After the success of the first book in the series “Nightmares & Fairy Tales” and just before we see his award-winning book “The True Story of Pinocchio” premiere in Hollywood, the author Antonis Toumanidis returns with his new book “Nightmares & Fairy Tales 2”.
Another journey to the darker side of fairy tales begins! Why the continuation of “Once upon a time” may not be what you imagine, Antonis Toumanidis tells ET and the discussion with him regarding his dark fairytale world begins….
In your new book “Nightmares and Fairy Tales 2” Aladdin stays in New York and Alice is taken to the guillotine. What need led you to bring to light the darker side of fairy tales?
What I essentially did, or at least tried to do, was to pull back the curtain and reintroduce the fairy tales to the reading public using their original form as a basis and freely adapted. It should be noted that fairy tales during the Middle Ages and until the middle, approximately
of the 19th century had a completely different content, compared to what we all know today. They were dark stories that prepared children for adulthood and, at the same time, entertained adults at night. The fairy tale is the supreme genre of popular literature and I felt the need, therefore, to reintroduce it not so much to children but to adults.
What does a fairy tale remind an adult?
He can remember that he too was once a child. We have associated coming of age with largely erasing childhood from our memory. Except childhood also brings with it innocence, sincere enthusiasm, dreaming and belief in magic and the impossible. When childhood is forgotten, so is everything it carries with it.
Who is your favorite children’s fairy tale character and why?
Rubelstiltskin! His tale was first recorded by the Grimms in 1812. It is the story of an elf who turned straw into gold, but asked for a newborn baby in return. The original version of the tale was considerably darker and more violent. I was always impressed by her audacity and intemperance
pride of the elf but also the way he essentially punishes himself.
Finally, how is the adaptation of your book “The True Story of Pinocchio” by Anubis Publications (2018) in Hollywood going?
“The True Story of Pinocchio” is a horror drama regarding a father’s love for his son and how far he will go to save him even from death. The screenplay has been honored internationally with numerous awards, the most important being the award for Best Screenwriter at the Las Vegas Film Festival. The film moves forward with steady steps in order to have the best possible finale
result and to transfer the book to the big screen with the greatest fidelity.
The book
In present day New York, Aladdin tries to escape his tragic past. Snow White kills herself and Queen Alice is led, in chains, to the guillotine. On the 13th floor of an apartment building, an old woman feeds small children.
A detective discovers that a piece of wood, which will later be carved into a famous puppet, hides an ancient secret. In a medieval town, four children play the “slaughter game”.
A frog tries to become a princess’s husband and a man faces his only fear. And all this while an apple stubbornly refuses to fall from the branch of a tree…
Title: Nightmares & Fairy Tales 2: “The Death of Little Red Riding Hood and Other Dark Tales”
Author: Antonis Toumanidis
Publications: Anubis
Pages: 296
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