Lang's "Blue Fairy Book"....

[Vida Winter]

Wow. We're following some Charlotte Mason recommendations and read "The Bronze Ring" from The Baldwin Project. My 7yo dd hated it at first but became fascinated as the story got stranger...then stranger. I guess those old fairy tales weren't watered-down like they are today.

[Jenny in Atl]

If I'm not mistaken, most were not written for children but adults. Same with most of the old cartoons (Bugs Bunny & gang).

[Canada_Mom]

My 6yo LOVES the Andrew Lang fairy tales- and has since she was 4-1/2. But yes, I have to admit they do take some getting used to!! I read them to her, but lately she has taken to reading them to herself b/c she enjoys them so much. I know they are WAY above her level but she loves them all the same.

 

They are quite the stories...

[nmoira]

My 6yo LOVES the Andrew Lang fairy tales- and has since she was 4-1/2. But yes, I have to admit they do take some getting used to!!

My oldest loved these from about 4 as well. She almost literally devoured them. I suspect my younger won't be ready until 6 or 7 though -- she has a more sensitive nature when it comes to books.

 

A good friend of mine grew up isolated in the country. The only books they had in the house other than a Bible were the Lang Fairy Books. She grew up into an incredibly literate and intellectually curious woman. :)

[Shasta Mom]

written at is quite advanced and forces the listener to think.....

[Carol in Cal.]

Adult indeed! And pretty gory as well.

 

It is interesting how expurgated most legends and fairy tales are in their popular versions.

[Vida Winter]

After her initial horror at the fairy tales, she begs me to read them now. I think I figured out the appeal - there is always a clear distinction between good and bad. No matter how bad the evil is, you can root for the good to overcome it. At the end of the story (at least the ones we have read) there is a good satisfactory feeling that the baddies have gotten their just reward (even though that reward is likely to be gory and violent).

 

A friend of mine (who worked as a school librarian at one time) was looking at our children's books this weekend - we have shelf after shelf of mainly older books - the kind I grew up with or older - and she commented that they are truly wonderful stories because, "They are moral. The bad ones always get their come-uppance. That's not true in books that are written for kids today."

 

I thought that was a sad statement about modern children's literature. I am pretty sure she was referring to the junky series books and Young Adult selections that pervade our libraries these days.

[Rhesa]

I think I figured out the appeal - there is always a clear distinction between good and bad. No matter how bad the evil is, you can root for the good to overcome it. At the end of the story (at least the ones we have read) there is a good satisfactory feeling that the baddies have gotten their just reward (even though that reward is likely to be gory and violent).

 

This is beautifully written! I don't really have anything to add, but I just wanted to say

:iagree:

 

Fairy tales are so rich. I find that I reread them with my children for my pleasure!