Folktales Redux

Fairy tales have intrigued me due to the fact that they’re aimed at children yet carry very adult themes. If you’ve read Grimm’s you know that they almost always end in the maiming or death of someone.  I find the fairy tale/folk tale genre is a short lesson that older generations pass on to the younger one.  It’s dramatic enough to capture the young imagination, the lesson is clear enough, and there’s just enough fear to keep the young ones on the right path.  Since I started reading them as an adult and looking at their structure and artistry, I’ve noticed that we don’t still use this style of imparting wisdom to young ones.  You might say Disney, but isn’t Disney just repackaging previous folktales?  I might argue that Pixar would be a good example of how our folktales have become kids’ films.

You can’t argue with the lessons of folktales, but we could debate their method. The “Little Lit: Folktales & Funny” collection of tales is a graphic novelized versions of classic fairy tales, but with alternate endings or comedic changes to their plot. I didn’t feel like the overall message was different, but I thought that the comedy didn’t make the tale have such a gothic flavor to it. As an adult, the comedy even seemed aimed more for me than the kids. “Little Lit” is an anthology of authors including Art Spiegelman. Each of their unique storytelling and drawings kept the tales fresh and unique. It’s a quick enjoyable read.