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A review by ashkiryn
The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales by Bruno Bettelheim
2.0
2.5/5 stars
It was interesting, and I especially liked the ending, but it was definitely dated, heterosexist and heteronormative, and I really didn't like the author's elitist attitude towards more "modern" fairy tales/retellings.
He especially seemed to take umbrage at Disney movies, and refused to see them as having any merit whatsoever--but in the section where he talks about the Brothers Grimm's Sleeping Beauty, he says that it's "deficient because the evil fairy is not punished". Well, by this logic, then the Disney movie version must have some superior merits, because it does punish the evil fairy--but he doesn't bring it up once, or acknowledge that. Even though he made a point in trashing the Disney movie versions of Snow White and Cinderella when he was talking about those stories. I just feel that he should have been more fair and objective, and not obviously ruled by his biases.
It was interesting, and I especially liked the ending, but it was definitely dated, heterosexist and heteronormative, and I really didn't like the author's elitist attitude towards more "modern" fairy tales/retellings.
He especially seemed to take umbrage at Disney movies, and refused to see them as having any merit whatsoever--but in the section where he talks about the Brothers Grimm's Sleeping Beauty, he says that it's "deficient because the evil fairy is not punished". Well, by this logic, then the Disney movie version must have some superior merits, because it does punish the evil fairy--but he doesn't bring it up once, or acknowledge that. Even though he made a point in trashing the Disney movie versions of Snow White and Cinderella when he was talking about those stories. I just feel that he should have been more fair and objective, and not obviously ruled by his biases.