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A review by mollyringle
Fairies: A Dangerous History by Richard Sugg
dark
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
5.0
Within a chapter I knew this was the fae research book I've been looking for all my life. I realize putting "fae" and "research" (or "nonfiction") in the same description may seem odd, but that's still the best description of this book: it's an exploration of people's beliefs about, and real-life reported encounters with, fairies throughout history, as well as their representation in literature and art, and how their image has changed over the years.
Sugg's writing is lovely and lyrical, yet approachable, sometimes providing clear explanatory notes to the odd historical tales and sometimes pondering, for instance, the overlapping territory between ghosts and fairies. The reports of the harsh treatment given in centuries past to those believed to be changelings are chilling but riveting, balanced by lighter and occasionally hilarious reports of fairy-related hoaxes. (Cottingley is just one of many.)
Any pop culture fan will enjoy the trip through the evolution of fairies in fiction, from Shakespeare to Peter Pan to Disney. And did you know fairies weren't generally believed to have wings until Victorian-era painters started illustrating them that way? (Search on A Midsummer Night's Dream: you won't find a single mention of wings on any of its fairy cast, nor in the artwork for that play pre-1800.) The book sticks mainly to Celtic lands, perhaps to keep the definition of fairies more consistent, but it's easy to see how similar are the tales of local spirits or creatures in other parts of the world. If you're a fae fan and you want to scratch deeper than the sparkly, harmless, Disneyfied surface of most modern fairies, this is the book for you.
Sugg's writing is lovely and lyrical, yet approachable, sometimes providing clear explanatory notes to the odd historical tales and sometimes pondering, for instance, the overlapping territory between ghosts and fairies. The reports of the harsh treatment given in centuries past to those believed to be changelings are chilling but riveting, balanced by lighter and occasionally hilarious reports of fairy-related hoaxes. (Cottingley is just one of many.)
Any pop culture fan will enjoy the trip through the evolution of fairies in fiction, from Shakespeare to Peter Pan to Disney. And did you know fairies weren't generally believed to have wings until Victorian-era painters started illustrating them that way? (Search on A Midsummer Night's Dream: you won't find a single mention of wings on any of its fairy cast, nor in the artwork for that play pre-1800.) The book sticks mainly to Celtic lands, perhaps to keep the definition of fairies more consistent, but it's easy to see how similar are the tales of local spirits or creatures in other parts of the world. If you're a fae fan and you want to scratch deeper than the sparkly, harmless, Disneyfied surface of most modern fairies, this is the book for you.