
English Fairy Tales
'English Fairy Tales' Summary
The author himself states that it was his intention to create a book in which the stories would sound as if they were being narrated by an old nurse or grandmother. Hence, the style is simple, direct and like he states, meant to be read aloud and not visually. The original edition also included extensive notes on the source from which he collected the stories and reference material which is of great interest to folk-lore enthusiasts. Such was the impact of some of the stories that they are referenced in Shakespeare's plays and provided inspiration for poets like Milton.
The highlight of the book for serious readers is the elaborate footnotes which provide a great deal of information about different variants of these stories that are told in other parts of the world. One of the most attractive features in the book are the charming illustrations that accompany each tale.
The book is a delightful read for both parents and children. Apart from old favorites, there are many new tales which most people would not have encountered like “Nix Nought Nothing” “The Laidly Worm of Spindleston Heugh” or “The Earl of Mar's Daughter.”
Book Details
Language
EnglishOriginal Language
EnglishPublished In
1890Genre/Category
Tags/Keywords
Author

Joseph Jacobs
Australia
Joseph Jacobs (29 August 1854 – 30 January 1916) was an Australian folklorist, translator, literary critic, social scientist, historian and writer of English literature who became a notable coll...
More on Joseph JacobsDownload eBooks
Listen/Download Audiobook
- Select Speed
Related books

The Romance of Plant Life by George Francis Scott-Elliot
Have you ever wondered how plants move, communicate, and survive? In The Romance of Plant Life, George Francis Scott-Elliot takes the reader on a jou...

A Sportsman's Sketches by Ivan Turgenev
A Sportsman's Sketches was an 1852 collection of short stories by Ivan Turgenev. It was the first major writing that gained him recognition. He wrote...

Tommy Smith's Animals by Edmund Selous
What if all the animals in your neighborhood could talk? What would they say? In Tommy Smith's Animals, Edmund Selous imagines what it would be like...

The Pot of Gold and Other Stories by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman
It is a captivating collection of tales that transports young readers into the charming world of rural New England. Written by the renowned American a...

The Junior Classics Volume 8: Animal and Nature Stories by William Patten
The eighth book in the Junior Classics Series is an anthology of collected animal and nature tales designed to appeal to the young and young at heart.

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
One of the most controversial novels written by Austen, Mansfield Park follows the life of the young heroine Fanny Price as she searches for her place...

Dorothy Dale – A Girl of Today by Margaret Penrose
Dorothy Dale is the daughter of an old Civil War veteran who is running a weekly newspaper in a small Eastern town. Her sunny disposition, her fun-lov...

The Blue Fairy Book by Andrew Lang
Published in 1889, The Blue Fairy Book is the first book in the series of story collections known as Andrew Lang's “Coloured” Fairy Books, which bring...

Three Science Fiction Stories by Frank Herbert
The three science fiction stories by Frank Herbert, Missing Link, originally published in Astounding Science Fiction, 1959; Operation Haystack, also p...

The Green Millennium by Fritz Leiber
From the classic science-fiction and fantasy author Fritz Leiber comes this intriguing tale of a green cat. From the author's introduction: "The world...
Reviews for English Fairy Tales
No reviews posted or approved, yet...