as well as Arthurian legends and English and German tales, the updated interpretations in this collection allow for more perverse settings and disillusioned perspectives--a trademark style and ethos of the decadent tradition. In these stories, characters puncture the optimism of the naive, talismans don't work, and the most deserving don't always get the best rewards. The fairies are commonly victims of modern cynicism and technological advancement, but just as often are dangerous creatures corrupted by contemporary society. The collection underlines such decadent themes as the decline of civilization, the degeneration of magic and the unreal, gender confusion, and the incursion of the industrial. The volume editors provide an informative introduction, biographical notes for each author, and explanatory notes throughout. Subverting the conventions of the traditional fairy tale, these old tales made new will entertain and startle even the most disenchanted readers."--Jacket

Table Of Contents

TALES. Charles Baudelaire: Fairies' gifts -- Alphonse Daudet: The fairies of France -- Catulle Mendes: Dreaming beauty ; Isolina / Isolin ; The way to heaven ; An unsuitable guest ; The three good fairies ; The last fairy ; The lucky find ; The wish granted, Alas! -- Jules Lemaitre: The suitors of princess Mimi ; Liette's notions ; On the margins of Perrault's fairy tales : The white rabbit and the four-leaf clover -- Paul Arene: The ogresses -- Jules Ricard: Fairy Morgane's tales : Nocturne II -- Marcel Schwob: Bluebeard's little wife ; The green she-devil ; Cice ; Mandosiane -- Willy: Fairy tales for the disillusioned -- Henri de Regnier: The Llving door knocker -- Rachilde: The mortis -- Jacques d'Adelsward-Fersen: Sleeping beauty didn't wake up -- Jean Lorrain: Princess of the red lilies ; Princess snowflower ; Mandosiane in captivity -- Renee Vivien: Prince charming -- Albert Mockel: The story of the prince of Valandeuse ; The pleasant surprise -- Pierre Veber: The last fairy ; Anatole France: The seven wives of bluebeard ; The story of the Duchess of Cicogne and of Monsieur de Boulingrin -- Emile Bergerat: The 28-kilometer boots ; Cinderella arrives by automobile -- Guillaume Apollinaire: Cinderella continued, or the rat and the six lizards -- Claude Cahun: Cinderella, the humble and haughty child

Classification