Charles Perrault is best remembered for his collections of fairy tales, even though these were written later in his life and were not, in his own opinion, as important as his earlier poetic writings. The erroneous view that he was the father of the literary fairy tale has been revised in recent years to underscore the prominence of women pioneers, in particular that of Madame d’Aulnoy, whose tales, on occasion, contain pointed anti-Perrauldian sentiments. Perrault’s role is nonetheless considerable in stimulating interest in the genre among the salons and the general reading public. His interest in the tales stemmed partly from his involvement in the Quarrel of the Ancients and Moderns, taking a stand for the Moderns and using the fairy tale as an example of a modern genre on its own…
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Citation: Scott, Paul, Gillian Weatherley. "Charles Perrault". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 28 August 2013 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=3535, accessed 22 November 2024.]
