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A review by virgilsaeneid
Freaky Folklore: Terrifying Tales of the World's Most Elusive Monsters and Enigmatic Cryptids by Darkness Prevails
dark
informative
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
An ARC from Netgalley.
I went into Freaky Folklore a little bit concerned by the title, in all honesty. As a historian and lover of anthropology, with a specific interest in the folklore and mythology of cultural circles, hearing the word freaky be used next to folklore set off some red flags. However, I feel like this book approached the subject of mythology with a delicate and mindful approach. I especially enjoyed how they accredited folklore creatures from Indigenous circles to their specific peoples and didn't lump them under the title of cryptid.
Freaky Folklore has beautiful illustrations and is an excellent coffee table book to flip through. Sitting at a solid 4/5 rating, I wish the book had included excerpts or interviews from real "witnesses" of some of the folkloric figures, rather than fictionalized short stories. These short stories grew repetitive, and largely followed the same pattern of: [person] is in [situation] where [bad thing happens] because they see [folklore figure]. I felt like I started skipping over the short stories after a few of them.
I went into Freaky Folklore a little bit concerned by the title, in all honesty. As a historian and lover of anthropology, with a specific interest in the folklore and mythology of cultural circles, hearing the word freaky be used next to folklore set off some red flags. However, I feel like this book approached the subject of mythology with a delicate and mindful approach. I especially enjoyed how they accredited folklore creatures from Indigenous circles to their specific peoples and didn't lump them under the title of cryptid.
Freaky Folklore has beautiful illustrations and is an excellent coffee table book to flip through. Sitting at a solid 4/5 rating, I wish the book had included excerpts or interviews from real "witnesses" of some of the folkloric figures, rather than fictionalized short stories. These short stories grew repetitive, and largely followed the same pattern of: [person] is in [situation] where [bad thing happens] because they see [folklore figure]. I felt like I started skipping over the short stories after a few of them.