An anti-fairy tale, also called anti-tale, is a fairy tale which, unlike an ordinary one, has a tragic, rather than a happy ending, with the antagonists winning and the protagonists losing at the end of the story. Whereas fairy tales paint a magical, utopian world, anti-fairy tales paint a dark world of nastiness and cruelty. Such stories incorporate horror, black comedy, mean-spirited practical jokes on innocent characters, sudden and often cruel plot twists, and biting satire. [1] [2] The term ( German: Antimärchen) was introduced by André Jolles [1] in his Einfache Formen (1930). [3]
Examples of anti-fairy tales include " The Fisherman and His Wife", and " The Swineherd". [1] A recent example is Fabien Vehlmann's graphic novel Beautiful Darkness. [4]
The term is also used to refer to remakes of traditional "happy" fairy tales into "unhappy" ones. [2]
An anti-fairy tale, also called anti-tale, is a fairy tale which, unlike an ordinary one, has a tragic, rather than a happy ending, with the antagonists winning and the protagonists losing at the end of the story. Whereas fairy tales paint a magical, utopian world, anti-fairy tales paint a dark world of nastiness and cruelty. Such stories incorporate horror, black comedy, mean-spirited practical jokes on innocent characters, sudden and often cruel plot twists, and biting satire. [1] [2] The term ( German: Antimärchen) was introduced by André Jolles [1] in his Einfache Formen (1930). [3]
Examples of anti-fairy tales include " The Fisherman and His Wife", and " The Swineherd". [1] A recent example is Fabien Vehlmann's graphic novel Beautiful Darkness. [4]
The term is also used to refer to remakes of traditional "happy" fairy tales into "unhappy" ones. [2]