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alexbottomley's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
caterinaanna's review against another edition
5.0
The scary thing about Goodreads linking to Amazon is that I know I bought this in June 2014, shortly after reading [b:A Book of Silence|4437202|A Book Of Silence|Sara Maitland|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1331151648s/4437202.jpg|4485395] to which I gave five stars … and yet I only got round to reading it when prompted by a reading challenge. And it is a book that appeals to my eclectic tastes by combining literature and language and anthropology and environment and history and biology and biography and travel in a cogently argued thesis about the origin of fairy stories interspersed with retellings of the tales in places and ways where they best illustrate the point being made. All this and evocative photographs too. What’s not to like?
bookishoutsider's review against another edition
4.0
I have the hardcover - ISBN 978-1847084293 - as the paperback isn't out until June 6 2013
astrangegirlsmind's review against another edition
4.0
This would have been a solid 5 star read if there had been more pictures! But otherwise it's perfect :D
moondoodle's review against another edition
5.0
I read this in for a university class, so maybe I had a different perspective from the other reviewers I'm seeing that didn't really like it. It fit in really well with our class, I enjoyed reading it, and then I enjoyed the class discussion afterwards.
I liked the walk in the forest parts more than the fairy tales. I guess I've been introduced to a lot of fairytale re-imaginings and I feel like I've read ones I've liked better. I really enjoyed how she blended together her thoughts about history and fairytales with the present experiences of walking through the forests. It felt like walking with her and having a discussion, or being a guest in her brain while she went. The topics all seemed to flow smoothly together and was just generally engaging to read. While there was a definite women-centric tone to this, it is much softer than other books that I've started or looked into that kind of punch you in the face with it.
It felt very personal and intimate.
I liked the walk in the forest parts more than the fairy tales. I guess I've been introduced to a lot of fairytale re-imaginings and I feel like I've read ones I've liked better. I really enjoyed how she blended together her thoughts about history and fairytales with the present experiences of walking through the forests. It felt like walking with her and having a discussion, or being a guest in her brain while she went. The topics all seemed to flow smoothly together and was just generally engaging to read. While there was a definite women-centric tone to this, it is much softer than other books that I've started or looked into that kind of punch you in the face with it.
It felt very personal and intimate.
muninnherself's review against another edition
4.0
A fascinating and delightful exploration of the place of forests in the northern European imagination, as well as the history of forests in Britain since the retreat of the ice. Plus fairy tales. Good stuff, definitely a good addition to anyone's nature writing collection but maybe even more useful to anyone studying fairy tales.
halfmanhalfbook's review against another edition
3.0
In this book Maitland is looking at the role that woods and forests have played in our national identity, primarily through stories, by also as a source of employment, fuel and food.
the book is split into 12 chapters, with 12 sub chapters. Each chapter describes a visit to a different wood or forest that she goes to. She visits these woods all around the country, one each month, as they are significant in some way, either for the variety of the species, or they historical or cultural significance. In these she explores the links that woods have with fairy stories, and the types of characters in these stories.
The small sub chapters are modern interpretations of well known fairy stories that she herself has written.
I really enjoyed the main part of the book about the forests and the history and cultural significance that trees have in our national psyche. Less enjoyable were the fairy tales. She speaks in the final chapter about children and new citizens being given a little book of classic fairy tales, and I feel that if she was going to include these she would have been better including the originals.
the book is split into 12 chapters, with 12 sub chapters. Each chapter describes a visit to a different wood or forest that she goes to. She visits these woods all around the country, one each month, as they are significant in some way, either for the variety of the species, or they historical or cultural significance. In these she explores the links that woods have with fairy stories, and the types of characters in these stories.
The small sub chapters are modern interpretations of well known fairy stories that she herself has written.
I really enjoyed the main part of the book about the forests and the history and cultural significance that trees have in our national psyche. Less enjoyable were the fairy tales. She speaks in the final chapter about children and new citizens being given a little book of classic fairy tales, and I feel that if she was going to include these she would have been better including the originals.
skyereads's review against another edition
3.0
A great concept - exploring the relationship between woods and fairy tales. Maitland has introduced me to many woods (and books about woods) which I look forward to exploring. Unfortunately, it was poorly edited, had a tendency to repetition and limited research leading to some factual errors. I was most irritated that, while writing almost exclusively about British woods, she completely ignored British fairy tales in favour of the Grimm's collection. A nice introduction, rather than a work of erudition.
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