Asset Details
Do you wish to reserve the book?
Restoring Realism to the Fairytale, or, the Banal Optimism of Tahar Ben Jelloun’s Mes Contes de Perrault
Hey, we have placed the reservation for you!
By the way, why not check out events that you can attend while you pick your title.
Oops! Something went wrong.
Looks like we were not able to place the reservation. Kindly try again later.
Are you sure you want to remove the book from the shelf?
Restoring Realism to the Fairytale, or, the Banal Optimism of Tahar Ben Jelloun’s Mes Contes de Perrault
Do you wish to request the book?
Restoring Realism to the Fairytale, or, the Banal Optimism of Tahar Ben Jelloun’s Mes Contes de Perrault
Please be aware that the book you have requested cannot be checked out. If you would like to checkout this book, you can reserve another copy
We have requested the book for you!
Your request is successful and it will be processed during the Library working hours. Please check the status of your request in My Requests.
Oops! Something went wrong.
Looks like we were not able to place your request. Kindly try again later.
Journal Article
Restoring Realism to the Fairytale, or, the Banal Optimism of Tahar Ben Jelloun’s Mes Contes de Perrault
2025
Overview
This article examines Tahar Ben Jelloun’s Mes Contes de Perrault (2014) as a multilayered instance of literary appropriation. Ben Jelloun’s stories, which relocate Charles Perrault’s classic French fairytales to the Arab world, represent not only a subversive challenge to French cultural hegemony (as has been argued) but can also be read as a complex engagement with the history of French folktales and their literary adaptations. This study posits that Ben Jelloun’s project restores elements of realism to Perrault’s tales that were lost when the author adapted folk stories for the French court. By reintroducing themes of bodily suffering, desire, and quotidian struggles, Ben Jelloun reconnects these tales with their folk origins. Examining Ben Jelloun’s “appropriation”—his word—in the context of Perrault’s own adaptations, this study offers new insights into the circulation and transformation of folktales across cultures and literary traditions. It contributes to ongoing discussions about literary and cultural appropriation and the place of the fairytale genre in today’s world.
Publisher
MDPI AG
Subject
Seems like something went wrong :( Kindly try again later!