The Uses of Enchantment

How do the trials and tribulations of "Little Red Riding Hood," "Hansel and Gretel," and "Cinderella" shape a youngster's emotions and problem-solving abilities? Irish 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. B.P. � AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine