Folk tales have fascinated and captivated audiences for hundreds upon hundreds of years. Why is that? What makes them so enduring? Well, the answer is simple. They remain relevant to society and its problems, wants, and needs. The trapping surrounding the same fundamental principles and messages in these stories can be adapted to fit the needs of any age.
I could go through and analyze exactly why these tales are still so relevant to us, but I’ll save that for another day (spoiler alert! My future blog posts are about to become a bit more Grimm, pardon the pun).
Movie and television adaptations are rising, but book adaptations have existed longer. Those classic tales we all love and make adaptations from today, such as Grimm’s fairy tales, were themselves adaptations. If we really wanted to return to the original oral tales, we’d be hard-pressed to find the first person who told the story, as they are long, long gone from this world.
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Today, I am focusing on those novel adaptations that I believe best represent the genre. These novels span folk tales from Cinderella, with Gail Carson Levine’s Ella Enchanted, to The Twelve Dancing Princesses, with Heather Dixon’s Entwined. If you like folk tales, trust me you’ll want to curl up with one of these good books.
So, dream of a rainy day and a cozy fire, and go ahead and indulge yourself.
20 Folk Tale Adaptations in Literature to Curl Up With On a Rainy Day
#20 Rose Daughter by Robin McKinley
#19 Beastly by Alex Flinn
#18 Enchanted by Alethea Kontis
#17 Entwined by Heather Dixon
#16 Spindle’s End by Robin McKinley
#15 East by Edith Pattou
East Book Review Snippet From Former Silver Petticoat Contributor, Clarissa:
Told from multiple viewpoints, East will entice readers of fantasy, fairy tales, and romance. Pattou’s writing has an ethereal quality to it, and the descriptions of both Rose’s home, the castle, and the icy tundra where she eventually travels are wondrous.
Readers familiar with the story’s origins will notice how the pieces of the original tale are cleverly woven into the narrative. I loved this novel as a teenager, and it was just as enjoyable re-reading it as an adult.
Though the chapters told from Rose and the bear’s point of view might be more interesting to readers than the chapters narrated by Neddy or Arne, Pattou gives the reader a full, wonderful story, with plenty to interest the reader.
#14 Just Ella By Margaret Peterson Haddix
#13 The Fire Rose By Mercedes Lackey
#12 Zel By Donna Jo Napoli
#11 Briar Rose By Jane Yolen
#10 Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister By Gregory Maguire
#9 Deerskin By Robin McKinley
#8 Beast By Donna Jo Napoli
#7 Enchantment By Orson Scott Card
#6 Beauty By Robin McKinley
#5 Wildwood Dancing By Juliet Marillier
#4 Cinder By Marissa Meyer
#3 The Two Princesses of Bamarre By Gail Carson Levine
#2 Daughter of the Forest By Juliet Marillier
#1 Ella Enchanted By Gail Carson Levine
Did you notice any books that I didn’t include that you think should be added to the list? Sound off below…
RELATED:
Take a look at Autumn’s Top 20 Fairy Tale Films.
Check out the Beauty and the Beast Classic Romantic Moment of the Week.
Peruse Autumn’s Review of Alethea Kontis’ Enchanted.
Editorial Note: This article was written by co-founder Rebecca Lane and remains part of our archives. Since 2021, The Silver Petticoat Review has been exclusively written by Amber & Autumn Topping.
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