Books and Cooks December 1998 Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: Women Writers Explore Their Favorite Fairy Tales Our rating: 3 cups of tea! |
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Mirror, Mirror on the
Wall: Women Writers Explore Their Favorite Fairy Tales edited by Kate
Bernheimer Discussion date: Sunday, December 13, 1998, 1:00PM Discussion place: Vicki's Menu: Brunch: pancakes, fresh fruit, muffins, juice, platzke, and more. . . From Amazon: Rather than ask "Why this collection now?", one might more appropriately ask "Why not until now?" The exaggerated characters in many fairy tales, from the "Evil Queen," to the "True Bride," in addition to striking a note heard throughout Western culture, provide interesting challenges to and mirrors of women's complex conceptions of themselves. Fairy tales are full of women looking at themselves: In "Snow White," the stepmother is haunted by her own aging image in the mirror, and speaks to it; and in the lesser known, but particularly haunting "Clever Else," a young woman who awakens with a strange lack of identity runs everywhere looking for her own image. So it is for so many women throughout history. For everyone who has grown up on, been bewitched or infuriated by, or at some time in their lives fallen in love with fairy tales, this book is an enchanting journey of discovery. Authors include: Margaret Atwood, A.S. Byatt, Joyce Carol Oates, and Fay Weldon. Amanda has compiled a list of works by each author who contributed an essay to Mirror, Mirror.
Last updated: November 21, 2000 . |