Once Upon a Time
A Short History of Fairy Tale
Marina Warner
Reviews and Awards
"[Warner] presents a thoughtful, discursive and often personal survey of how 'fairy tale' has expressed itself over the centuries.... Both a beguiling appreciation of and a fascinating tour through faery, this offers riches aplenty for lovers of fantasy fiction, children's literature and the tales themselves." --Kirkus Reviews
"[A]nyone interested in reading about the history of tales they first encountered in childhood will be edified and entertained." --Publishers Weekly
"[An] enchanting history of fairy tales.... A thought-provoking work for fans of history, sociology, literature, and film. Warner's writing is free of theoretical jargon and will appeal to readers of all types." --Library Journal
"[Warner] draws together her research, touching on anthropology, psychoanalysis, literary analysis and an expansive history. For such a small book it carries a heavy load, but Ms. Warner's insights are both surprising and rewarding." --The Economist
"Once Upon a Time is a perfect 'short history of the fairy tale.' The writing is pungent, the authority unassailable, the pace quick.... Warner, in short, knows fairy tales better than Mother Goose herself." --Michael Dirda, Washington Post
"In this lively, scholarly work, Warner surveys centuries of fairy tales and academic research about them. She ties these tales to virtually every aspect of culture--mythology, art, music, movies, games, and psychology. We need them, she says, to make sense of the world." --Charles Euchner, Boston Globe
"[B]esides the wealth of information here, the strongest readerly pleasures are her associations with and riffs on the many, many things fairy tales touch.... Once Upon a Time is clearly an academic book, but it soars beyond its practical purpose and into the realm of pure delight, where it will find a grateful readership in the general public." --The New York Times Book Review
"[A] beautifully written, thought-provoking short study...." --Shepherd Express
"This book could be written only by one who has known the field intimately over a long period. It is rich, clear, elegant, condensed...it is a perfect introduction for undergraduates and those beginning study in the field. Each chapter has a bibliography of the chief sources and suggestions for further reading; there is a helpful index. But what Once Upon a Time: A Short History of Fairy Tale offers most is a masterly synopsis of the complex, surprising, and serious aesthetic and cultural work of the fairy tale over time and in this moment. Once Upon a Time invites new exploration of the marvelous terrain while offering--unlike Hansel's breadcrumbs--a sense of where we've come from." -- Papers on Language and Literature
