Bruno Bettelheim was one of the great child psychologists of the twentieth century and perhaps none of his books has been more influential than this revelatory study of fairy tales and their universal importance in understanding childhood development.
Analyzing a wide range of traditional stories, from the tales of Sindbad to “The Three Little Pigs,” “Hansel and Gretel,” and “The Sleeping Beauty,” Bettelheim shows how the fantastical, sometimes cruel, but always deeply significant narrative strands of the classic fairy tales can aid in our greatest human task, that of finding meaning for one’s life.
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“Narrator Gerard Doyle delivers this 1976 classic of child psychology with fine clarity and conversational authority. It’s less a lecture than a very intelligent fireside chat. It’s also one of those audiobooks that may inspire the listener to jot down notes. The audiobook doesn’t tell the tales themselves but is an intensely academic and often entertaining Freudian analysis of the important part that fairy stories play in child development. Topics discussed include sibling rivalry, puberty, cannibalism, and the symbolism of the color red.”
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