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3.58 AVERAGE
3.58 AVERAGE
Really nice collection of Folk Tales ( Fairy Tales or Scary Tales). Every culture has stories that pass down through the generations and this was an interesting read. Some of them only slightly different in the animated versions and story books I grew up with. Some have a moral to the story and many are really frightful and violent. The name of the character most often used appears to be Jack. Several have the beginning Once upon a time....and the phrase "Fe, fi, fo, fum" is used by several giants and evil peoples. So if you want to scare your little ones into behaving or giving them nightmares this is the book for you. But if your like me sugar coat everything, they will be spending more years as a grown up than as a child.
I read this as part of a children's lit class. I didn't like them as much as I liked the Tales of Grimm.
The Rose Tree - I didn't like - evil stepmother kills daughter then daughter comes back and leaves her father & brother gifts.
The Three Heads of the Well - in search of a new life a king’s daughter realizes that kindness really does pay off.
Princess of Canterbury - the test of staying awake for a fair maidens hand is placed before a shepherd.
Molly Whuppie - A very smart girl outwits a giant and wins the hand of a prince.
The Rose Tree - I didn't like - evil stepmother kills daughter then daughter comes back and leaves her father & brother gifts.
The Three Heads of the Well - in search of a new life a king’s daughter realizes that kindness really does pay off.
Princess of Canterbury - the test of staying awake for a fair maidens hand is placed before a shepherd.
Molly Whuppie - A very smart girl outwits a giant and wins the hand of a prince.
funny
hopeful
inspiring
Kind of fun to read the oldest known versions of our beloved fairy tales. So dark and twisted before Disney got a hold of them.
There is something very comforting about reading a collection of fairy tales. I loved the matter-of-fact, colloquial tone and constantly being surprised by very odd details which sprung up out of nowhere! The fantastical element of these stories was charming and intriguing. The stories often reminded me of dream logic - things that just 'make sense' although in reality they really don't.
Some prevalent themes were: retribution, justice, fate, marriage, making one's own fortune (/wealth), and interaction with the reader. I found it interesting to consider the cultural context of the stories, their oral and written evolution, and certain narrative features such as the many repeated refrains and motifs and sudden changes in tense.
The brief nature of these stand-alone stories makes for very light reading and a volume which is easy to set aside for a while and come back to later.
A few good bits:
"Well, that was one big silly."
"So the gentleman turned back home again and married the farmer's daughter, and if they didn't live happy for ever after, that's nothing to do with you or me."
"So Jack climbed and he climbed and he climbed and he climbed and he climbed and he climbed and he climbed till at last he reached the sky."
"Once upon a time when pigs spoke rhyme And monkeys chewed tobacco, And hens took snuff to make them tough, And ducks went quack, quack, quack, O!"
Some prevalent themes were: retribution, justice, fate, marriage, making one's own fortune (/wealth), and interaction with the reader. I found it interesting to consider the cultural context of the stories, their oral and written evolution, and certain narrative features such as the many repeated refrains and motifs and sudden changes in tense.
The brief nature of these stand-alone stories makes for very light reading and a volume which is easy to set aside for a while and come back to later.
A few good bits:
"Well, that was one big silly."
"So the gentleman turned back home again and married the farmer's daughter, and if they didn't live happy for ever after, that's nothing to do with you or me."
"So Jack climbed and he climbed and he climbed and he climbed and he climbed and he climbed and he climbed till at last he reached the sky."
"Once upon a time when pigs spoke rhyme And monkeys chewed tobacco, And hens took snuff to make them tough, And ducks went quack, quack, quack, O!"
adventurous
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Una lettura leggera e divertente. Si ritrovano tanti elementi tipici delle fiabe europee (e non) ed è chiaro e da tradizione che molti elementi si ripetano tra le varie storie raccolte da Joseph. Alcune erano nuove per me ed è stato bello poterle vedere in un'ottica diversa, dopo aver frequentato un meraviglioso corso su Andersen. Il libro rimanda a tantissime altre opere sul grande mondo delle fiabe e presenta paragoni con fiabe di altri paesi, tracciando un filo a dir poco universale.
L'unico motivo per cui ho dato 4 stelle: volevo più storie!
L'unico motivo per cui ho dato 4 stelle: volevo più storie!
Fairy Tales for grownups
It's interesting to see original fairytales, some of them I knew, some of them have their version in my languange, and some of them are pretty cruel.
Archaic sentences made me skip some parts of stories, and old English isn't that attractive to read.
Nevertheless it's a fine read to fulfill your time, and definitely it's not for children - it's for those who enjoy a good scary old story that borderlines with horror and gruesome descriptions innocent people dying. It also got some stories that are funny.
It's interesting to see original fairytales, some of them I knew, some of them have their version in my languange, and some of them are pretty cruel.
Archaic sentences made me skip some parts of stories, and old English isn't that attractive to read.
Nevertheless it's a fine read to fulfill your time, and definitely it's not for children - it's for those who enjoy a good scary old story that borderlines with horror and gruesome descriptions innocent people dying. It also got some stories that are funny.