The Oxford Companion to Fairy Tales

by Jack Zipes (Editor)

Overview

In over 1,000 entries, this acclaimed Companion covers all aspects of the Western fairy tale tradition, from medieval to modern. It provides an authoritative reference source for this complex and captivating genre, exploring the tales themselves, the writers who wrote and reworked them, the artists who illustrated them, and much more.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780199689828
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	11/01/2015
Series:	Oxford Companions
Pages:	758
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.60(d)

About the Author

Jack Zipes is Professor Emeritus of German and Comparative Literature at the University of Minnesota. He has authored and edited numerous books and articles, most recently The Irresistible Fairy Tale: The Cultural & Social History of a Genre (2012), The Enchanted Screen: The Unknown History of Fairy-Tale Films (2011), and Grimm Legacies: The Magic Power of the Grimms' Folk and Fairy Tales (2015). He has also translated and edited, The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm: The Complete First Edition (2014), and he is the editor of the 4-volume Oxford Encyclopedia of Children's Literature (OUP, 2006).

Table of Contents

List of Contributors
Introduction: Towards a Definition of the Literary Fairy Tale
A to Z Entries
Bibliography

Editorial Reviews

03/15/2016
This thorough and scholarly edition edited by comparative literature expert Zipes contains 130 new entries, bringing the listings up to more than 1,000. Additions include some surprises, such as contemporary authors Suzanne Collins and J.K. Rowling, whose works use several fairy-tale tropes, such as magic, fantasy, and allegory. Among the other updates are fairy-tale blogs and websites and a brief entry on the genre and pornography. Aside from historical authors, illustrators, characters, themes, and terms relating to the stories, the book also mentions more modern children's authors (for instance, Paul Galdone, Maurice Sendak, Jerry Pinkney, and Trina Schart Hyman) who have contributed to the evergreen genre. Black-and-white illustrations enhance the thick volume, as do several lengthy essays on storytelling traditions around the world. The contributors' list and bibliography are nothing short of impressive. VERDICT Complete but a bit esoteric, this selection is recommended for research or college libraries only.—Sharon Verbeten, Brown Cty. Lib., Green Bay, WI

Library Journal

Packed with fascinating information, assembled with intelligence and care, this "Companion" is as helpful, reliable and full of fresh surprises as a fairy godmother...It seems right that a book about fairy tales should be illustrated, and the full- and half-page illustrations in The Oxford Companion to Fairy Tales well demonstrate the richness of the visual tradition.
—The Christian Science Monitor

Rubin

...[Oxford Companion to Fairy Tales] should solve next Christmas's gift problems in many households.
—The Times Literary Supplement

Andrew Wawn

"A first-of-its-kind reference source."—Booklist "Researchers from scholars to the general public will find this reference source an excellent starting place."—American Libraries

"These entries, the cross-references,a 36-page bibliography, big introductory entries for geographical areas, and Zipes's introductory essay make this book a basic reference volume for a humane library. Whether you're after the origins of "Mother Goose," the inspirations for Edward Gorey, or the folk elements in Anton Dvorak's fairy tale operas, this is the book you need."—Boston Globe

"The Oxford Companion to Fairy Tales is an excellent stepping stone to further research and a wonderful introduction for new readers who might yearn to know the mechanics behind living happily ever after."—Rain Taxi

"Jacj Zipes has assembled an impressive group of folklore scholars for this encyclopedic survey....The entries are well written and engaging."—Marvels & Tales: Journal of Fairy-Tale Studies

From the Publisher