Critical and Creative Perspectives on Fairy Tales

This essential text offers a rigorous exploration of fairy tales through the lenses of foundational critical theory, guiding readers to see beyond the surface of familiar stories. It provides a deep dive into seminal works like Marcia K. Lieberman's analysis of passive princesses, Bruno Bettelheim's controversial psychoanalytic interpretations, and the feminist critique of Sandra Gilbert and Susan Gubar. The book masterfully connects these critical perspectives to the rich tradition of fairy tale retellings, demonstrating how modern authors subvert and re-imagine classic tropes. This is not a casual read but a substantive academic toolkit for understanding the hidden power dynamics and cultural work of these enduring narratives.

What makes this volume so compelling is its intertextual approach, which actively demonstrates how criticism and creative writing engage in a continuous dialogue. Readers will come away with a transformed understanding of how fairy tales encode societal values about gender, power, and desire, and how retellings actively dismantle or renegotiate these codes. It is an indispensable resource for university students of literature, gender studies, and creative writing, as well as any serious reader looking to develop a critical vocabulary for analyzing both the tales we inherit and the new ones we create.