Books › Once upon a time › Books like it
If you loved
Books like Once upon a time
An elegant, erudite journey through the dark woods and enchanted castles of our collective cultural imagination. These 12 books are the closest matches in mood, pace and themes, with what each one shares with Once upon a time.
- intellectual
- enchanting
- reflective
- shadowy
- 01
From the beast to the blonde
Marina Warner
A scholarly and luxuriant excavation of the women who spun our most famous fairy tales, revealing the dark, real-world truths hidden within.
- 02
The uses of enchantment
Bruno Bettelheim · 1976
A deep, analytical dive into the subconscious power of the stories we tell our children.
- 03
Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm: A New English Version (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition)
Jacob Grimm
A masterful storyteller breathes fresh, enchanting life into the foundational myths of our childhoods.
- 04
Mirror Mirror
Gregory Maguire
A lush, shadowy reimagining of a classic fairy tale steeped in the opulent poison and political intrigue of Renaissance Italy.
- 05
Disfigured
Amanda Leduc
A poignant, eye-opening exploration of how the fairy tales we love have shaped the bodies we value, blending memoir with sharp cultural critique.
- 06
The bloody chamber and other stories
Angela Carter
A decadent, blood-soaked feast of folklore cracked open to reveal the dark, beating heart of female desire.
- 07
Gingerbread
Helen Oyeyemi
A delightfully disorienting, modern fairy tale that tastes of spice, secrets, and the uncanny weight of a mother's past.
- 08
Spinning Silver
Naomi Novik
A frost-bitten, intricately woven fairy tale where pragmatic women turn cold bargains into hard-won power.
- 09
The Girl in Red
Aaron Frisch
A gritty, hyper-realistic descent into the modern urban jungle where ancient predators wear new disguises.
- 10
Kissing the Witch
Emma Donoghue
A hypnotic, subversive unspooling of familiar folklore that centers female desire and queer awakening.
- 11
Briar Rose
Jane Yolen
A hauntingly beautiful exploration of how we use myth to mask, and ultimately reveal, the darkest truths of our history.
- 12
Fairest of all
Disney Books
A tragic, gothic-tinged descent into madness that reveals the broken heart behind a legendary fairy-tale villain.
