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Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Colonial period novels and fairy tales

We all love reading stories to our children and grandchildren. Books were a huge part of my sons' upbringing, and all those wonderful Golden Books and popular children's books are in a box in my closet in hopes I will one day read them to my grandchildren.

In Colonial days, people that could read, read to their children. If you would, imagine a mother sitting in a rocker by the fire with one of her wee ones on her lap, others sitting on the floor in rapt attention. Or perhaps they are tucked in to bed, a candle burning on the bedside table for mother to read by.  There were many in those days that did not read or have the luxury of books, so tales were passed down and orally told.

Two of the most popular Fairy Tales of the Colonial era were Aurore and Aimée and a revised version of  Beauty and the Beast by Jeanne-Marie Le Prince de Beaumont. 

Synopsis ~ Plot ~  Aurore and Aimée  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurore_and_Aim%C3%A9e

Synopsis ~ Plot ~ Beauty and the Beast  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beauty_and_the_Beast

 

Another of critical acclaim in the Colonial era, that has stood the test of time and is a popular novel in our time is Robinson Crusoe. Daniel Defoe wrote this novel in 1719. No doubt we are all familiar with the story of a man who is shipwrecked on an island for 28 years, encountering hardships unimaginable, and befriends a native he names 'Friday'.

Synopis ~ Plot ~ Read the Chapters to Robinson Crusoe

 http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/crusoe/summary.html

 

5 comments:

  1. There's a lot to be said for oral story telling. So much room for animation and on-the-spot improvising. And I think that a story passed down orally would be remembered more.
    Very interesting post, Rita. I've never read Robinson Crusoe and Beauty and the Beast is my daughter's favorite story....any and all versions.

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  2. Thanks for sharing this post and the links, Rita. I love the images, too. I can just imagine colonials gathered around the hearth listening to stories shared by book or memory. Warms my heart and excites my imagination.

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  3. Yes, me too. I think I'm going to read Robinson Crusoe. I've only seen movies.

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  4. I suspect story telling, or reading stories among the literate, was probably a great delight in a time when there were far fewer ways of entertainment.

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  5. Cool post, Rita, and thanks for the links!

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