A collection of radical political fairy tales--some in English for the
first time--from one of the great female practitioners of the genre
Hermynia Zur Mühlen (1883-1951), one of the twentieth century's great
political writers, was not seemingly destined for a revolutionary,
unconventional literary career. Born in Vienna to an aristocratic
Catholic family, Zur Mühlen married an Estonian count. But she rebelled,
leaving her upper-class life to be with the Hungarian writer and
Communist Stefan Klein, and supporting herself through translations and
publications. Altogether, Zur Mühlen wrote thirty novels, mysteries, and
story collections, and translated around 150 works, including those of
Upton Sinclair, John Galsworthy, and Edna Ferber. A wonderful new
addition to the Oddly Modern Fairy Tales series, The Castle of Truth
and Other Revolutionary Tales presents English readers with a selection
of Zur Mühlen's best political fairy tales, some translated from German
for the first time.
In contrast to the classical tales of the Brothers Grimm and Hans
Christian Andersen, Zur Mühlen's candid, forthright stories focus on
social justice and the plight of the working class, with innovative
plots intended to raise the political consciousness of readers young and
old. For example, in "The Glasses," readers are encouraged to rip off
the glasses that deceive them, while in "The Carriage Horse," horses
organize a union to resist their working and living conditions. In "The
Broom," a young worker learns how to sweep away injustice.
With an informative introduction by Jack Zipes and period illustrations
by George Grosz, John Heartfield, Heinrich Vogeler, and Karl Holtz, The
Castle of Truth and Other Revolutionary Tales revives the legacy of a
notable female artist whose literary and political work remains relevant
in our own time.
