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calypsse's picture

twisted tales

Submitted by calypsse on Wed, 09/12/2007 - 8:43pm.
I have to say that I loved the twist given to both Cinderella and Briar Rose, the originals might have a crude reality inside the fairy tale, but the alternate ending was simply delicious. At times the writer seems impatient by the story since it's been told so many times, and relieving that tension by adding a touch of sarcasm. However, the sarcasm used by Sexton brought the idealized characters to the dark side of reality, which made them more human. Now we don't only have the moral of good vs evil, we also have the voice of reason that tells you that nothing is forever, and that happiness is only relative.

About the other tales, well, I agree and disagree with those that said they weren't meant for children, they could. Most fairy tales come with a warning, that we ought to relate to. My Mom used to tell me the stories her grandmother told her when she was little, not to warn me like they did to her but to compare the different approach to parenting. Some of those stories were completely absurd but shocking at the same time. One of them was about a woman (now I can't remember is she had stolen a baby or killed one in envy for not having one) who was punished by having to keep a hair in a glass until the hair turned into a snake which she had to take care as if it was her own child. Another story was of a girl that took a shower at midnight during God Friday you will turn into a marmaid or blood will come out instead of water. I guess every fairy tale needs to have a dark side.

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