Friday, March 5, 2010
Fairytales
"Fairytales", a short work presented as a component of the We Tell Stories project" is told in the traditional fairy tale form. The story possesses all the essential elements: an evil villain, an ugly prince, and an unfortunate and poverty-stricken damsel in distress. However, the reader is asked not only to name the characters themselves, but to determine the plotline by choosing elements such as what elements or creatures the characters encounter. Each choice determines the plot, and every time the story is told it morphs into something entirely different. Personally, I find this variety of storytelling fascinating. I love seeing new takes on traditional forms of literature, fairy tales especially. Not only does this "Fairytales" create an entirely new way of reading and experiencing an entirely new story in such a traditional and well-loved format, it also allows you to create an entirely new and even personal fairytale of your own. Also, although I'm not going to give anything away, I love the unexpected and unconventional endings, which are bitterweet in a way that could never be found in any traditional fairytale.
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I liked the "Fairytales" format, too. I thought it was interesting that you could pick your own events and characters, but only from a provided set, almost like the creator is acknowledging that fairytales are expected to progress in a particular way. The write-your-own epilogue option was unique, because it allowed you to completely contradict the 'set' format. I wonder if the author made it this way because s/he got bored with the fixed endings from whatever 'create your own adventure' stories they used to read.
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