Perrault's tales capture the myth and magic of the fairy tale ... It is extraordinary to revisit stories so familiar from childhood and see within their bounds savagery, deceit and dire warnings about predators and even puberty. The hidden symbolism of Perrault's tales is explained in the erudite introduction by Christopher Betts, who has translated the 1697 edition, the only complete translation in both verse and prose. The fairy tale is a rite of passage. Read yours aloud, share it with a small or re-read these tales and wonder at the depth that Disney never did. ? The Field

Betts gives the stories the sense of humour ... The Gustave Doré illustrations in the Oxford editions add to the baroque feel of the thing as well. These are fairy tales that are as much a pleasure to read now as they were to be told once upon a time ago. ? Desperate Reader

This Oxford University Press treatment of Perrault's fairy tales is a lovely edition for the discerning collector who likes pretty books that contain intellectual insight and commentary along with meticulously translated prose and verse. It may also be a nice edition for bedtime stories. ? Allen Stroud, Science Fact & Science Fiction Concatenation

Bett's new edition positions Perrault in relation to the many other tales in circulation before and after, offering helpful comparisions. ? Margaret Reynolds

Bett's new translation of the tales is subtle and clever. ? Margaret Reynolds, The Times
Biografía del autor
Christopher Betts was a Senior Lecturer in French at the University of Warwick until retirement. He has translated Montesquieu's Persian Letters for Penguin, and Rousseau's Social Contract and Jean de La Fontaine's Selected Fables for Oxford World's Classics.