Over the years I seem to have accumulated a large collection of fairy and folk tales.
I have loved fairy stories since I was a child.
It was interesting to discover in adulthood the darker side to fairytales, but I’m sure I fell in love with them originally because they were so weird and otherworldly. One story I recall most vividly involved magic walnuts which when cracked open revealed splendid gowns and other glamorous accoutrements. Another favourite, The Goose Girl, features the talking head of a slain horse over an archway which dispenses advice to the ill treated heroine. I can’t remember what the first story was called, but no doubt it’s in one or other of books in my collection.
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So I have complete collections of the Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Andersen, Perrault and all the Dover coloured Fairy Books (see above)
I bought some for their wonderful illustrations, for instance The Perrault Tales are illustrated by Heath Robinson, famous for his drawings of eccentric machines, but also a famous children’s book illustrator like his brother Charles Robinson.
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Puss in Boots | The Friendly Frog |
There will be more on Heath Robinson later, when I get to the art books on my shelves.
3 comments:
I remember those coloured fairy tale books. They're probably what introduced me to genre fiction. Doha English Speaking School had a collection of them back in the early 1970s. I'd already finished the Wide Range Reader series - way ahead of my class - so I started on them.
Ian, I wonder if you can still get them.
I never came across them in my childhood, but discovered them in my early 20s.
These are beautiful!
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