Wonder Tales

This is NOT a bad book, but it's not as easy as others make it out to be.

Most people will pick up a “fairy tale” book because they have kids or want an easy read. Most kids will be bored by this book. Just being honest. The stories are long winded and can take awhile to get to the point. That doesn't mean they are bad. They're actually really enjoyable stories. You just have to be prepared to spend some time reading them.

Now to the point... Wonder Tales is a collection of “fairy” tales told in the french court. They called them “wonder tales” in france because not all stories involved fairies. I actually liked this aspect. I've read numerous “fairy tales” and find the label quit limiting. Folk tales, tall tales, wonder tales, fables.. You get the picture. The labels just depend on the region.

These wonder tales are a blend of famous fairy tale tropes. Enchantments, hidden identities, strange bridegrooms/bedfellows, curses, etc. Each carries out a little aspect of french society. It's easy to imagine a group of people spending the afternoon together reciting one of these stories. The stories would be enjoyable to both fairy tale enthusiasts and history buffs. But again, I do think children will be bored by these stories. There are also some elements that parents may not want their children exposed to. For those reasons, I would recommend the book to anyone 14+.