I've been reading Grimms Fairytales lately, I really don't agree that kids should be mollycoddled (not sure if it's a real word but you know what I mean), I think stories that are purely sweet and nice and full of fluff and puppy dogs tails (although that is a little gruesome) are under estimating children. I really believe they see things differently than us and everything has a little magic to it for them, I think for a story to have dimension for kids it needs a little darkness, and so to bring this full circle, that is why I went back to Grimms Tales, to see where our original Fairytales started.
So, today when I accidently found The Islanders An Introduction by Charles Avery it reminded me straight away of Grimms. I love his almost human worlds, full of unusual characters, the weird and the wonderful. I've uploaded some images above, see what I mean!
thx rfor you sharing~~learn it by heart ........................................
ReplyDeleteHi Helena, I agree! I love fairytales/folktales esp the undisneyland sort. I'm reading Perraults Tales at the moment, they're illustrated by Dore and are very blunt and un p.c. There is an opening illustration of an old woman reading a fairytale to some bonny children and they all have suitable looks of horror on their faces, so it wasnt with escapism in mind that these tales were retold! There is something very gothic about them, which I love, have you ever read Angela Carters The Bloody Chamber, its for adults, a great read?
ReplyDeleteDid you get to Bollards? I would have loved to join you but was in Galway. Might get to the next one. Any word on your novel?
All the best, will see you in Kilkenny I hope, Niamh