So, after the garbage heap of misogyny that was "Beasts," we've come to "Her Hair," which, like "Poisoned", is a short and inoffensive rest stop after the trainwreck that came before it. It's a retelling of "Rapunzel" and it takes place after the prince has fallen from the tower and is blinded by thorns.
( Hurt/Comfort: The Fairytale )

If you couldn't already tell from my journal, I love (and am slightly obsessed with) "Beauty and the Beast." So, of course, out of all of the fairytales that A.N. gets his cynical hands on in this book, my favorite one gets the worst treatment.

As I was reading this book, I was already irritated and angry. I disliked the smug tone of A.N., I ( Read more... )

The next story is a retelling of "The Steadfast Tin Soldier" by Hans Christian Andersen and once again, the Anonymous Narrator (A.N.) has chosen a story with a not-so-happy ending.

The story takes place in contemporary times. A male college student has been pining over his female classmate and she's finally "relented" to go out with him "after two ( Read more... )

Well, after that nonsensical and insulting detour, we're finally back to fairytales. However, the next choice is also odd, because the story, "Little Man," is a retelling of "Rumpelstiltskin."

Which I never believed had a truly happy ending anyway.
( Nice Guys Finish Last: The Fairytale )

Oh, yes, the title is not deceiving. This is a retelling of "The Monkey’s Paw."

Which is not a fairytale. It’s a horror story.

So, apparently the Anonymous Narrator (A.N.) has such scorn for fairytales that he can’t even tell them apart from other genres.
( Marriage Stinks: The Fairytale )

So, remember when I said that one of the few good things about this book is that not all of the stories are actively offensive and terrible?

This is one of them. And unlike the others before, it’s very short, only a few pages long.
( Pointlessness: The Fairytale )

So, last time around, the Anonymous Narrator (A.N.) showed absolutely no shame for destroying Hansel and Gretel’s characters so that we could feel bad for the old woman who wanted to have sex with teenagers.

What other fairytale characters could he destroy next, in his determined quest to stamp out any kind of cheer or fun from fairytales? Why, Jack ( Read more... )

The next story is called "Crazy Old Lady" and it’s a retelling of "Hansel and Gretel" from the witch’s POV in second-person perspective. Now, one might wonder if this is supposed to be a sympathetic rendering and, if so, how exactly we’re supposed to sympathize with a person who tried to kill and eat children.
( Sympathy for the Ephebophile: The Fairytale )

The first story is called "A Wild Swan", which is based on the fairytale, "The Wild Swans" by Hans Christian Andersen. It starts off by telling the story of how the twelve sons of the king were cursed by their stepmother into becoming swans. However, the Anonymous Narrator (A.N.) almost immediately seems to sympathize with her by describing the ( Read more... )

Before he launches into the retellings of fairytales, Cunningham includes a short prologue called "Dis. Enchant." After reading this book, I think that a more appropriate title would be "Dis.Illusionment", "Dis.Appointment", or, in fact, "Dis.Gust." Which was my reaction as I was reading this book.

The narrator of the prologue has an irreverent ( Read more... )