Books by Giambattista Basile
“It’s an incredibly entertaining collection full of really magical stories. There are the famous stories, like an early version of ‘Rapunzel’ and ‘Cenerentola,’ which is the original ‘Cinderella.’ In his version, Cinderella kills her stepmother: she slams the lid of a trunk on her head to snap her neck…you can see why maybe that version hasn’t become the standard, conventional one—but I think it’s actually the best version of the story I’ve read. Cinderella is much more self-determining than in other versions…Basile was writing in Naples when it was under Spanish occupation. He was writing in Neapolitan, fighting against the occupation. So he has figures of authority constantly being lampooned: they’re either stupid, or corrupt, or under some kind of sorcery.” Read more...
The best books on Fairy Tale Tellers
Nicholas Jubber, Travel Writer
Interviews where books by Giambattista Basile were recommended
The best books on Fairy Tale Tellers, recommended by Nicholas Jubber
Once upon a time, someone told a story that would be told for hundreds of years, making its way into books and, eventually, into movies, where the tale would again be told afresh multiple times. Who was that someone? Nonfiction writer Nicholas Jubber introduces some of the original tellers of fairy tales, as well as some of his favourite 20th-century interpreters.
