The Oxford Companion to Fairy Tales

by Jack Zipes (Editor)

Paperback, 2003

Status

Available

Call number

398.21

Original publication date

2003-09-25

Publication

Oxford University Press (2003), 640 pages

Description

In over 1,000 entries, this acclaimed Companion covers all aspects of the Western fairy tale tradition, from medieval to modern, under the guidance of Professor Jack Zipes. It provides an authoritative reference source for this complex and captivating genre, exploring the tales themselves, the writers who wrote and reworked them, and the artists who illustrated them. It also covers numerous related topics such as the fairy tale and film, television, art, opera, ballet, the oral tradition, music, advertising, cartoons, fantasy literature, feminism, and stamps. First published in 2000, 130 new entries have been added to account for recent developments in the field, including J. K. Rowling and Suzanne Collins, and new articles on topics such as cognitive criticism and fairy tales, digital fairy tales, fairy tale blogs and websites, and pornography and fairy tales. The remaining entries have been revised and updated in consultation with expert contributors. This second edition contains beautifully designed feature articles highlighting countries with a strong fairy tale tradition, covering: Britain and Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, North America and Canada, Portugal, Scandinavian countries, Slavic and Baltic countries, and Spain. It also includes an informative and engaging introduction by the editor, which sets the subject in its historical and literary context. A detailed and updated bibliography provides information about background literature and further reading material. In addition, the A to Z entries are accompanied by over 60 beautiful and carefully selected black and white illustrations. Already renowned in its field, the second edition of this unique work is an essential companion for anyone interested in fairy tales in literature, film, and art; and for anyone who values the tradition of storytelling.… (more)

Awards

Mythopoeic Awards (Finalist — Myth and Fantasy Studies — 2001)

Original language

English

Language

ISBN

0198605099 / 9780198605096

Media reviews

Library Journal | March 2016 | Vol. 141 No. 5
"This thorough and scholarly edition edited by comparative literature expert Zipes contains 130 new entries, bringing the listings up to more than 1,000. ...Complete but a bit esoteric, this selection is recommended for research or college libraries only."

User reviews

LibraryThing member ed.pendragon
The cover of this Companion's paperback edition helpfully reminds us that this is about "the Western fairy tale tradition, from medieval to modern", so, apart from the interfaces where East meets West (as in the Arabian Nights) or the Ancient World meets the 20th century (as in the discussion of
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mythology and myth), there is very little on anything which is non-Eurocentric and by extension North American of the recent past. That said, the 600-plus pages of the paperback edition are packed with every aspect of the fairytale you could wish for, from the anonymous to the commercial and from the traditional to the literary and the artistic. The range of contributors (largely North American, with a smattering of European experts) means there is no single authorial voice, but Zipes' editorial authority is stamped all over the Companion, from his fascinating introductory overview to choice of entries. This book contains nearly all you wanted to know about the genre and quite a lot besides of what you never knew you wanted to know. Hours of random dipping or cross-referencing are guaranteed, for aficionado and the curious alike.
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