I'm not sure if such a book even exists, but I'm looking for a realistic retelling/re-imagination of a fairy tale or folklore. By "realistic" I mean I'd like it if there is no fantasy or sci- fi in the story.
I'm really hoping something like this exists.
Thanks in advance!
by sweetvanilla21
11 Comments
Check out Briar Rose by Jane Yolen.
Check out MAYA: Seed Takes Root, it’s not really a retelling but more of a modern mythology which borrows archetypes from ancient philosophy and folklore
What do you mean by no fantasy / sci-fi? Midst fairy tales have magical elements to them
This might not be exactly the kind of thing you’re looking for, but if you’re interested in reading plays, check out Martin McDonagh’s work, specifically The Pillowman. It’s very much steeped in these kind of Brothers Grimm-type fairytales that the main character writes, but the story itself is very grounded. Brutal, though, so just be warned.
Snow White, Blood Red is a collection of fairy tale retellings by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling.
It’s not really “modern” anymore since it was written in the 90s and most of the stories do include fantasy elements, but there are several realistic, stories with 0 magic. I think Little Red and The Princes in the Tower specifically work for this.
Keep in mind these are supposed to be dark retellings so some of the stories involve depictions of child abuse and grooming, including the Little Red story, so it would be a good idea to look at potential trigger warnings if that might affect you.
I agree with the commenter that fairy tale retellings do usually have some kind of speculative element, so I may not understand what you’re looking for. However, you might like How To Be Eaten by Maria Aldemann. It takes plots of fairy tales and imports them into the modern world. Bluebeard is a tech bro, Cinderella is a reality TV star, etc. The different stories are told through participants of a support group. I felt some of the adaptations worked better than others but overall liked it.
I can’t remember if it has any fantasy elements but The Child Thief is a retelling of Peter Pan from Hooks perspective.
Try “Boy, Snow, Bird” by Helen Oyeyemi. It’s a retelling of Snow White’s wicked stepmother set in the US in the 1950s. I don’t remember the book having any magical elements, but it’s been a while since I read it
Some good recs here already. I’ll add *White Cat, Black Dog* by Kelly Link; this is a collection of retold folktales and fairy tales that is absolutely worth the read.
The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter
The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
The Huntress by kate Quinn brings in elements of Russian folktale. Its a wonderful and thrilling historical fiction book about WW2 nazis hunters
Many Indigenous authors use elements of folktale/ storytelling- If that’s of interest, I can recommend some Canadian Indigenous stories