Socio-political impact of fairy tales
Zipes has analyzed fairy tales to understand their importance in the modern world. Looking into the lasting impact of fairy tales on literature,he explored their evolution,socio-political context,and exploitation by media networks in the book Breaking the Magic Spell:Radical Theories of Folk &Fairy Tales,which was called "a stimulating contribution to the critical literature of folk and fairy tales" by Edith Lazaros Honig in Children's Literature Association Quarterly. [23] He emphasized the genre's broader cultural significance in Why Fairy Tales Stick:The Evolution and Relevance of a Genre,suggesting that fairy tales,as culturally repeated memes,have evolved alongside humans' cognitive development,exhibiting polygenic traits that transcend geographical boundaries. Kimberley Reynolds commented in the Modern Language Review,"Why Fairy Tales Stick is both a welcome addition to the expanding area of books about fairy tales and a useful teaching resource." [24]
Zipes compiled various stories in several works,including The Trials and Tribulations of Little Red Riding Hood:Versions of the Tale in Sociocultural Context and Beauties,Beasts,and Enchantment:Classic French Fairy Tales,presenting an account of lesser-known fairy tale versions and their contemporary relevance. He is also the Editor of the book series Oddly Modern Fairy Tales with Princeton University Press,comprising unusual literary fairy tales. Additionally,he published Fairy Tales and the Art of Subversion,which Deborah Stevenson referred to as "one of the key works of fairy-tale scholarship in our time",examining how fairy tales,through traditional forms and genres,have been used to shape children's behavior,values,and societal roles. [25]
Zipes researched the lives and works of the Brothers Grimm in detail,by translating and publishing books like The Brothers Grimm:From Enchanted Forests to the Modern World and Grimm Legacies:The Magic Spell of the Grimms' Folk and Fairy Tales,revealing their personal struggles,political endeavors,and contributions to establishing fairy tales as a significant literary form. He translated the complete 1857 edition of fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm in 1987,and in 2014,he published the first edition of 1812 and 1815 as The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm along with a new study of the tales,Grimm Legacies:The Magic Power of the Grimms' Folk and Fairy Tales. Furthermore,he delved into forgotten political fairy tales and profiles writers like Édouard Laboulaye and illustrators who addressed social and economic issues in Buried Treasures:The Power of Political Fairy Tales. In Publishers Weekly,the publication was regarded as "a potent testament to the power of stories." [26]
German Jewish studies
Zipes' work on German Jewish studies focused on the relationship between German literature and Jewish culture. His book entitled Yale Companion to Jewish Writing and Thought in German Culture,1096-1996,provided a chronological history of Jewish writing and thought in German-speaking lands,showcasing the influence of Jewish writers on German culture. In a review for the Journal of European Studies,Joachim Whaley stated "Gilman and Zipes have produced a marvellous compendium. Scholars will wish to return to it repeatedly." [27]
In 1992,Zipes published The Operated Jew:Two Tales of Anti-Semitism,a translation of the stories "The Operated Jew" by Oskar Panizza and "The Operated Goy" by Mynona,investigating the themes of anti-Semitism and the pursuit of purity and perfection in turn-of-the-century Germany. In addition,he co-edited Unlikely History:The Changing German-Jewish Symbiosis,1945-2000 with Leslie Morris,assessing Jewish life in postwar Germany,including community,culture,and the resurgence of anti-Semitism in Austria,offering insights into the evolving relationship between Jews and Germans. About it,Bjorn Krondofer remarked "The co-editors Morris and Zipes have gathered an impressive list of contributors from different academic disciplines in the United States and Germany...". [28]
