Jack Zipes is the translator of The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm and editor of The Sorcerer's Apprentice (both Princeton), as well as editor of The Great Fairy Tale Tradition (Norton). He is professor emeritus of German and comparative literature at the University of Minnesota.
A collection of radical political fairy tales-some in English for the first time-from one of the great female practitioners of the genre
Hermynia Zur Mühlen (1883–1951), one of the twentieth century's great political writers, was not seemingly destined for a revolutionary, unconventional literary career. Born in Vienna to an aristocratic Catholic family, Zur Mühlen married an Estonian count. But she rebelled, leaving her upper-class life to be with the Hungarian writer and Communist Stefan Klein, and supporting herself through translations and publications. Altogether, Zur Mühlen wrote thirty novels, mysteries, and story collections, and translated around 150 works, including those of Upton Sinclair, John Galsworthy, and Edna Ferber. A wonderful new addition to the Oddly Modern Fairy Tales series, The Castle of Truth and Other Revolutionary Tales presents English readers with a selection of Zur Mühlen's best political fairy tales, some translated from German for the first time.
In contrast to the classical tales of the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen, Zur Mühlen's candid, forthright stories focus on social justice and the plight of the working class, with innovative plots intended to raise the political consciousness of readers young and old. For example, in "The Glasses," readers are encouraged to rip off the glasses that deceive them, while in "The Carriage Horse," horses organize a union to resist their working and living conditions. In "The Broom," a young worker learns how to sweep away injustice.
With an informative introduction by Jack Zipes and period illustrations by George Grosz, John Heartfield, Heinrich Vogeler, and Karl Holtz, The Castle of Truth and Other Revolutionary Tales revives the legacy of a notable female artist whose literary and political work remains relevant in our own time. "It is striking how Zur Mühlen's tales speak to our times, challenging political oppression, systemic inequality, corruption, and untruths. By drawing attention to her work, Zipes demonstrates once again how fairy tales provide an alternative way of challenging authority and inspiring resistance to lies. . . . Zur Mühlen's tales are narratives of truth that are powerfully enlightening and empowering to readers."---Larissa Rudova, European Legacy "A curious corpus of radical political fairy tales-some available in English for the first time-authored by an extraordinary woman writer, a free spirit and a socialist, and a humanitarian activist rescued from obscurity via this important gesture of canon revision. . . . [A] delightful read."---Anna Kérchy, Marvels & Tales
"A female writer who is both a socialist and an aristocrat is certainly an unusual combination. Hermynia Zur Mühlen's thoroughly entertaining tales are unique and offer political lessons. An outstanding translation, this excellent collection will appeal not only to scholars in various disciplines but also to general readers."-Elisabeth Krimmer, author of German Women's Life Writing and the Holocaust
"The Castle of Truth makes a corpus of interwar revolutionary tales available to English readers and introduces them to an extraordinary woman and activist who has faded into obscurity. The selection of tales is judicious and Jack Zipes has prepared a masterful translation, providing useful commentary on the content. The collection's drawings are wonderful."-Martha B. Helfer, author of The Word Unheard
