Into the Forest discussion

Thanks for the welcome Elaine. Do you find similar motifs and stories cut across different cultures and countries?

Barry wrote: "Hello, my name is Barry and I am fascinated by fairy tales and follklore. Where I live has a rich tradition of fairies, ghosts, witches and legends that go back centuries. One of the most fun thing..."

Welcome Barry! We all love folktales here! Feel free to browse around https://www.goodreads.com/topic/list_...
All our threads stay open, even the older ones


Nilanjana wrote: "Thank you very much, Jalilah. I will check it out : )"

Thanks for reminding me Margaret! I forgot to mention our challenge! You can join anytime and choose as many books you wish to read! https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Barry wrote: "Hello, my name is Barry and I am fascinated by fairy tales and follklore. Where I live has a rich tradition of fairies, ghosts, witches and legends that go back centuries. One of the most fun thing..."

Hi Barry. I share the same interests as you. I am blessed to currently live in an area with legends and folklore as well. I'm new to the group too. I haven't really "dived in" yet, but I will soon.

Barry wrote: "Thanks for the welcome Elaine. Do you find similar motifs and stories cut across different cultures and countries?"

maybe get back to me in a few months as I am just starting the journey :)

Elaine wrote: "Barry wrote: "Thanks for the welcome Elaine. Do you find similar motifs and stories cut across different cultures and countries?"

maybe get back to me in a few months as I am just starting the jou..."
oooh I've just seen the challenge for 2022 about world wide folklore. I don't know how I missed that! Well I do , I've been in a long reading slump . Anyway lots to explore there. How exciting!

Elaine wrote: "Elaine wrote: "Barry wrote: "Thanks for the welcome Elaine. Do you find similar motifs and stories cut across different cultures and countries?"

maybe get back to me in a few months as I am just s..."

I wish I had found this challenge earlier in the year as it would have been fun to explore. I still may do something similar in future.

Tina wrote: "Barry wrote: "Hello, my name is Barry and I am fascinated by fairy tales and follklore. Where I live has a rich tradition of fairies, ghosts, witches and legends that go back centuries. One of the ..."

I'd love to have an alternative career as as guide or storyteller to the interesting folklore in my area. It would be loads of fun dragging people around the area telling them about witches, fairies and ghosts!

Barry wrote: "Elaine wrote: "Elaine wrote: "Barry wrote: "Thanks for the welcome Elaine. Do you find similar motifs and stories cut across different cultures and countries?"

maybe get back to me in a few months..."

If you still want to do the challenge you can edit it so you can read only the amount of books you think you can finish until the end of the year.
Otherwise, we do one every year and the group members can help by choosing themes they’d like.

Barry wrote: "Tina wrote: "Barry wrote: "Hello, my name is Barry and I am fascinated by fairy tales and follklore. Where I live has a rich tradition of fairies, ghosts, witches and legends that go back centuries..."

I worked in Sleepy Hollow for quite a while. I mostly worked at Washington Irving's home and spoke about Headless and Rip Van Winkle all the time. Before I left that job, we were freshening up our Autumn event and I was very excited to be assigned digging up information on local lore. Sadly, what I dug up, wasn't of interest by the boss (it was cool stuff!) and it wasn't included. It has given me inspiration to dig deeper into the Lore of the Lower Hudson Valley. A dear friend who is a fantastic storyteller has written about stories and tells local legends all the time. I don't know if I'm breaking a rule, but if you look up Jonathan Kruk, Storyteller on IG, you can see him perform snippets from stories.

Hi this is Tod Newman, and I love the idea behind this community. I'm a lifelong lover of the old fairy tales and this taste has expanded to the magical realism of Gabriel Garcia Marquez and beyond. I also find these themes seeping into my own writing.
I love discussing these sorts of things and am excited about the group's reading challenge!

Tod wrote: "Hi this is Tod Newman, and I love the idea behind this community. I'm a lifelong lover of the old fairy tales and this taste has expanded to the magical realism of Gabriel Garcia ..."

Welcome Tod!

Tod wrote: "Hi this is Tod Newman, and I love the idea behind this community. I'm a lifelong lover of the old fairy tales and this taste has expanded to the magical realism of Gabriel Garcia ..."

Welcome Tod! This sounds like the perfect group for you! Have a look around all the discussion threads and feel free to comment. All our threads stay open!

Jalilah wrote: "Tod wrote: "Hi this is Tod Newman, and I love the idea behind this community. I'm a lifelong lover of the old fairy tales and this taste has expanded to the magical realism of Gab..."
Thanks for the kind welcome!

Hello All, I am Trudy from NJ and I love all things fairy tales and magical realism! Do you do monthly reads and discussions?
Thank you for accepting me as a member.

Trudy wrote: "Hello All, I am Trudy from NJ and I love all things fairy tales and magical realism! Do you do monthly reads and discussions?
Thank you for accepting me as a member."

Welcome Trudy! We are all lovers of fairy tales and magical realism here, as well as folklore and mythology and books inspired or influenced by all the mentioned!
We used to do bimonthly group reads, but stopped because of low participation. However we still discuss books here and there any many ways to do it.
Start by looking in the discussion threads and see if there are many books you’ve read or want to read. You can also use the search feature for this. All our threads stay open, even the older ones, so if you find any threads for the books you’re looking feel free to leave your impressions, questions or comments.
If you don’t find what you’re looking for you can also start up your own thread regarding this.
We also encourage people to initiate their own group reads. So if there is a book you want to read in good company, just pop the question here and if anyone wants to join, you can set up your own thread. There just need to be 2 people to have a “buddy read”.
Also check out our yearly challenges.
We will soon be creating one for 2023

Trudy wrote: "Hello All, I am Trudy from NJ and I love all things fairy tales and magical realism! Do you do monthly reads and discussions?
Thank you for accepting me as a member."

Welcome Trudy!

Jalilah wrote: "Trudy wrote: "Hello All, I am Trudy from NJ and I love all things fairy tales and magical realism! Do you do monthly reads and discussions?
Thank you for accepting me as a member."

Welcome Trudy! ..."

Got it! Thank you so much! 😊

Margaret wrote: "Trudy wrote: "Hello All, I am Trudy from NJ and I love all things fairy tales and magical realism! Do you do monthly reads and discussions?
Thank you for accepting me as a member."

Welcome Trudy!"

Thanks, Margaret!

Hello Everyone!I'm Awhona from India and love reading mythology based books and fairy tales, Folklore and magical realisim, especially that which is Gothic in nature.Are there any buddy reads or monthly book of the month? Would love to read together with all of you. Excited for all activity in this group for 2023.

Awhona wrote: "Hello Everyone!I'm Awhona from India and love reading mythology based books and fairy tales, Folklore and magical realisim, especially that which is Gothic in nature.Are there any buddy reads or mo..."

Welcome Awhona! I love gothic-inspired books!

We used to have monthly group reads but didn't have much participation, so we dropped them. If there's enough interest again, we might do them next year.

We do sometimes have buddy reads! Members can ask if other readers want to do a buddy read here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Our most popular thread is What are you reading now: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

We've been participating in a yearly reading challenge and will be posting about ideas for next year's challenge soon.

All old discussion threads stay open too, so feel free to browse and comment!

Hi, I'm Tosha, from Tennessee. I'm a crazy plant and cat lady. I use to read mostly horror but lately, I've been reading more retellings and magical books than horror. I love the topics in this group and look forward to sharing books!

Latasha wrote: "Hi, I'm Tosha, from Tennessee. I'm a crazy plant and cat lady. I use to read mostly horror but lately, I've been reading more retellings and magical books than horror. I love the topics in this gro..."

Welcome Tosha! I'm in Tennessee too! :) I read horror too.

Hello, and welcome, Tosha!

Hi! Thanks!

Latasha wrote: "Hi, I'm Tosha, from Tennessee. I'm a crazy plant and cat lady. I use to read mostly horror but lately, I've been reading more retellings and magical books than horror. I love the topics in this gro..."

Welcome Tosha! You’ll find lois of great reading recommendations here!

Francesca wrote: "Hello, I am Francesca, from Italy and love fairy tales, folk-tales, retellings, magical realism, Gothic, and certainly I love forests :) I am very glad to be here and to "meet" you all, like-minded..."

Welcome!

Hello and welcome, Francesca!

Francesca wrote: "Hello, I am Francesca, from Italy and love fairy tales, folk-tales, retellings, magical realism, Gothic, and certainly I love forests :) I am very glad to be here and to "meet" you all, like-minded..."

Welcome to this group! We read all the genres you love! Feel free to scroll around and leave comments if you feel like it! All our threads stay open and many have been resurrected after a number of years!

Hi. I love fairy tales. I think our fairy tales serve as cultural touch stones. These tales have passed down through dozens upon dozens of generations amongst the peoples of the earth, the mental equivalent of genetic transmission spreading far and wide, with influence over as many of us as coca-cola.

I don't see them as moral lessons in and of themselves, but moral putty which must be kneaded into the shape of the moment. The moment is the lens through which we view these tales and interpret their meaning. Within my life time, the fairy tales have been watered down to an oh so sweet moral purity. I wasn't happy with this situation. So I did something about it.

I like to think we want a world of free speech. That free speech is a value that we all care about. I know I'm wrong, that many people do not, in fact, want freedom of speech for all, but with limits according to their own tastes.

There are very few banners under which I am willing to march. But freedom of speech makes that list. To prevent the erosion of our freedoms, what very few we have left after a century of law makers vying with one another to pass yet another restriction on the people,.... sorry... to prevent the further erosion of our freedoms, we must exercise them. Exercise this one I will.

Freedom of speech means many things. Freedom of speech is not for the easily offended. Freedom of speech means you won't always like what you hear. Freedom of speech is binary, it exists in entirety or it doesn't exist at all. Freedom of speech means someone can give the wolf his due. Freedom of speech does not mean freedom of action. Freedom of speech defends against tyranny.

I see the fairy tale as a cultural goblet to carry forward our moral opinions through the ages, and thus they should be marked, stamped with the seal of their epoch. The puritans have had their time with the tales, polishing the protagonists into the morally blameless victims of evil intent to which we have become accustomed. The time has come for a new paradigm.

Count Fathom

Hello, Count, and welcome!

You make some very interesting points, and I agree with some of them.

I'm a huge fan of the earliest interpretations of fairy tales. Modern versions are pleasant, and I enjoy some of them, but give me the gritty, cruel, and vital fairy tales of old.

The origins of the fairy tales are buried in the deepest recesses of human history. As I researched them, I found such a wondrous variety of plot points that have been omitted in updated versions. I like to incorporate some of those, to breathe new life into a dead branch of the tree. That's what we have: a tree. Each story becomes a branch, which in turn spawns new growth of its own. I want to serve as a conduit, or a catalyst for that new growth.

I've got something to say about modern tales, modern writing, and the modern world, though I'm not sure why anyone would want to listen. I suppose if you're still reading, that means I'm writing for you. (Hi Ozsaur!) The tales have been curated, pruned, manipulated, always towards some perceived perfection. As I see it, Hans Christian Anderson set the bar for that perfection. That guy was an excellent writer. Crisp and sharp, while feeling round and smooth. Like the edge of a circle. Everyone since has been chasing him. But what have we lost in that pursuit?

We've lost the Grimm nature of the fairy tale. This brings me to the bigger point. All modern writing feels over-edited today. We've lost the true voice of the author. S/he's been pruned away. The single voice has become a chorus of editors, and the chorus sticks closely to the expectations of mass appeal. We've become accustomed to a particular literary diet, and little innovation makes it through to an audience. It's as if every book now is dressed from the same wardrobe. Or dolled up with the same makeup.

We see this arc in other facets of our entertainment as well. Pop music, for example, is heavily edited for mass appeal. Songs feel like formulas. Branding is controlled, customized to some algorithm of success. We've lost the originality in music.

Not that all of this editing is necessarily bad. Modern art doesn't fit this trend. Quite the opposite, as the artists have broken free of all restraint, the modern canvas, if there even is one, is awash in originality bordering on the absurd. Can we find a balance?

At least we can bring back a little of the gritty and cruel. Thanks for listening. I feel better. I hope I made some sense. Sometimes I get tied up in a tangle of conflicting thought and make a muddle of things. Your patience, your tolerance is appreciated.

Count, are you doing NaNoWriMo this month? If not, maybe consider it for next year...

I did make a muddle. Not that all of this editing is necessarily bad. It's crafted excellence. Rare blunders. A tested formula, a proven market for their best work. I often preach the magnificence of a cathedral - dozens of the finest artists and craftsmen of their day collaborating for a generation on one project. They are amazing. Modern cinema reminds me of a cathedral. As does the modern novel. Very nice work.

Yet I feel what's missing is the true magic of a fairie tale.

I wonder if I'd enjoy the pressure of a goal like that program. Everyone must have their own way. I don't really have a way, I don't think. I'd not seen that before. Community support is great! Thank you.

Ozsaur wrote: "Count, are you doing NaNoWriMo this month? If not, maybe consider it for next year..."

I keep wanting to do this but am never able! I might pick a different month next year...

Count wrote: "Hi. I love fairy tales. I think our fairy tales serve as cultural touch stones. These tales have passed down through dozens upon dozens of generations amongst the peoples of the earth, the mental e..."

Welcome Count! Seems like you are in the right place. :) I also love the old tales, though I do think many modern fairytale authors are excellent at gritty retellings.

I'm doing NaNoWriMo this month, and it's been both challenging and amazing. This is my first time trying.

The kids will be alright if you give them gritty fairy tales, Margaret. That's what they need. Fear of the forest to keep them lean and taut. An instinct must be built to shank evil when happened upon. Evil cannot be counseled out of its nature with empathy. Ah! I love a proper fairy tale.

And Ozsaur, did you start the month with an outline, something like boy meets girl, girl falls in a pit of lava, boy jumps in trying to save her and dies too, then fill-in around that? Or do you start with 'call me Ishmael', cross off 1,2,3, then continue on from 4 to 50 000?

Count wrote: "The kids will be alright if you give them gritty fairy tales, Margaret. That's what they need. Fear of the forest to keep them lean and taut. An instinct must be built to shank evil when happened u..."

Well, while I like gritty fairytales, I do not parent my 5-year-old based on fear. :) Though I will say her favorite fairytales and folktales are The Three Little Pigs and Little Red Riding Hood, so she's getting some stories with fear as a theme.

Mine are not for her. Maybe they're for you. My pigs don't fair very well. And Little Red, though a heroine for me, is a prostitute. Happy to send PDFs via email if anyone wants a look. They're short.

This really is the right place for me. I'm so happy to find others that like fairy tales. Thanks, goodreads!

I'm in the middle, Count. I have a basic idea of how I want my novel to go, then I fill out the scenes. I don't usually write linearly, but write whatever scene is grabbing my attention at the time.

Welcome Count!

Hi! My name is Chelsea and I’m from Texas. My favorite kind of stories are fairy tale retellings and I often have Disney movie marathons. My favorite comfort reads are the Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer.

Chelsea wrote: "Hi! My name is Chelsea and I’m from Texas. My favorite kind of stories are fairy tale retellings and I often have Disney movie marathons. My favorite comfort reads are the Lunar Chronicles by Maris..."

Welcome Chelsea!

Do you have a favorite Disney movie? :)

My favorite Disney movie is the original Beauty and the Beast. I love the live action one, but the original version is still the best.

Chelsea wrote: "My favorite Disney movie is the original Beauty and the Beast. I love the live action one, but the original version is still the best."
My favorite Disney animation movie is Tangled. Welcome to the group!

Welcome New People!

Chelsea wrote: "My favorite Disney movie is the original Beauty and the Beast. I love the live action one, but the original version is still the best."

Love that one! I haven't seen the live-action version yet. :)

My daughter and I really love Encanto.

Hi! I'm Abby! I am a reader and writer and love fairy tales. I'm a big fan of Tolkien's On Fairy-stories essay, retellings, and the old Grimm Brothers fairy tales. I seem to be constantly reworking Beauty and the Beast in every daydream. I'm excited to be here and learn more about fairy tales and find some books I may not have heard of before.

Abby wrote: "Hi! I'm Abby! I am a reader and writer and love fairy tales. I'm a big fan of Tolkien's On Fairy-stories essay, retellings, and the old Grimm Brothers fairy tales. I seem to be constantly reworking..."

Welcome!!

For new folk, you're welcome to join our reading challenge at any point! https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Hi, Abby--welcome!

We have a lot in common. I'm finding this a spectacular group for expanding a TBR list of all things folk, myth, and fairy.