Review: Once Upon a Time: A Short History of Fairy Tale

Once Upon a Time: A Short History of Fairy Tale by Marina Warner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Once Upon a Time: a Short History of Fairy Tale by Marina Warner is a great introduction to the history of fairy tales. Warner's expertise in the subject is brilliantly laid out in this well-written prose. Warner's wit, readability, and writing style combined with her professional knowledge made Once Upon a Time an enjoyable and thrilling read.

Beginning with the prologue, she gives a brief description of the genre and its characteristics and continues to elaborate on these characteristics in the following chapters. She explores the world of fairies and the cultures that passed these oral stories to the following generations who collect them and write them down. Warner describes with clarity how these stories influenced society and how each generation cultivates them to reflect their beliefs and fears. The discussion of whether these stories were traveling tales or a collective unconscious (chapter three) was the most interesting in my point of view. With oral histories, the difficulty is understanding the origins and the original intent of these stories, and Warner lays out the arguments for all sides beautifully.  Another interesting discussion about the history of fairy tales can be found in chapter seven where Warner analyzes the feminist approach to fairy tales and how they are reinvented to be more modern and acceptable to today's audience.

As a whole Once Upon a Time lives up to expectations as a short and concise study of the subject of fairy tales. It may not be groundbreaking, but it is a great start for anyone interested in fairy tales. If you are an avid reader of fairy tales, this book will enhance your understanding and appreciation of the genre.

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