A satirical and modern retelling of beloved fairy tales
Originally issued in 1934, The Fairies Return was the first collection
of modernist fairy tales ever published in England, and it marked the
arrival of a satirical classic that has never been surpassed. Even
today, this reimagining of fourteen timeless tales--from "Puss in Boots"
to "Little Red Riding Hood"--is still fresh and bold, giving readers a
world steeped not in once upon a time, but in the here and now.
Longtime favorites in this playfully subversive collection are retold
for modern times and mature sensibilities. In "Jack the Giant Killer,"
Jack becomes a trickster who must deliver England from the hands of
three ogres after a failed government inquiry. "Ali Baba and the Forty
Thieves" is set in contemporary London and the world of financial
margins and mergers. In "The Little Mermaid," a young Canadian girl with
breathtaking swimming skills is lured by the temptations of Hollywood.
And Cinderella becomes a spinster and holy woman, creating a very
different happily ever after. These tales expose social anxieties,
political corruption, predatory economic behavior, and destructive
appetites even as they express hope for a better world. A new
introduction from esteemed fairy-tale scholar Maria Tatar puts the
collection in context.
From stockbrokers and socialites to shopkeepers and writers, the
characters in The Fairies Return face contemporary challenges while
living in the magical world of fairy tales.
