God of the Fairy Tale- Jim Ware

I have long been a believer in the power of children’s literature. Stories, though fictitious, always contain real expressions of truth. And children’s literature is especially so, because this truth must be broken down into its individual parts, so that even the youngest and freshest of minds may understand it. In God of the Fairy Tale, author Jim Ware demonstrates certain truths of Christianity as revealed in popular children’s fairy tales.

The concept of truth in literature is so fascinating to me, I was ecstatic when I saw a whole book about it. The book follows a specific format, each chapter containing a portion from a short story or fairy tale, and then a portion analyzing the story in light of a certain spiritual concept- attributes of God, the nature of man, the gospel story, etc. What I love most about Ware’s book is the fact that he uses popular secular tales to demonstrate these truths. I recommend this book for any Christian reader, writer, or teacher because I believe Ware does an excellent job of revealing this spiritual beauty of literature. The only criticism I have of the book is the fact that in reading about God in the fairy tale, it can be an easy flip to begin seeing the fairy tale in God.

Lovers of literature will enjoy this book for the excellent literary analysis contained in each chapter. The book was fairly short and can be read with minimal difficulty- recommended for readers 16+. Jim Ware is clearly a very well-read individual, so some of his references to certain books or stories may leave his readers wanting more of an explanation. Still, the diversity of his examples is entertaining as well as captivating.

Literature is truly a beautiful thing, made even more so by the truth it contains. I applaud Jim Ware for his insightful commentaries on the timeless stories of children’s literature. In closing, I leave you with this lovely statement that, in short, sums up the purpose of this book. “And what is art but the soul’s reflection, however, imperfect, of the Light that gives it life and definition? This is supremely true of story art. In stories, the subconscious mind gives voice to some of its most deeply cherished longings.”

 -Alisha Hange