Anne E. Beall

Cinderella Didn't Live Happily Ever After: The Hidden Messages in Fairy Tales is not my usual genre that I would normally read. It is, also, the first book I have had the pleasure of reading by Anne E. Beall. I thought the author gave me some new insights about life and the beloved fairy tales that I have enjoyed reading in the past. It gave me a new outlook on them while the scrutinizing, examining and evaluating those stories. It was interested on how the author sees the good vs evil and the happy endings to them. At times, I did feel as though it was a little over the top what the author was saying. However, I did mostly understand and agreed. It was entertaining to see the possible hidden meanings and did make me think a little bit more behind it. Overall, it was fascinating to read.

I am giving Cinderella Didn't Live Happily Ever After: The Hidden Messages in Fairy Tales three and a half stars. Readers who enjoy reading books about analyzing real life versus fairy tales we all have loved through the years. I would be curious to see what other books Anne E Beall will come up with next. This one is worth a read.

I received a paperback copy of Cinderella Didn't Live Happily Ever After: The Hidden Messages in Fairy Tales from the publisher, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.… (mais)

Cinderella Didn’t Live Happily Ever After is a non-fiction book probing into the many hidden messages in fairy tales. I’m intrigued by this peek into classic fairytales and never really analyzed them very closely on what they truly convey.

I’ve never been a big fairytale reader. I gravitate more toward fictional characters’ realistic adventures, happenings, heartaches, love stories, and pivotal life moments. But these magical lives of princes and princesses and good triumphing over evil are intriguing as well. I now know precisely how much the character’s gender, power, status, and appearance reveal.

Below is a glimpse into some general hidden messages found in nine popular fairy tales (Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Snow White, Little Red Riding Hood, Hansel and Gretel, Sleeping Beauty, Jack and the Beanstalk, Puss in Boots, and Rapunzel.)

Men marry up because of their actions
Women marry up due to their appearance
Men have more power
Women are more likely to be confined
Men cause suffering
Men conquer evil
Kings are happy
Queens are sad
Stepmothers are evil and angry
Old people are not attractive

I used to think of fairy tales as fun, simple, and youthful entertainment but I doubt I’ll look at them the same anymore. Evidence shows they convey much more than a happily ever after.

First Line: Fairy tales are among some of the first stories children learn in many cultures, and many people recall being read fairy tales when they were young.
Page count: 102
Genre: Fairy tales, non-fiction

Disclosure: #CoverLoverBookReview received a complimentary copy of this book.… (mais)

I was very curious to read this book. Like all readers, I have read and watched many fairy tales. In fact, retelling of fairy tales is one of the hottest genres in the book community currently. With the recent shift in our society and the way we think, how people identify, pronouns, etc. this is a very appropriate book.

This book focuses on these different topics:

The Importance of Fairy Tales
Poor Cinderella
Love and Marriage: Who Marries Up ang Why?
Engagements and Married Life
Agency in Fairy Tales: Who is Active and Why
Who is Powerful and Who Suffers?
Good Overcomes Evil-But When and For Whom?
Common Characters and What They Reveal
Other Messages in Fairy Tales
Final Thoughts
Methodology and Data from Grimms' Fairy Tales

Anne breaks down in each chapter different family tales and the type of subliming messaging that the stories are providing us. Like that beauty is very important, a lot of the women marry up to royalty and are not portrayed as the powerful female, and why should the threat of saving someone's life be a hall pass for marriage (Beauty and the Beast).

These are just some of the different examples that can be found in this book. At the end of each chapter is a Major Message like the one below:

Major Message: Engagements don't always lead to marriages, and once they occur, they're not always happy, regardless of whether one marries royalty or not.… (mais)