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Disfigured : on fairy tales, disability, and making space
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2020
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Library Journal Review
Leduc (The Miracles of Ordinary Men), a Canadian writer with cerebral palsy, has penned a remarkable exploration into the ways disability has been portrayed in fairy tales and, consequently, how those portrayals have shaped society's treatment of the disabled. Referencing her own experiences, as well as those of other disabled writers and activists, Leduc shows how disabled children search for positive representation in fairy tales and other media, only to encounter depictions of disability as something to be pitied, feared, or corrected. In popular tales such as "Beauty and the Beast," "The Little Mermaid," and "Snow White," disability is either removed by magic or remains as a punishment for the wicked. Such themes, Leduc argues, have encouraged society to view able-bodiedness as the only acceptable state and conditioned disabled children to view themselves as an aberrant "other." But Leduc further points to the reciprocal nature of the relationship between fairy tales and society: as the tales have influenced society, so, too, can society change the tales to depict better paradigms and, in turn, make for a more accepting world. VERDICT Leduc persuasively illustrates the power of stories to affect reality in this painstakingly researched and provocative study that invites us to consider our favorite folktales from another angle.--Sara Shreve, Newton, KS
Booklist Review
Leduc grew up lost in stories. She read every Laura Ingalls Wilder tome before her fifth birthday. She loved fairy tales, and like so many children, was deeply steeped in the films and cultural phenomenon of Walt Disney. Leduc also grew up with cerebral palsy, and an accompanying limp, a clearly visible disability. The stories she consumed rarely reflected her experiences. Still haunted by this lack of accurate representation in her adulthood, Leduc came up with the idea for this book. Leduc examines fairy tales, from the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen to Disney and Marvel, for their portrayal or rejection of life in a divergent body. She dives deep into how popular stories define cultural norms, blending cultural analysis with her own personal narratives from a life spent trying to make sense of how the world perceives her. Leduc is thoughtful and her research is vast. She has woven together a poignant and informative account of how the stories we tell shape our collective understanding of one another.--Courtney Eathorne Copyright 2020 Booklist
Summary

A CBC BOOKS BEST NONFICTION OF 2020
AN ENTROPY MAGAZINE BEST NONFICTION 2020/21
A NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY BOOK OF THE DAY (07/23/2022)


Fairy tales shape how we see the world, so what happens when you identify more with the Beast than Beauty?

If every disabled character is mocked and mistreated, how does the Beast ever imagine a happily-ever-after? Amanda Leduc looks at fairy tales from the Brothers Grimm to Disney, showing us how they influence our expectations and behaviour and linking the quest for disability rights to new kinds of stories that celebrate difference.

"Historically we have associated the disabled body image and disabled life with an unhappy ending" - Sue Carter, Toronto Star

"Leduc persuasively illustrates the power of stories to affect reality in this painstakingly researched and provocative study that invites us to consider our favorite folktales from another angle." - Sara Shreve, Library Journal

"She [Leduc] argues that template is how society continues to treat the disabled: rather than making the world accessible for everyone, the disabled are often asked to adapt to inaccessible environments." - Ryan Porter, Quill & Quire

"Read this smart, tenacious book." - The Washington Post

"A brilliant young critic named Amanda Leduc explores this pernicious power of language in her new book, Disfigured ... Leduc follows the bread crumbs back into her original experience with fairy tales - and then explores their residual effects ... Read this smart, tenacious book." - The Washington Post

"Leduc investigates the intersection between disability and her beloved fairy tales, questioning the constructs of these stories and where her place is, as a disabled woman, among those narratives." - The Globe and Mail

"It gave me goosebumps as I read, to see so many of my unexpressed, half-formed thoughts in print. My highlighter got a good workout." - BookRiot

"Disfigured is not just an eye-opener when it comes to the Disney princess crew and the Marvel universe - this thin volume provides the tools to change how readers engage with other kinds of popular media, from horror films to fashion magazines to outdated sitcom jokes." - Quill & Quire

"It's an essential read for anyone who loves fairy tales." - Buzzfeed Books

"Leduc makes one thing clear and beautifully so - fairy tales are fundamentally fantastic, but that doesn't mean that they are beyond reproach in their depiction of real issues and identities." - Shrapnel Magazine

"As Leduc takes us through these fairy tales and the space they occupy in the narratives that we construct, she slowly unfolds a call-to-action: the claiming of space for disability in storytelling." - The Globe and Mail

"A provocative beginning to a thoughtful and wide-ranging book, one which explores some of the most primal stories readers have encountered and prompts them to ponder the subtext situated there all along." - LitHub

"a poignant and informative account of how the stories we tell shape our collective understanding of one another." - BookMarks

"What happens when we allow disabled writers to tell stories of disability within fairytales and in magical and supernatural settings? It is a reimagining of the fairytale canon we need. Leduc dares to dream of a world that most stories envision is unattainable." - Bitch Media

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