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La Belle Dame single work   short story   fantasy  
Issue Details: First known date: 2011... 2011 La Belle Dame
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Notes

  • Author's note: Lorelei, siren, mermaid, fairy, witch: the beautiful temptress who lures and traps the unwary male appears in many guises in myriad stories. Whatever her origins or name, she is invariably portrayed as a figure of evil that makes grown men shudder. 'La Belle Dame' revisits this recurring theme and hints at the possibility of an alternative interpretation: that the most evil acts may spring out of a misdirected search for happiness, and that therein lies one of the tragedies of the human — and, perhaps, the non-human — condition.

  • Dedication: To the memory of John Keats (1795-1821) and Lee Hazlewood (1929-2007).

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

  • Appears in:
    y separately published work icon Mythic Resonance Stephen Thompson (editor), West End : Esstee Media , 2011 15252098 2011 anthology short story

    'Ea, master of Apsu, the great water beneath the earth; Gelert, the faithful hound; Medusa and Herakles; sirens, valkyries, fairies; Leonardo Da Vinci and Snow White - these are just some of the legendary characters that resonate within this thought-provoking garland of short stories from Australia. Archetypes from ancient mythology, lurking in the depths of our psyches, peer at us through the haze of history; cautionary tales from our nursery years remind us of what can happen when we disobey The Rules; well known themes of obsession, betrayal and exploitation, love and loss and renewal are skillfully manipulated into new and compelling forms. From the lighthearted and tongue-in-cheek, to the sad and the sinister, this selection of tales with their clever mythic echoes, is sure to entertain, enlighten and challenge readers of all ages.'

    Source: Publisher's blurb.

    West End : Esstee Media , 2011
Last amended 14 Nov 2018 13:06:31
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