Description
Book SynopsisLaboulaye, one of 19th-century France's most prominent politicians and an instrumental figure in establishing the Statue of Liberty, was also a prolific writer of fairy tales. This volume brings together new translations of 16 of his most wry, political stories that continue to impart lessons today.
Trade Review"
Smack-Bam, or The Art of Governing Men collects sixteen tales by Édouard Laboulaye, a French law professor and jurist of the Second Empire, and a strong supporter of the abolition of slavery and of women’s rights. Laboulaye’s creative work has been eclipsed by his political career, but in his day he was recognized as a writer of fiction, too, and especially known for his fairy-tales—with their satirical asides, irreverent humor, and free use of international sources, it is not hard to see why."
---James Guida, New York Review of Books"The tales are delightful, and they offer a look at a little-known aspect of fairy tale history contemporary with the tale collectors and writers from the nineteenth century."
---Sarah N Lawson, Journal of Folklore Research
