Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Collection
Publication
Indiana University Press (1974), 456 pages
Description
Amongst the one hundred folktales are such familiar tales as The Three Billy-Goats Gruff, Haensel and Gretel, Sleeping Beuaty, and some perhaps not so familiar, The Magic Bird, The Goose Girl, and The Pancake. If you can buy only one fairytale book a year, buy this. Why? Because the chooser knows more about the folktales of all countries than anyone else in the world, and the choice is the flower of the flock." --New York Times Book Review Just relax and enjoy these delightful tales from all over the world--or better yet, read them aloud to some of your favorite children." --Quartet Should remain the standard tale anthology in English for years to come." --Folklore Forum
User reviews
LibraryThing member waltzmn
This is a book to shock folktale specialists.
That's not because there is anything wrong with it. But Stith Thompson earned his reputation -- which is great -- as a result of organizing and classifying folktales; his six volume Motif-Index of Folk-Literature is the standard organizational reference
Except, ironically, here. The hundred tales here have no scholarly apparatus, no organization, no list of sources, no classification. If you buy it thinking this is a Work By Stith Thompson, you're going to be disappointed.
On the other hand, no one knew the folktales of the world better than Thompson, so no one was better equipped to pick out the best. There are familiar tales here -- and some you probably haven't seen. If all you want is a collection of great old stories, competently translated into English, this is a great place to start.
Just don't start looking for the notes at the back.
That's not because there is anything wrong with it. But Stith Thompson earned his reputation -- which is great -- as a result of organizing and classifying folktales; his six volume Motif-Index of Folk-Literature is the standard organizational reference
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for folktales. Many modern folklore studies are keyed to Thompson numbers. Even some studies that don't use Thompson numbers make excuses for their failure. Thompson influence is everywhere.Except, ironically, here. The hundred tales here have no scholarly apparatus, no organization, no list of sources, no classification. If you buy it thinking this is a Work By Stith Thompson, you're going to be disappointed.
On the other hand, no one knew the folktales of the world better than Thompson, so no one was better equipped to pick out the best. There are familiar tales here -- and some you probably haven't seen. If all you want is a collection of great old stories, competently translated into English, this is a great place to start.
Just don't start looking for the notes at the back.
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LibraryThing member Leslie_L.J.
A collection of European folk tales, nearly all collected from storytellers. The stories are numbered and the sources at the end give the information of each tale by the number.
Subjects
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1968
Physical description
456 p.; 6.01 inches
ISBN
0253201721 / 9780253201720