Book Title: Beyond Fairy Tales
Book Author: Deepika- Shalini
Published By: Blogchatter
Genre: Fiction
Format: Ebook
Language: English
Rating: 4.5/5
Download Link: https://www.theblogchatter.com/…/beyond-fairy-tales-by…
About Book
The book ‘Beyond Fairy Tales’ is a compilation of various fairy tales from our childhood written by the joint effort of two magnificent authors Deepika Sharma and Shalini. Deepika poured her heart into story narration, analysis, and interpretation, whereas Shalini opted to pen down every tale in poetry.
The lush green book cover with tall bushy trees, probably indicating towards the dense forest. First sight of the book cover will recall all the fairy tales we had heard in our childhood either from grandparents or parents. Isn’t in most of the stories; the forest has been the prime witness of such fairy tales? The book cover says it all in the simplest way!
About Author
DEEPIKA
Deepika Sharma is an educationist and an acclaimed feature writer for Times of India. Deepika has a blog wherein she pens down her thoughts. An author of the widely received book Kiss of the Wildflower and Other Stories, a winner of several Blog Hops, her short fiction has been widely appreciated. She was part of the widely acclaimed bilingual anthology, The Woman That I Am. She has co-authored a book named Flames of my Imagination. She has been credited with bringing natural flow to heavy topics. Besides this, she has a professional NLP certificate and loves to zentangle in her free time.
mailto:deepikasharma.deep77@gmail.com
SHALINI
Shalini is a master’s in business administration who took up banking on a professional front. A vagabond by instinct…a writer by chance and a musician by heart, even vacuum is enough to trigger her thoughts to be splashed in the form of words. A mountain girl to the core, she defies the urban winds that try to seize her of her rustic essence. Her core competence lies in topics like relationships, emotions, people, nature, and self-help. She has contributed her stories and verses in many anthologies like Memories and Mirages, Wait Till I Tell You, and Wa-Bi-Sa-Bi. She also helps young writers transform into published and professional writers.
mailto:samnolshalini@yahoo.com
My Review
The book “Kisses Of WildFlowers And Other Stories” by Deepika was the first book where I fell in love with her brilliant writing style. Probably this was the major reason that I can’t stop myself from reading her next book. And once again, Deepika’s work is roaring high. In addition to that, Shalini’s poetry unquestionably took the book a notch above.
This book has collectively 26 chapters. Every chapter tells about childhood tales from fairy wonderland, the analysis of the story, characters on the parameter of ethics and logic, and the takeaways are the crux of the book. Few of the tales and their original version came as a surprise to me for eg. My favorite Rapunzel original version is way different from what we use to watch in movies or read in books.
From the Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, Aladdin and the Magic Lamp, Elves and the Shoemaker, Frog Prince – Iron Henry, Little Red Riding Hood, Princess, and the Pea, Rapunzel, Ugly duckling and so on., author’s valid pointers compel us to think whether all fairy tales deserve to pass on to our new generation? Has the time come to rethink and revamp the old fairy tales on account of morals? The book ‘Beyond Fairy Tales firmly flags for YES, if not all, then few definitely.
Hit Points
One of the major points of attraction of the book is the in-depth research by the author Deepika. She has deftly managed to connect the chord from the real creator of the fairy tale to the changed version, eventually to the final version of every tale in every chapter. For example
“The most prominent ones being Brothers Grimm who were the first to try and preserve the features of oral tales. Then there is the popular Arne-Thompson-Uther cataloging system or ATU Index.”
Another example from the first chapter Beauty and The Beast, ”
Beauty and The Beast is one of the oldest tales and dates back some 4000 years. Scholars believe the roots of the tale to be in “Cupid and Psyche”, the ancient chronicle from the Latin novel “Metamorphoses”, written in the second century CE by Apuleius and believed to be the first-ever fairy tale. The first written version dates back to 1740 France by Gabrielle-Suzanne de Villeneuve, but the tale that became famous and the one that we commonly read today is a shortened version written by Jeanne-Marie de Beaumont. Let us return to the tale per-say.”
Miss Points
Honestly, this is the one of the best books that I have read recently and I must confess it truly depicts the flawless work by the author duo.
Verdict
The book ‘Beyond Fairy Tales’ by Deepika and Shalini is a paragon of virtue. Highly recommended to all the parents as a reference book to check which tale should be pass on to the next generation, which should be shown stop signal. It shrewdly targets both readers, fairy tale lovers, and poetry lovers.
The language of the book is straightforward with genteel vocabulary; for few words, I looked to the dictionary. On the ground of comprehensive research of childhood fairy tales and sniff testing of different era’s versions of the tales and their ending, I would like to give a 4.5 out of 5 ratings to this wonderful read.
Best wishes to the author duo Deepika and Shalini for their book release, and the great success in coming years.
Read More: Book Review “Bloggers Unplugged”
Chit Chat Corner With Author Deepika
Q.1 What inspired you the most to pen down on the particular subject or genre?
Deepika ~ I started reading to my son when he was about 10 months old. Mostly picture books with 1 line.. and of course, Fairy Tales. As I read them to him, I felt these were not right. He would grow up to believe that all girls need to be rescued, parents abandon their children, anyone who looked different from them was a freak. So I would change the stories, mostly the endings. I did the same for my daughter. They discovered the real stories only when they learned to read, and then we would discuss why the storyline needed to be changed. That’s how the idea for Beyond Fairy Tales emerged.
Q.2 Have you ever gotten writer’s block?How you overcome it?
Deepika ~ Thankfully, I haven’t got writer’s block; that’s probably because I don’t force myself to write. Writing short stories, that’s what I write mainly, comes naturally as I believe that every person, every face has a story. I am a keen observer, and I write about ordinary everyday things, but I am sure I will not push myself if I do ever get writer’s block. Instead, I will sit back and read more books till I am ready to write again.
Q.3 What is the best advice you would like to give to budding writers?
Deepika ~ I don’t believe I am in any position to be giving advice, but the best way to write would be to not force yourself. Write about subjects you are passionate about and that come naturally to you, then you will enjoy the process, otherwise, it becomes a burden. Writers often wonder who will read my work? If you have faith in your writing and have written from your heart you will connect with readers. Also, read a lot, read read and read. It will help you understand the nuances better.
This Book Review is a part of the #BlogchatterEbook carnival hosted by Blogchatter. I have also published my ebook this year Life Is An Ocean: Myriad Of Emotions. Do not forget to download it here.
This post is a part of #BlogchatterHalfMarathon hosted by Blogchatter.
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We have all read these fairy tales in our childhood and also told our kids about them. They are called fairy tales because they give hope however the original versions of these stories isn’t as rosy. Will like to read Deepika and Shalini’s take on the same.
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I have read all the blog posts written by Deepika. I will check out the book soon. Great reviewThanks
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I really love your honest review on this book. The writing ,story ,everything is so good . I enjoyed completely.
Thank you!
I have found many gems through blogchatter library, this one seems to be another one that I would love to read. Your review has intrigued my interest more 🙂
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This is an interesting book. The subject is so nice and so is the title of the book. Would love to read it.
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That’s yet another wonderful compilation of A2Z. I loved the posts during the A2Z challenge and so happy to see that they have taken a shape of this wonderful book by two lovely people. Loved reading this book review.
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Fairy tales with different perspective!! hmm…would love to lay hands on it and read it with my daughter. Would be interesting to read the authors interpretation.
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The book sounds really fascinating. Fairy tales are always an integral and fun part of growing up. They open up an entirely new world of fantasy. This book revisits the stories and brings back childhood memories.
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I had read Dipika’s posts during challenge and loved it. agree she is a brilliant writer and this book shows her writing capabilities so well. loved your review dear. it was honest and to the point.
Thank you dear!
I love each and every post of Deepika, thoughtfully curated and to the point always . Gonna grab a copy of Deepika and Shalini ‘s book. I am sure it is going to be a interesting read
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Deepika and Shalini’s take on classic fairy tales were a pleasure to read. Right from sexism to body shaming, they explored elements we never considered before. Good review!
Thank you!
I read all 26 chapters and I am in awe of the idea of Beyond fairy Tales. I think it was the most read during A2Z. YOur review is so extensive and the author interview at the end makes it more personal and interesting.
Thank you Harjeet!
I loved every post of Deepika during the series and the book is definitely the one each parent must read before proceeding to fairy tales
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Deepika is one of my favorite storytellers and this book with a unique twist on fairy tales is a must-read. I so loved the way she has thrown light on many dark aspects of the tales and kudos to Shalini for giving a poetic view on all the tales. And as she says in her interview that she is observant to find a story in every person and face and writes about ordinary everyday things, this fact gives a better connection to her stories.
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I have read all her blogs and liked a few stories much. You have also penned down a great review.
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Honest and one of the best reviews I have ever read. I agree Deepika has a flair of writing I agree to all her interpretations and loved her book.
Thank you Swati🤗
This is among one of the favorite books from the library and I really loved the way every story is shared with different perspectives.
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Can I agree more buddy. Your reviews are so thorough and I myself loved Dipika’s interpretations of the fairy tales to the core.
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I haven’t read Deepika’s posts but heard a lot about them. She is a very fine writer and I am pretty confident that she must have done a commendable job. The reason behind choosing this theme is quite true. There is always the other side of a coin and we must see that as well.
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Great Review and interesting interview. Look forward to reading the book.
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Thank you so much. You have reviewed the book so comprehensively and so eloquently. I am so happy right now. Thanks again
Deepika Sharma
pleasure is completely my dear, this book deserves all accolades.❤️
I had reviewed this book too. But your interview with Deepika makes this unique.
Thank you so much Sir! 🙂