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  • Smack-Bam, or The Art of Governing Men: Political Fairy Tales of Édouard Laboulaye

Smack-Bam, or The Art of Governing Men: Political Fairy Tales of Édouard Laboulaye

SKU: 9780691181868
$22.95
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Wry political fairy tales from a nineteenth-century politician that speak to our current times

Édouard Laboulaye (1811–1883), one of nineteenth-century France’s most prominent politicians and an instrumental figure in establishing the Statue of Liberty, was also a prolific writer of fairy tales. Smack-Bam, or The Art of Governing Men brings together sixteen of Laboulaye’s most artful stories in new translations. Filled with biting social commentary and strong notions of social justice, these rediscovered tales continue to impart lessons today.

Inspired by folktales from such places as Estonia, Germany, Iceland, and Italy, Laboulaye’s deceptively entertaining stories explore the relationships between society and the ruling class. In “Briam the Fool,” the hero refuses the queen’s hand after he kills the king. In “Zerbino the Bumpkin,” the king and prime minister are idiots, while the king’s daughter runs away with a woodcutter to an enchanted island. And in the title story, “Smack-Bam, or The Art of Governing Men,” a superficial prince is schooled by a middle-class woman who smacks him when he won’t engage in his lessons and follows him across Europe until he falls in love with her. In these worlds, shallow aristocrats come to value liberty, women are as assertive and intelligent as men, and protagonists experience compassion as they learn of human suffering.

With an introduction by leading fairy-tale scholar Jack Zipes that places Laboulaye’s writing in historical context, Smack-Bam, or The Art of Governing Men presents spirited tales from the past that speak to contemporary life.



Pages:

288

Size:

5.5 x 7.75 in.

Illus:15 b/w illus.

Paperback

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  • HOME
  • ABOUT PRS
    • Manly P. Hall >
      • Manly Hall, A Personal Perspective
      • MPH Reading Group
    • PRS Board & Staff
    • Contributing Artists >
      • Guy Blakeslee
      • John Bucher
      • Sandra del Castillo
      • Devon Deimler
      • Edgar Fabian Frias
      • Mandy Kahn
      • Marina Pacowski
      • Stephen Reedy
      • Fahad Siadat
      • Eliza Swann
      • theatre dybbuk
    • Press
  • COURSES
  • EVENTS
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    • Hansell Gallery
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    • Hymns to Unknowability and Devotion
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  • Shop
    • New Arrivals
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    • PRS Merch
    • Books by Manly P. Hall >
      • The Secret Teachings
      • The Signature Editions
      • New Editions for Contemporary Seekers
      • Vintage Lecture Notes
      • MPH Essays
      • MPH Book SALE
      • Manly P. Hall Book Bundles
    • MPH Audio >
      • MPH Collection at BetterListen.com
    • MPH E-Books
    • Reprint Series curated by MPH
    • Books and Catalogs >
      • ARTBOOKS
      • ANGEL CITY PRESS
      • CASSANDRA PRESS
      • FIDDLER'S GREEN
      • FULGUR PRESS
      • IGNOTA BOOKS
      • LIBRARY OF ESOTERICA TASCHEN
      • OUROBOROS PRESS
      • uusi
      • Dr. Obadiah Harris
    • Gifts & Curiosities >
      • Gift Cards
      • Tote Bags
    • Rare and Used Books
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    • Tarot, Oracle, and Affirmation Decks
    • Artwork for Sale
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    • ON SALE
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    • END OF THE YEAR GIVING CAMPAIGN 2023
    • Volunteer
    • Roof Restoration Fundraiser
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