I have a different problem, which is if I find a different edition of one of my favorite books, I feel compelled to own it.

I have this problem too. TCG never questions my book obsession, except for questioning just how many different editions of Middlemarch one person needs.

my collection is so haphazard. except the forensic books...they don't come in paperback, and could be used as the most ironic weapons ever.

I have no book fetishes. No that's not true. I would love to find LM Montgomery's books in the first edition that I read them in. Also, I hate musty books. So if choosing between editions in a used book store, I will always pick the newest one. And you will often see me smelling books to see if they would drive me crazy when I read them. I look at leather bound books and only see future red rot.

When I was a small child I was very aware that library books pass through many hands and was pretty much compulsive about washing my hands after touching library books.

Question for you all: I'm trying to think of a fairy tale where it's the husband who would pay the penalty for guessing or prying into his wife's secrets. Sort of a reverse-Bluebeard, but with the penalty being losing his wife or his wife and children.

I seem to think something like this does exist, but I cannot for the life of me think of what it is.

The one with the woman with the ribbon around her neck, and when the husband unties the ribbon, her head falls off?

Or the story of Orpheus and Eurydice?

That wasn't the one I was thinking of, but I think that works for my purposes. Thanks!

Edit: Both work perfectly!

All of the Selkie/trapped-animal stories appear to fit your criteria too. You know, "I'll be your wife if you don't ever ask me about _____" and eventually the dope husband has to ask, and discovers his wife is a mermaid or a seal or I read a Japanese one recently where she turns out to be a clam (!) and she has to go away after that. (I am not sure why, although I am also not sure I would want to stay married to a clam.)

The same thing happens with reversed sexes in Whitebear Whittingdon (East of the Sun, West of the Moon), which is a folk tale that mirrors Eros and Psyche. Except if Eros were a bear, and his wife got a good look at him in the dark and screamed her fool head off, and then to win him back had to do several quests that all came in threes.

Thank you. This is all very helpful.

Did anyone know about the His Dark Materials prequel that's been released? I'm interested because it stars my favoritest character from the series. Two of them actually!

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