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Author
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Comment
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Ailanna
Registered User
(10/10/04 10:37 pm)
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Rumpelstiltskin help, please!
I've only recently begun to research the possibility of doing a senior thesis instead of taking a senior seminar, and I'm really excited and at the same time a bit daunted as to how and where to start.
My interest in fairy tales is concentrated in modern retellings; novels, short stories, etc. I'm currently looking specifically at the tale of Rumpelstiltskin and related stories like Ricdin-Ricdon and Tom-Tit-Tot; I'd really like to look at the texts to see where contemporary authors have made changes, and compare the alterations in different retellings, and hopefully come to some conclusions about why. Obviously this is way too broad; I was thinking of looking specifically at changes made to key characters like the king and Rumpelstiltskin, since major alteration to at least one of them is necessary to make the happily ever after ending ring true for a contemporary audience.
Anyway, I would be really grateful for anything you fairy tale mavens could offer-- book suggestions, any ideas as to how to narrow this down further, or any basic fairy tale criticism books I really need to read before going any further. I'm currently immersed in Maria Tatar's Off With Their Heads and The Hard Facts of the Grimms' Fairy Tales, and looking at the spinning section of Jack Zipes's The Great Fairy Tale Tradition. I haven't yet checked the Rumpelstiltskin page for retellings, but if anyone knows of any particularly interesting or innovative retellings, please do let me know! I've been looking at Vivian Vande Velde's wonderfully snappy Rumpelstiltskin Problem, Donna Jo Napoli's Zel, Diane Stanley's Rumpelstiltskin's Daughter, and a few others whose names are escaping me at present.
Thank you so much!
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Mary
Unregistered User
(10/11/04 4:43 am)
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Rumplestiltskin
I think "Words Like Pale Stones" by Nancy Kress in White Thorn, Black Rose, edited by Datlow & Windling, is a Rumplestiltskin story.
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Nalo
Registered User
(10/12/04 10:48 am)
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Re: Rumplestiltskin
Jane (Yolen's) "Granny Rumple," which is a favourite of mine.
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Helen J Pilinovsky
Registered User
(10/12/04 10:58 am)
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Two thoughts
Well, I'd highly recommend Jonanthan Carrol's _Sleeping in Flames_ and Garry Kilworth's "Masterpiece" in _Ruby Slippers, Golden Tears_. I'd also seriously suggest checking out the SurLaLune page ... I just skimmed it for curiousity's sake, and Heidi's amassed an amazing selection of variants (including these ... I now hang my head in shame for unoriginality).
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janeyolen
Registered User
(10/12/04 5:17 pm)
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Greg Maguire
Greg Maguire has a Rumplestiltskin redaction in his latest collection (whose title escapes me right now.)
Jane
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Heidi Anne Heiner
ezOP
(10/12/04 5:46 pm)
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Re: Greg Maguire
Maguire's latest book is "Leaping Beauty." Here's the link:
www.amazon.com/exec/obido...lalufairyt
Maguire, Gregory. "Rumplesnakeskin." Leaping Beauty: And Other Animal Fairy Tales. New York: HarperCollins, 2004.
And, Helen, no shame, please! I've spent years compiling those lists, some with everyone's help on this board. I just often wonder when we keep getting these types of questions if the poster hasn't seen the SurLaLune site proper and just stumbled into the discussion board. Here's a link to the Modern Interpretations of Rumplestiltskin page for anyone who hasn't seen it:
www.surlalunefairytales.c...hemes.html
Heidi
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Ailanna
Registered User
(10/12/04 7:58 pm)
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Thanks!!
I checked out the Rumpelstiltskin page right after I posted. The annotations are really fantastic, Heidi, especially your inclusions of critical opinions. I didn't mean to be redundant; I do want retelling recommendations that really stood out for people, but I was really hoping for criticism or perhaps anything I should watch out for in particular while approaching the subject.
Right now, I'm looking through Diane Stanley's wonderful version. It's been awhile since I read it, and it really is a little gem. I haven't read Jonathan Carroll's Sleeping in Flame, but I would like to, since the rest of my sources are all YA/children thus far (with the exception of Politically Correct Bedtime Stories!). I want to work on rereading and looking at these sources before I try to even attempt to put an argument together.
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