Penguin Books Australia

The enchanted world of fairy tales has been an integral part of childhood for hundreds of years. But what do they really mean and what importance do they actually bear on our lives?

Dr Bettelheim in his thought-provoking and stimulating exploration of the best known stories casts a very interesting light on this subject. His belief that they represent a complex coping mechanism for children to deal with their struggling emotions and their anxieties regarding the outside world is fascinatingly argued in this prize winning work of criticism.