Rapunzel
by Paul O. Zelinsky
Rapunzel by Paul O. Zelinsky holds a highly rated rating of 4.16 out of 5, based on 13.9K reader ratings. First published in 1997. The book spans 36 pages.
About Rapunzel
Surely among the most original and gifted of children's book illustrators, Paul O. Zelinsky has once again with unmatched emotional authority, control of space, and narrativecapability brought forth a unique vision for an age-old tale. Few artists at work today can touch the level at which his paintings tell a story and exert their hold.Zelinsky's retelling of Rapunzel reaches back beyond the Grimms to a late-seventeenth-century French tale by Mlle. la Force, who based hers on the Neapolitan tale Petrosinella in a collection popular at the time. The artist understands the story's fundamentals to be about possessiveness, confinement, and separation, rather than about punishment and deprivation. Thus the tower the sorceress gives Rapunzel here is not a desolate, barren structure of denial but one of esoteric beauty on the outside and physical luxury within. And the world the artist creates through the elements in his paintings the palette, control of light, landscape, characters, architecture,interiors, costumes speaks to us not of an ugly witch who cruelly imprisons a beautiful young girl, but of a mother figure who powerfully resists her child's inevitable growth, and of a young woman and man who must struggle in the wilderness for the self-reliance that is the true beginningof their adulthood.As ever, and yet always somehow in newly arresting fashion, Paul O. Zelinsky's work thrillingly shows us the events of the story while guiding us beyond them to the truths that have made it endure.
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Author | Paul O. Zelinsky |
| Published | 1997 |
| Pages | 36 |
| Genres | Fantasy, Fiction, Classics, Romance, Arts & Photography |
| Average Rating | 4.16 / 5.00 |
| Total Ratings | 13,896 |
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Frequently Asked Questions
What genre is Rapunzel?
Rapunzel is categorized as Fantasy, Fiction, Classics, Romance. Its primary genre classification is Fantasy.
Is Rapunzel worth reading?
Based on 13.9K reader ratings, Rapunzel has an average score of 4.16 out of 5.00, which is considered "Highly Rated."
How many pages is Rapunzel?
Rapunzel has 36 pages. It is a relatively quick read.
Who wrote Rapunzel?
Rapunzel was written by Paul O. Zelinsky. It was first published in 1997.
What is the ISBN for Rapunzel?
The ISBN-13 for Rapunzel is 9780525456070.0.
Data sourced from community book ratings and reviews. Last updated: April 15, 2026
