Fearless Girls, Wise Women, and Beloved Sisters: Heroines in Folktales from Around the World

Rating:
Summary: Very, Very Disappointing
Review: Compared to other anthologies of fairy tales depicting women in a more liberated light, this book is extremely disappointing. The stories themselves have little to recommend them and, although they are folktales and so less sophisticated than postmodern fiction, they seem to have been chosen not to entertain but purely to demostrate the worth of women. I have nothing against that (hey, I'm female too) but it could be done with infinitely greater skill. The main problem with this book is the way women are depicted (yes, you read that bit right). Ragan understandably aims to challenge the myth of the representation of women in folk tales but her representation is as much a myth and one-sided as traditional patriarchal propaganda. Ragan's portrayal of women constructs them as extraordinary in strength, intelligence, principles and beauty. To me, the whole point of feminist literature is the issue of equality, not superiority. If Ragan's aims spring from such a source, women should be acknowledged in a more realistic light - some are good, some are bad and most of us are somewhere in between. They have shortcomings and flaws but dignity and worth too. A woman's place in the world does not have to be on a pedestal or in a gutter. I think Ragan also unconsciously reinforces the values regarding women in a patriarchal society. In each story, her summary comment at the end attempts to magnify the significance of the actions of the women in the story (and so reflect on all women) but she disregards any of the failings that they have. In a lot of the stories, an extremely important trait in the woman was her beauty and her skill or intelligence were used to secure herself a place in society designated to her on the grounds of her sex eg. advantageous marriage or the wellbeing of children. Also, in many instances, a woman's use of her skills is purely selfish in intent. By not acknowledging this, Ragan gives the impression that it is acceptable and, through her commentary, even admirable for a woman to use her talents in that way. This reduces women to the role of self interested child-bearing entities valued only for the services they perform for others. Such a portrayal only emphasises the limited and confining identity that is constructed for women in patriarchy but is infinitely more dangerous because it comes, presumably, from a person who is supposed to recognise the emptiness and uselessness of having exclusively such an identity.. I think for this book to be truly valuable as a comment on society, it should acknowledge that women are not merely chattels or possessions but neither are they without flaw and perfect. Women, like all people, are just that - people, and as such are capable of great wisdom and great foolishness. THAT is our worth and contribution to society - in the end, that is everyone's regardless of gender.

Rating:
Summary: The best fairytale anthology to date!
Review: From her personal introduction to the universally applicable final comments, Kate Ragan's book is a rich and enlightening feast for my heart. The tales are diverse and wonderfully illustrative of both the cultures they derive from and the resourcefulness of their heroines. The book has no undercurrent of anger or vindictiveness and deals compassionately (and with some amusement) with difficult relationships. I have a large collection of various fairytale anthologies; this is by far the best of the genre.

Rating:
Summary: A feminist/anthropological responseto An Amazon.com Customer
Review: Great short stories! It is a wonderful read for myself, my daughter(8) and my son(4). Both children enjoy the colorful idioms and the tales!

Rating:
Summary: Fearless Girls, Wise Women, and Beloved Sisters
Review: Great short stories! It is a wonderful read for myself, my daughter(8) and my son(4). Both children enjoy the colorful idioms and the tales!

Rating:
Summary: A feminist/anthropological responseto An Amazon.com Customer
Review: I imagine it would be somewhat difficult to find folktales that did not depict someone with extraordinary abilities/attributes or at least in extraordinary circumstances - that is the very point of folktales to begin with. Most characters are allegories, and most stories have some kind of moral. If you are in the mood for an in-depth character study, read a good fictional novel, or the like. You are right-a woman's place should not be on a pedestal or in a gutter. But much is black and white in folktales, and much is black and white in female history-think of the Virgin and the [prostitute] constructs that are so prevalent in analysis. The point of folktales, is again, conveyed through allegory more than a study of the nitty-gritty of real life. They are used for lessons-not as individual stories about people so much as stories that everyone might fit into at one point of their lives or another.
Also, it would likely have been difficult to find folktales that ignore the value of women's places as wives and mothers-but do read Tatterhood, a favourite of mine as a child. Women have long, and in many cultures, been associated with motherHOOD (the biological fact is that women have the babies), and in most with motherING-the practice of the cultural values and characteristics of "mother" being attributed to, and inextricably linked with the concept of "woman." Also, 'traditional patriarchal propaganda' is not a myth, unfortunately, it is a reality-even if what it promotes is mythical. There is no culture on earth right now that is matriarchal-and there very likely never has been. Traditionally, women very rarely are granted any kind of authority within culture, but what they do have (and what has been overlooked by anthropologists for years) is informal power-often seen as manipulative and illegitimate. It seems to me that a good feminist analysis would acknowledge and value this as evidence of the courage and ingenuity of women, without abandoning aims for gaining authority for women.
Why is it not okay for women to be ambitious (traditionally a male trait) and use what attributes, skills and talents they have for securing their place in society-it is clear no one will do it for them. Women wouldn't be allowed to vote in the US if it weren't for the first wave of feminists. And I don't know about you, but I plan to have two children, and I know I want to be able to give them everything they deserve-which means securing a place for myself first. I want to be independent enough that I will survive if everyone I depend on is stripped away from me. Is that entirely selfish? unreasonable?
"This reduces women to the role of self interested child-bearing entities valued only for the services they perform for others." - isn't this a bit contradictory? If women are concerned with doing things for others, then how are they self-interested any more than anyone else? One works, and receives payment/goods/favors of some kind for the work. This is the basis for most societies-reciprocal altruism, formal or informal.
Admittedly, there should be as much equality between the sexes as possible, and there should be egalitarian relations. However, due to biology and psychology, I imagine the best it will get to is a 'separate but equal' arrangement. But focusing on women, on the stories containing female protagonists, does not mean Ragan is promoting feminine superiority-Ragan did not write the folktales, and to a certain extent did not even control the content of the folktales-only which ones she chose to use. She is also not simply reinforcing patriarchal ideals-and if she does that, it can hardly be avoided by the most stringent feminist using the chosen material-but trying to highlight the feminine roles (existance!) in folktales, and in society. Perhaps reclaiming that which has been used derogatorily and oppressively previously is not a horrible, terrible thing. Perhaps it can be admitted to have some purpose.
I think for the most partyour objection was to the genre, and less the fault of the author. Sorry for the bit of the rant-hope you find it coherent and to some extent valuable. I just love debates like this and couldn't pass up the opportunity.

Rating:
Summary: Too much anti-men feminism
Review: I understand Kathleen Ragan's problem with the lack of female heroines in the more accepted fairy tales. This does not, however, mean that I will condone her constant bashing of the tales that were my favorites as a child. The cute little comments at the end of each story pointing out why or why not it is a good and feminist story detract from the magic of the tales themselves and are a gross annoyance. If one wants equality, one should create a volume of stories in which heroes and heroines share the spotlight, not a male bashing one like this book.

Rating:
Summary: An great concept but often inappropriate for the very young
Review: Positive, strong female role models are of course extremely important for girls, more so than for boys, who can find them everywhere. So I had high hopes for this book when I bought it for my 4 1/2-year-old daughter, who devours books. But I found that for each story that shows a strong and capable girl thinking for herself and achieving for herself, there are 2 or 3 more stories that are about death, killing, kidnapping, treachery, deceit, physical danger, slavery, and that sort of thing. There's just too much of it in too many of the stories. Each time we sat down to read from the book, I had to look and look, previewing each story to find one that wouldn't be too scary for my daughter. The ones we found without all the scary stuff were captivating, though, and she wants me to read them again and again, so....it's six of one, a half dozen of the other.

Rating:
Summary: The stories were better off without Ragan.
Review: The collection is nice. It introduced me to folktales I've never read anywhere else. The "precious" little commentaries made by the author after each piece are irritating and pc-preachy. I can come up with my own interpretation of a tale without her telling me what to think, thank you very much.

Rating:
Summary: An inspiring collection of stories
Review: The heroines in these tales face universal problems and solve them in ingenious ways. They are great role models for children - boys and girls alike. Too bad there weren't more books like this one when I was growing up!

Rating:
Summary: The tales are magical, but...
Review: The tales are magical, but Ragan's dry and insipid commentary at the end of each story are a definite anti-climax. The best way to read it is to completely ignore the final paragraph in italics and just enjoy the feeling the story leaves you with.