The Fairytale Feminista
Answering life’s questions one fairy tale at a time.
Modern Fairy Tale?
What makes a fairy tale modern? Does it have to be completely original? Is it a traditional story retold with modern sensibilities? Or is there a third option?
Original fairy tales are hard to come by, especially if you agree with the notion that only a set number of stories exist. There are days I believe that (like when I look at the movie landscape full of prequels, sequels and retellings). On good days I know there are new stories—or at least new to me. I haven’t read stories from all the cultures of the world and there are tons.
What makes a fairy tale modern? Does it have to be completely original? Is it a traditional story retold with modern sensibilities? Or is there a third option?
Original fairy tales are hard to come by, especially if you agree with the notion that only a set number of stories exist. There are days I believe that (like when I look at the movie landscape full of prequels, sequels and retellings). On good days I know there are new stories—or at least new to me. I haven’t read stories from all the cultures of the world and there are tons.
Retellings are very popular now. At least half the books in my TBR list are implicitly or explicitly retellings of well-known stories. I know Christmas just past, but my favorite retelling is any movie or TV show that uses A Christmas Carol as a framework.
My Top 3:
A Diva’s Christmas Carol: Love the Behind the Music as a stand-in for the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come
A Mickey’s Christmas Carol: Great original song
A Muppets Christmas Carol: Piggy is my hero!
Honorable mention for Scrooged, but mostly for Carole Kane
I think a modern fairy tale is all those things—original, undiscovered, retooled and reformed by a deft author—and maybe something I still haven’t thought of yet.
Do you have a favorite modern fairy tale?
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