3 stars – it was okay
I found this book at a thrift store and thought it was pretty funny. Finally got around to reading it!
Read: Nov 23 – Nov 24, 2024
Genre: Fairy Tale
Audience: Children, General
Book contains: political correctness, dark humour
Purchase a copy from Amazon.ca
Classic fairy tales like ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarves’ or ‘The Pied Piper of Hamelin’, rewritten with political correctness and equality, which makes for a hilarious tale of not stepping on toes in the most insulting ways possible.
I first saw this book in a thrift store, since I always scan the books of any place I walk into. The cover looked interesting, and the title drew my attention, so I figured I’d give it a go; it was pretty cheap too. I finally got around to reading it over the weekend after getting back from my weekly hike.
This book is told in the way of someone speaking aloud, telling you the fairy tales in a somewhat matter-of-fact manner. Each chapter is a short reimagining of a well-known fairy tale, with their titles also renamed for political correctness (such as ‘The Three Codependent Goats Gruff’).
This was a quick read, so I just went through it the regular way over the weekend. It was quite humorous.
Each tale had its own characters, though reframed with “political correctness” in mind. For example, the representation of the pigs as people indigenous to the lands and the wolf as a colonist stealing their land to develop malls and resorts for other wolves. Some of the characters act in such ridiculous ways it’s hard to get over.
The relationships in the tales are somewhat skewed but carry the same sort of dynamics as the originals—except where drastic changes have occurred, of course (like Snow White teaching her disguised step-mother the values of calisthenics in keeping oneself young and healthy).
A satirical book with some pretty funny jokes sprinkled throughout—like Mother Gothel and the prince planning to exploit Rapunzel’s beautiful singing voice for a record deal, or the three little pigs fighting back against corporate expansion. Better suited for adult readers, but I’m sure kids would enjoy the humour as well.
Each story is shorter than the ones they’re based on, so it runs pretty quick. It’s more explanatory than descriptive or drawn out, like someone telling a joke rather than a story. Fast paced.
If you’re a fan of dark or political humour, this is definitely the set of fairy tales for you. It’s satirical and carries a note of political commentary that cynics will enjoy.
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Tigerpetal Press is a small book press dedicated to publishing local authors and poets.