i want to leave a list here for anyone wanting to read the original bluebeard story, retellings, or similar stories. i had to read many versions for an essay in undergrad & still have a list compiled!

• Bluebeard by Charles Perrault (1697) • Fitcher’s Bird by the Brothers Grimm (1812) • The Robber Bridegroom by the Brothers Grimm (1812) • Mr. Fox by Joseph Jacobs (1890) • Mr. Bluebeard published in Jamaican Song and Story (1907) • Mast-Truan published in Pueblo Indian Folk-Stories (1910) • Bluebeard by Edna St. Vincent Millay (1917) • The Forbidden Room published in Folk-Lore of the Sea Islands, South Carolina (1923) • Bluebeard’s Egg by Margaret Atwood (1983) • The Classic Fairy Tales, Second Norton Critical Edition, edited by Maria Tartar (2017), has a really great introduction to the Bluebeard stories, reviewing changes in analysis, symbolism, themes, & retellings over time. Highly recommend starting here if you want a broad overview! She also talks about the three “features” of a bluebeard story - (1) forbidden chamber, (2) agent of prohibition who also metes out punishment, & (3) figure who violates the prohibition. • Sour Cherry by Natalia Theodoridou (2025; full length novel!)

I know there are also film adaptations & retellings, but I am not as familiar with them. if you know of any more, pls feel free to drop them below! :)