Beast in Bed
Well-known fairy stories like Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel and Snow White have lost their rough edges over the centuries. The Brothers Grimm wanted to make these folk tales suitable for children, and Walt Disney went even further. As a result, the originally raw stories have been watered down and sweetened, with female protagonists who are naive and innocent.
Forget those sugary Disney stories. Marita de Sterck gives these fairy tales back their primal power.De Morgen
In ‘Beast in Bed’, Marita de Sterck restores these tales to their former glory, giving them back their emotional and literary force and their fierce energy: the youngest daughter embraces the dirtiest pig, girls are so eager to marry that they’ll cut into their own flesh, the granddaughter removes her own clothes at Mr Wolf’s request, and more than a chaste kiss is needed to wake up Sleeping Beauty. In her afterword, De Sterck explains where her versions come from, and what alternative accounts exist. A must-read for anyone who loves pure folk tales.
