Once upon a Curse: Stories and Fairy Tales for Adult Readers

Not exactly bedtime reading, this collection of reinterpreted fairy tales takes readers on an intriguing journey encompassing both instantly identifiable staples and stories transformed nearly beyond recognition. Rather than simple retellings, the authors present the original characters and situations turned on their heads. In Patricia C. Wrede’s “Stronger than Time,” Sleeping Beauty remains awake as her castle slumbers around her, while Cinderella appears from the fairy’s perspective in “But Can You Let Him Go” by Cindy Lynn Speer, who contributes two other stories. What these stories have in common with the other selections, which include Peter S. Beagle’s “Come Lady Death” and editor Kashina’s “Solstice Maiden,” is the ability to get readers to see well-worn folklore through fresh eyes. Adults remembering long-ago movie viewings or Grimm Brothers readings may find these efforts an appealing way to rediscover the classic tales. (Dec.)