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redheadbeans's review
5.0
This is a really great and interesting read! I loved the diversity of ethnicities, ages and positions and so many of the stories were enjoyable and interesting! I especially liked how each story had a sort of mini lesson attached at the end, so parents/teachers can give a quick explanation of important lessons learned from the story to young children.
jainabee's review
5.0
I love love love collections of folk tales, and this is one of the best. A very wide variety of cultures and styles, with interesting annotations.
reneethelibrarian's review
3.0
I really liked this collection but wished there was more commentary on each of the stories.
toad_maiden's review
4.0
This is a truly wonderful collection of folk and fairy tales. The variations in theme, structure, and flavor, as well as a fairly international sourcing, have created a well rounded and collection. I sometimes very much enjoyed the editorial notes at the end of each story, and sometimes found them a bit cloying (or somewhat less compatible with my own feminism), but I think they definitely make this collection a bit more accessible to multiple audiences. There are many women in my life who will be receiving a copy of this book in the next year.
barefootsong's review
3.0
This is a pretty good collection, though not quite as diverse as I would have liked (only one from South America is particularly glaring, though Ragan notes that in her intro). It's also hard with folktales because so many of them were gathered somewhat problematically, particularly in the 19th and early 20th centuries. I wish Ragan had been a bit clearer about the sources (they're all cited in endnotes, but while some of the endnotes provide a bit more context than the bare citation, most of them don't so you'd have to do your own research to find out more about the collectors). Ragan's "interpretations" at the end of each tale are mostly annoying so I'd recommend skipping them. They are mostly recaps of what you just read (it's not like the tales are that long...) and/or try to make awkward parallels to historical events and/or her life.
It's pretty great to read a collection of stories about women, though. I liked that they're not all "good" women, too. There's a nice variety of personality throughout the tales.
It's pretty great to read a collection of stories about women, though. I liked that they're not all "good" women, too. There's a nice variety of personality throughout the tales.
alysonimagines's review
4.0
This collection features 100 folk tales from around the world about girls and women who actually do things: they rescue each other as well as the princes they woo; with their sharp wit, they demonstrate the danger of underestimating a woman’s intellect; and they prove the power of peacemaking in the midst of war. Not every story won me over, but for the most part, this is a refreshing alternative to the helpless damsel-in-distress fairy tales.
doriastories's review
4.0
I took several months to leisurely read this book, which continues a fascinating and diverse assemblage of tales, drawn from every continent of the world except for Antarctica. The theme of the collection is that of strong female protagonists, and it was well worth the time it took to read this extensive collection. Ragan clearly put a great deal of effort into organizing and researching the stories, and even took the time to add her own personal "reaction" at the end of each tale, in italics, perhaps in an effort to situate the stories in a broader context of shared female experience. In all honesty, I could have done without most of these, as they served mainly to distract me from individual merits and interest of the stories themselves, constantly reminding the reader of the editor's presence and significance. The collection of stories itself stands as tribute to the hard work and dedication of the person who took such pains to share them with the general public. Enough said.
greymalkin's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
A wonderful collection of fairytales, fables, and myths, many of which I have not read before. The erratic translation quality was a little bit distracting (clearly in some stories there was a lot of "translator re-writing parts to match their own belief systems") but I expect that some stories would not be available if not for at least this level of translation.
The author afterwords were a little too much like a high school analysis essay to be enjoyable. The messages were generally fine but the connections and conclusions and points they tried to make often felt like too much of a stretch. I didn't mind the analysis but feel like it might have benefited from grouping certain stories together either by theme (clever girl, surprise hero, disguising as a man, etc.) instead of by country of origin. I think some really interesting things could have been said by putting some of the stories next to each other and then discussing them all together. Not only would that help avoid some of the inevitable "and she also was very brave so it's important to be brave even when scared" repetition that happened when writing an afterword after Every. Single. Story. Grouping them and just having one essay would allow for talking about how there were similarities across completely different cultures, and of course the differences.
It also would have helped with the blur of sameness. I took forever to read this book (almost four years), not because they were challenging or too lengthy, but because if I read too many at once, they all blurred together and there was little point in reading more since I'd never remember any of the individual stories.
A warning to any parent, some of the stories are more fables and myths so they talk about dismemberment, disease, death, seduction, and topics like that. Nothing extremely explicit, but be aware of this if you choose to read these stories aloud to small children without vetting the story first.
The author afterwords were a little too much like a high school analysis essay to be enjoyable. The messages were generally fine but the connections and conclusions and points they tried to make often felt like too much of a stretch. I didn't mind the analysis but feel like it might have benefited from grouping certain stories together either by theme (clever girl, surprise hero, disguising as a man, etc.) instead of by country of origin. I think some really interesting things could have been said by putting some of the stories next to each other and then discussing them all together. Not only would that help avoid some of the inevitable "and she also was very brave so it's important to be brave even when scared" repetition that happened when writing an afterword after Every. Single. Story. Grouping them and just having one essay would allow for talking about how there were similarities across completely different cultures, and of course the differences.
It also would have helped with the blur of sameness. I took forever to read this book (almost four years), not because they were challenging or too lengthy, but because if I read too many at once, they all blurred together and there was little point in reading more since I'd never remember any of the individual stories.
A warning to any parent, some of the stories are more fables and myths so they talk about dismemberment, disease, death, seduction, and topics like that. Nothing extremely explicit, but be aware of this if you choose to read these stories aloud to small children without vetting the story first.
katya_antonova's review
5.0
An astounding anthology. Divided by region, these well-selected folk tales will transport your mind across land and time. A great mix of the staple tales from certain regions to stories you may not even know from your own country. Never a dull moment, with delicious end notes to spare!
miggsisalot's review
4.0
An interesting read and a great collection of stories to pass on to your daughters!