It is difficult when reading a dominion free kindle book to judge some older works. You lack the charm of the illustrations which in some cases can totally change your view of the book. This kindle, a free classic, lacks the illustration and just presents the text.
The fairy tales in this collection are very French and somewhat in the tradition of the French Salon stories. I say in the spirit because while all the characteristics are their there is a je ne sais quoi missing from them that exists in the stories of Mde d’Aubony or L’Heritier. Perhaps it is because all of the heroines are so blah and blonde and good and exactly like. Where the other Salon writers all have good heroines but in the great ones there is something different.
The best tale, for me, in this collection was the story of Orison, he that looks like a bear, because why the character of Violette is almost like the other princesses that populate this volume, she sacrifices her beauty for him, loves him despite his ugliness, and he loves her when she becomes ugly. The two also remember a faithful servant unlike another member of their family.
There is a rather interesting Cinderella variant in this collection.

This was my favorite book when I was a little girl.

Wonderful book, and very fun to read. Keep a dictonary near you though,I am shamed to say that I found myself looking up a couple words. If you like wimsy and happyends, and don't mind brushing up on some vocabulary, you'll enjoy this book!

prima carte pe care am citit-o :'(

the stories are clever, wonderful, yet a bit predictable at times, while the illustrations are simply stunning and flawless. one of the best fairy tales collection i've read in a long time.

I feel like I read a different book than everyone else, because I thought it was horrible and sexist and half the stories were about emotionally abusing girls. I'm a little bit sorry for anyone who grew up reading about how being curious was going to get everything and everyone you loved killed, so instead you should force yourself to be a submissive and passive girl who does everything your menfolk tell you to do. Because these stories really went out of their way to drive those ideas home.