Cinderella (40)

"Let me see if it will not fit me."

The following books will introduce you to Cinderella, who said these words in Charles Perrault's "Cinderella, or, The Little Glass Slipper."

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Perrault, Charles. Perrault's Fairy Tales (A. E. Johnson, Trans.). New York: Dover, 1969.
- This beautifully produced but inexpensive Dover paperback (8 x 11 in.) includes full-page illustrations by Gustave Doré. Also in this volume are "Sleeping Beauty," "Puss in Boots," "Tom Thumb," and others.
Opie, Iona and Opie, Peter (Eds.).The Classic Fairy Tales. London: Oxford University Press, 1992.
- This is recognized as the best single sourcebook on fairytales. The Opies select a classic version and translation of a tale (like "Cinderella" or "Beauty and the Beast") and introduce it with an essay covering its origins, history, and major interpretations. Essential for anyone studying the psychology of fairy tales, but entertaining for general readers.
Bettelheim, Bruno. The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales. Vintage, 1977.
- Psychosexual readings of fairy tales' hidden significance for children's development by this noted child psychologist. Argues for Oedipal meanings in "Cinderella," "Beauty and the Beast," among others.
Dundes, Alan (Ed.). Cinderella: A Folklore Casebook. New York: Garland, 1982.
- Chapters discuss Cinderella's origins in 9th century China, where girls' feet were bound in order to make them unnaturally small and dainty (this explains the story's fetish for tiny feet and slippers). This book also explores the psychology of Cinderella, including the incestuous themes common to many of its variations around the world (for example, King Lear, in which a father demands proofs of his daughters' love). Many examples of tales, such as Italy's "Cat Cinderella," the Brothers' Grimm's "Aschenputtel" (Ash-Girl), and the Nigerian folktale, "The Maiden, the Frog, and the Chief's Son."
Philip, Neil. The Cinderella Story. London: Penguin, 1989.
- Another fine collection of Cinderella story variations from around the world. Includes "Yeh-hsien" from China, probably the oldest version, "Rashin Coatie" from Scotland, and many others.
Dowling, Colette. The Cinderella Complex. New York: Pocket Books, 1981.
- Women who wait passively for a man to rescue them, instead of changing their own lives, are stuck in a fairy-tale, according to Dowling.

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