The Turnip Princess and Other Newly Discovered Fairy Tales

Reception

Critics noted the narrative simplicity of the tales, a quality attributed to Schönwerth's effort to preserve authenticity. Michael Dirda of The Washington Post observed that Schönwerth's style is generally austere, though he occasionally employs more poetic language for characters or actions. Mark Lundy remarked that, unlike the Grimm Brothers or Charles Perrault, Schönwerth's tales lean closer to authenticity, giving them a fierce and nimble energy.

Lundy also noted Schönwerth's lack of concern with realism or character psychology in most tales, which highlights their origin as fanciful diversions from everyday drabness rather than stories with a specific moral lesson. Storyteller Csenge Virág Zalka, in a side-by-side review of Wolf's Original Bavarian Folktale and Eichenseer's The Turnip Princess, contrasted the editors' story selections. Zalka found that Eichenseer's choice of tales more similar in tone to familiar fairy tales led to greater attention for her book than Wolf's, which adhered more closely to Schönwerth's own selections.

Zalka also praised Tatar's commentaries and notes, calling the book a very useful resource for folklorists, storytellers, and other story professionals.

Did You Know?

• The Turnip Princess was the second modern publication of Schönwerth's collections, preceded by Original Bavarian Folktale edited by Charlotte Wolf.
• Wolf's edition focuses mostly on stories from an 1850s collection published by Schönwerth himself, while Eichenseer's contains mostly stories discovered only recently.