What do you think?
Rate this book
The Coloured Fairy Books
The Green Fairy Book
42 tales from around the world, Germany Grimm, France de Caylus, Fenelon, Kletke, D'Aulnoy - The Blue Bird, Sylvain and Jocosa, Prince Narcissus, The Three Little Pigs, the Half-Chick - feature monsters, giants, and more. 100 illustrations.
384 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1892
About the author
Andrew Lang
3,008 books525 followersTales of the Scottish writer and anthropologist Andrew Lang include
The Blue Fairy Book
(1889).
Andrew Gabriel Lang, a prolific Scotsman of letters, contributed poetry, novels, literary criticism, and collected now best folklore.
The Young Scholar and Journalist
Andrew Gabriel Lang, the son of the town clerk and the eldest of eight children, lived in Selkirk in the Scottish borderlands. The wild and beautiful landscape of childhood greatly affected the youth and inspired a lifelong love of the outdoors and a fascination with local folklore and history. Charles Edward Stuart and Robert I the Bruce surrounded him in the borders, a rich area in history. He later achieved his literary Short History of Scotland .
A gifted student and avid reader, Lang went to the prestigious Saint Andrews University, which now holds a lecture series in his honor every few years, and then to Balliol College, Oxford. He later published Oxford: Brief Historical and Descriptive Notes about the city in 1880.
Moving to London at the age of 31 years in 1875 as an already published poet, he started working as a journalist. His dry sense of humor, style, and huge array of interests made him a popular editor and columnist quickly for The Daily Post, Time magazine and Fortnightly Review. Whilst working in London, he met and married Leonore Blanche Alleyne, his wife.
Interest in myths and folklore continued as he and Leonore traveled through France and Italy to hear local legends, from which came the most famous The Rainbow Fairy Books . In the late 19th century, interest in the native stories declined and very few persons recounting them for young readers. In fact, some educationalists attacked harmful magical stories in general to children. To challenge this notion, Lang first began collecting stories for the first of his colored volumes.
Lang gathered already recorded stories, while other folklorists collected stories directly from source. He used his time to collect a much greater breadth over the world from Jacob Grimm, his brother, Madame d'Aulnoy, and other less well sources.
Lang also worked as the editor, often credited as its sole creator for his work despite the essential support of his wife, who transcribed and organised the translation of the text, to the success.
He published to wide acclaim. The beautiful illustrations and magic captivated the minds of children and adults alike. The success first allowed Lang and Leonore to carry on their research and in 1890 to publish a much larger print run of The Red Fairy Book , which drew on even more sources. Between 1889 and 1910, they published twelve collections, which, each with a different colored binding, collected, edited and translated a total of 437 stories. Lang, credited with reviving interest in folklore, more importantly revolutionized the Victorian view and inspired generations of parents to begin reading them to children once more.
Last Works
Lang produced and at the same time continued a wide assortment of novels, literary criticism, articles, and poetry. As Anita Silvey, literary critic, however, noted, "The irony of Lang's life and work is that although he wrote for a profession... he is best recognized for the works he did not write," the folk stories that he collected.
He finished not the last Highways and Byways of the Border but died.
Andrew Gabriel Lang, a prolific Scotsman of letters, contributed poetry, novels, literary criticism, and collected now best folklore.
The Young Scholar and Journalist
Andrew Gabriel Lang, the son of the town clerk and the eldest of eight children, lived in Selkirk in the Scottish borderlands. The wild and beautiful landscape of childhood greatly affected the youth and inspired a lifelong love of the outdoors and a fascination with local folklore and history. Charles Edward Stuart and Robert I the Bruce surrounded him in the borders, a rich area in history. He later achieved his literary Short History of Scotland .
A gifted student and avid reader, Lang went to the prestigious Saint Andrews University, which now holds a lecture series in his honor every few years, and then to Balliol College, Oxford. He later published Oxford: Brief Historical and Descriptive Notes about the city in 1880.
Moving to London at the age of 31 years in 1875 as an already published poet, he started working as a journalist. His dry sense of humor, style, and huge array of interests made him a popular editor and columnist quickly for The Daily Post, Time magazine and Fortnightly Review. Whilst working in London, he met and married Leonore Blanche Alleyne, his wife.
Interest in myths and folklore continued as he and Leonore traveled through France and Italy to hear local legends, from which came the most famous The Rainbow Fairy Books . In the late 19th century, interest in the native stories declined and very few persons recounting them for young readers. In fact, some educationalists attacked harmful magical stories in general to children. To challenge this notion, Lang first began collecting stories for the first of his colored volumes.
Lang gathered already recorded stories, while other folklorists collected stories directly from source. He used his time to collect a much greater breadth over the world from Jacob Grimm, his brother, Madame d'Aulnoy, and other less well sources.
Lang also worked as the editor, often credited as its sole creator for his work despite the essential support of his wife, who transcribed and organised the translation of the text, to the success.
He published to wide acclaim. The beautiful illustrations and magic captivated the minds of children and adults alike. The success first allowed Lang and Leonore to carry on their research and in 1890 to publish a much larger print run of The Red Fairy Book , which drew on even more sources. Between 1889 and 1910, they published twelve collections, which, each with a different colored binding, collected, edited and translated a total of 437 stories. Lang, credited with reviving interest in folklore, more importantly revolutionized the Victorian view and inspired generations of parents to begin reading them to children once more.
Last Works
Lang produced and at the same time continued a wide assortment of novels, literary criticism, articles, and poetry. As Anita Silvey, literary critic, however, noted, "The irony of Lang's life and work is that although he wrote for a profession... he is best recognized for the works he did not write," the folk stories that he collected.
He finished not the last Highways and Byways of the Border but died.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 108 reviews
November 15, 2018
كتاب غاية في التفاهه، ومفكك وغير مترابط تماما
June 6, 2023
The Blue Bird - 5/5
The Half-Chick - 3/5
The Story Of Caliph Stork - 4/5
The Enchanted Watch - 4/5
Rosanella - 5/5
Sylvain And Jocosa - 4/5
Fairy Gifts - 4/5
Prince Narcissus And The Princess Potentilla - 4/5
Prince Featherhead And The Princess Celandine 4/5
The Three Little Pigs 3/5
Heart Of Ice 3/5
The Enchanted Ring 3/5
The Snuff-Box -4/5
The Golden Blackbird 4/5
The Little Soldier 4/5
The Magic Swan 3/5
The Dirty Shepherdess 4/5
The Enchanted Snake 4/5
Little One-Eye, Little Two-Eyes, And Little Three-Eyes - 4/5
Jorinde And Joringel 4/5
Allerleirauh; Or, The Many-Furred Creature 5/5
The Twelve Huntsmen Spindle, Shuttle, And Needle 4/5
The Crystal Coffin 3/5
The Three Snake-Leaves 3/5
The Riddle Jack 3/5
My Hedgehog 4/5
The Golden Lads 4/5
The White Snake 4/5
The Story Of A Clever Tailor 3/5
The Golden Mermaid 4/5
The War Of The Wolf And The Fox 3/5
The Story Of The Fisherman And His Wife 4/5
The Three Musicians 3/5
The Three Dogs 4/5
The Half-Chick - 3/5
The Story Of Caliph Stork - 4/5
The Enchanted Watch - 4/5
Rosanella - 5/5
Sylvain And Jocosa - 4/5
Fairy Gifts - 4/5
Prince Narcissus And The Princess Potentilla - 4/5
Prince Featherhead And The Princess Celandine 4/5
The Three Little Pigs 3/5
Heart Of Ice 3/5
The Enchanted Ring 3/5
The Snuff-Box -4/5
The Golden Blackbird 4/5
The Little Soldier 4/5
The Magic Swan 3/5
The Dirty Shepherdess 4/5
The Enchanted Snake 4/5
Little One-Eye, Little Two-Eyes, And Little Three-Eyes - 4/5
Jorinde And Joringel 4/5
Allerleirauh; Or, The Many-Furred Creature 5/5
The Twelve Huntsmen Spindle, Shuttle, And Needle 4/5
The Crystal Coffin 3/5
The Three Snake-Leaves 3/5
The Riddle Jack 3/5
My Hedgehog 4/5
The Golden Lads 4/5
The White Snake 4/5
The Story Of A Clever Tailor 3/5
The Golden Mermaid 4/5
The War Of The Wolf And The Fox 3/5
The Story Of The Fisherman And His Wife 4/5
The Three Musicians 3/5
The Three Dogs 4/5
March 5, 2018
Another collection of fairy tales, this time forty-six ones, varying in length and enjoyment.
September 14, 2018
3 1/2 Stars. Every time I read an Andrew Lang Colored Fairy book I discover new tales I'd never read or heard if before! Although this collection is not as good as some of his other books it's still worth reading if you are a fairy tale geek like I am. I particularly enjoyed some of the lesser known Grimms tales that are in this collection!
July 8, 2013
Back to reporting out the notes I took on my e-reader!
Preface:
Re: "This is the third, and probably the last of the Fairy Books of many colours." Ahahaha. Good try, Andrew.
Re: "There are grown up people now who say that the stories are not good for children, because they are not true, because [...] but probably you who read the tales know very well how much is true and how much is only make believe, and I never yet heard of a child who killed a very tall man merely because Jack killed the giants..." and "...I am not afraid that you will be afraid of the magicians and dragons; besides, you see that a really brave boy or girl was always their master...." I love Lang! Multicultural, anti-sexist, respects children...
Re: "There are not many people now... who can write really good fairy tales, because they do not believe enough in their own stories, and because they want to be wittier than it has pleased Heaven to make them." Lol!
Re: "When you have read a fairy book, lend it to other children who have none, or tell them the stories in your own way..." Yeah!
I swear, his prefaces are just as good as the stories themselves. Love it!
Sylvain and Jocosa: Weirdly, I really like this one. I like their relationship.
The Golden Blackbird: Oh, it's this story! (Aka, that one I've been trying to retell in novel form for about eight years.)
The Magic Swan: I just read this one, maybe in the last book. [It's always interesting when a couple stories from different places don't just share themes but are virtually identical!]
The Enchanted Snake:
Re: "'Do with me what you like, my lord and father, for your will is my law,' answered Grannonia." GROSS.
Re: "...the King and Queen were in such a state of nervous collapse that they hid themselves in a far-away turret. Grannonia alone kept her presence of mind." At least she is a badass, though!
WHY DOES EVERYONE THROW THE DISCARDED ANIMAL SKIN INTO THE FIRE?!? Dumb shits. At least this time it was the parents instead of the princess.
How is it ok for Grannonia to have deceived the fox like that? Wtf?!?
King Kojata: I love the stories where the princess basically coaches the prince through all of the tasks to win her/does them for him. Yeah, agency!
Prince Fickle and Fair Helena: For some reason I thought I was recognizing a trope here, but I no longer know what it was. Later in the story, when fair Helena is gathering up her three dresses (embroidered with stars, suns, and moons), I noted, "haha what a mishmash." And then at the end, I noted, "felt awkward, incomplete." Clearly I thought this one was a bit of a mess.
Puddocky:
Re: "The father again embraced his fortunate son [who won a challenge by bringing back an extremely small dog, which obviously shows he has the qualities of a great ruler], commanded the rest of the small dogs to be thrown into the water and drowned..." WTF?!? Hate him.
Re: [The youngest son has now brought back the most beautiful wife.] "But the father commanded the other women to be thrown into the water and drowned, like the bales of linen and the little dogs." JESUS.
The Story of Hok Lee and the Dwarfs: Love this one!
The Story of the Three Bears: "For they were good bears - a little rough or so, as the manner of bears is..." Haha love it.
Little One-Eye, Little Two-Eyes, Little Three-Eyes: First of all, weird. Second, I love that Little Two-Eyes is proactive and when the knight asks her how her living situation is, she straight up is like, "it is bullshit and my family sucks. Please take me with you."
Allerleirauh; or, the Many-Furred Creature:
Re: "If you want to marry after my death, make no one queen unless she is just as beautiful as I am, and has just such golden hair as I have. Promise me this." OH NO.
Re: "So he said to his councillors, 'I will marry my daughter to one of you, and she shall be queen, for she is exactly like her dead mother, and when I die her husband shall be king.'" PHEW.
The Twelve Huntsmen: Weird story but good.
Jack My Hedgehog:
Re: "Jack tore all the Princess's smart clothes off her, and pricked her all over with his bristles." This is bullshit. Especially because later, although the poor princess has to be shamed and abused even though it was her dad that made the deal with Jack My Hedgehog in the first place, Jack My Hedgehog's asshole father who cast him out gets to be redeemed. SOMETIMES I HATE FAIRY TALES.
The Golden Lads: That was nice! That the brothers came to each other's rescue and are nice to each other. Although the mom completely disappears from the story after the beginning.
The White Snake: Classic story! :)
The Golden Mermaid: Interesting golden bird variant! Heh, two in one colored fairy book!
Preface:
Re: "This is the third, and probably the last of the Fairy Books of many colours." Ahahaha. Good try, Andrew.
Re: "There are grown up people now who say that the stories are not good for children, because they are not true, because [...] but probably you who read the tales know very well how much is true and how much is only make believe, and I never yet heard of a child who killed a very tall man merely because Jack killed the giants..." and "...I am not afraid that you will be afraid of the magicians and dragons; besides, you see that a really brave boy or girl was always their master...." I love Lang! Multicultural, anti-sexist, respects children...
Re: "There are not many people now... who can write really good fairy tales, because they do not believe enough in their own stories, and because they want to be wittier than it has pleased Heaven to make them." Lol!
Re: "When you have read a fairy book, lend it to other children who have none, or tell them the stories in your own way..." Yeah!
I swear, his prefaces are just as good as the stories themselves. Love it!
Sylvain and Jocosa: Weirdly, I really like this one. I like their relationship.
The Golden Blackbird: Oh, it's this story! (Aka, that one I've been trying to retell in novel form for about eight years.)
The Magic Swan: I just read this one, maybe in the last book. [It's always interesting when a couple stories from different places don't just share themes but are virtually identical!]
The Enchanted Snake:
Re: "'Do with me what you like, my lord and father, for your will is my law,' answered Grannonia." GROSS.
Re: "...the King and Queen were in such a state of nervous collapse that they hid themselves in a far-away turret. Grannonia alone kept her presence of mind." At least she is a badass, though!
WHY DOES EVERYONE THROW THE DISCARDED ANIMAL SKIN INTO THE FIRE?!? Dumb shits. At least this time it was the parents instead of the princess.
How is it ok for Grannonia to have deceived the fox like that? Wtf?!?
King Kojata: I love the stories where the princess basically coaches the prince through all of the tasks to win her/does them for him. Yeah, agency!
Prince Fickle and Fair Helena: For some reason I thought I was recognizing a trope here, but I no longer know what it was. Later in the story, when fair Helena is gathering up her three dresses (embroidered with stars, suns, and moons), I noted, "haha what a mishmash." And then at the end, I noted, "felt awkward, incomplete." Clearly I thought this one was a bit of a mess.
Puddocky:
Re: "The father again embraced his fortunate son [who won a challenge by bringing back an extremely small dog, which obviously shows he has the qualities of a great ruler], commanded the rest of the small dogs to be thrown into the water and drowned..." WTF?!? Hate him.
Re: [The youngest son has now brought back the most beautiful wife.] "But the father commanded the other women to be thrown into the water and drowned, like the bales of linen and the little dogs." JESUS.
The Story of Hok Lee and the Dwarfs: Love this one!
The Story of the Three Bears: "For they were good bears - a little rough or so, as the manner of bears is..." Haha love it.
Little One-Eye, Little Two-Eyes, Little Three-Eyes: First of all, weird. Second, I love that Little Two-Eyes is proactive and when the knight asks her how her living situation is, she straight up is like, "it is bullshit and my family sucks. Please take me with you."
Allerleirauh; or, the Many-Furred Creature:
Re: "If you want to marry after my death, make no one queen unless she is just as beautiful as I am, and has just such golden hair as I have. Promise me this." OH NO.
Re: "So he said to his councillors, 'I will marry my daughter to one of you, and she shall be queen, for she is exactly like her dead mother, and when I die her husband shall be king.'" PHEW.
The Twelve Huntsmen: Weird story but good.
Jack My Hedgehog:
Re: "Jack tore all the Princess's smart clothes off her, and pricked her all over with his bristles." This is bullshit. Especially because later, although the poor princess has to be shamed and abused even though it was her dad that made the deal with Jack My Hedgehog in the first place, Jack My Hedgehog's asshole father who cast him out gets to be redeemed. SOMETIMES I HATE FAIRY TALES.
The Golden Lads: That was nice! That the brothers came to each other's rescue and are nice to each other. Although the mom completely disappears from the story after the beginning.
The White Snake: Classic story! :)
The Golden Mermaid: Interesting golden bird variant! Heh, two in one colored fairy book!
March 6, 2016
An excellent book that I received for Christmas last week. I was especially excited to get one with all the old illustrations. It's definitely one of the better books in Lang's collection. The illustrations are beautiful and the fanciful descriptions add to the charm.
My favorite stories:
- The Blue Bird
- The Story of Caliph Stork
- Rosanella
- Fairy Gifts (this one's hilarious, and I like that it's a rare princess story without romance)
- Prince Narcissus and the Princess Potentilla
- Heart of Ice
- The Little Soldier (LOVE this one, especially because in this one the princess is evil)
- Puddocky (even though the princes' dad is a real prick)
- Jorinde and Joringel
- The Three Snake-Leaves
My only major complaint is the distribution of the stories. The first half has such a wide variety of collectors represented but the second half has almost exclusively Brothers Grimm stories. I would have preferred a little more variety in the second half, but other than that, the book is great.
There's also an interesting fact about this book: this book was one of the main inspirations for the King's Quest computer game series. King's Quest IV uses the names of two of the fairies (Genesta from Heart of Ice and Lolotte from Prince Vivien and the Princess Placida) for the game's respective good and evil fairies, and the name of the game's princess and queen (Rosella and Valanice) are based on the names of Rosanella and her mother Balanice. I know it's a bit off-topic, but I wanted to point it out
My favorite stories:
- The Blue Bird
- The Story of Caliph Stork
- Rosanella
- Fairy Gifts (this one's hilarious, and I like that it's a rare princess story without romance)
- Prince Narcissus and the Princess Potentilla
- Heart of Ice
- The Little Soldier (LOVE this one, especially because in this one the princess is evil)
- Puddocky (even though the princes' dad is a real prick)
- Jorinde and Joringel
- The Three Snake-Leaves
My only major complaint is the distribution of the stories. The first half has such a wide variety of collectors represented but the second half has almost exclusively Brothers Grimm stories. I would have preferred a little more variety in the second half, but other than that, the book is great.
There's also an interesting fact about this book: this book was one of the main inspirations for the King's Quest computer game series. King's Quest IV uses the names of two of the fairies (Genesta from Heart of Ice and Lolotte from Prince Vivien and the Princess Placida) for the game's respective good and evil fairies, and the name of the game's princess and queen (Rosella and Valanice) are based on the names of Rosanella and her mother Balanice. I know it's a bit off-topic, but I wanted to point it out
January 14, 2023
This one took me long enough. I listened to it on Audible and started in mid-2022. I just got around to finishing it, not because I didn't enjoy it but I found it hard to listen aloud to fairy tales. I'd rather just read them. But this was my first Lang and it wet my appetite for more.
November 11, 2024
I've left individual reviews for stories that had their own entry here on GR, the rest are in this review.
The Blue Bird **** A prince is cursed to become a blue-bird, the princess that saves him is sweet and kind. All's well that ends well, and a good story to start off the Green Fairy Book.
The Enchanted Watch **** A lad rescues several animals along his journey and it pays off in the end, especially when his wife betrays him.
Sylvain and Jocosa *** OMG BEST FRIENDS 4EVER!!!!
Fairy Gifts **** A nice spin on the story of princesses being given fairy gifts - too much of a good thing really is too much.
Prince Narcissus and the Princess Potentilla *** Not a very memorable one for me.
Prince Featherhead and the Princess Celandine *** Such a ridiculous name for a prince.
The Three Little Pigs **** Classic tale that has been told many times, it's interesting to note the variations.
Heart of Ice *** A princess has her heart stolen and encased in ice.
The Enchanted Ring ** Handsome = good, ugly = bad and a magic ring makes everything better.
The Snuff-box *** Much store is placed in a magical snuff-box, which functions in much the same way as the fabled lamp in the story of Aladdin.
The Golden Blackbird *** Three sons go to try and find the golden blackbird to heal their ailing father.
The Little Soldier *** Damn, but that princess really is a trifling bitch who lies to the soldier repeatedly. I think that conniving girl got off too easy in the end but at least the soldier got his stuff back.
The Dirty Shepherdess *** This is reminiscent of a Greek story, as well as the story of King Lear. The older daughter compares her love to the apple of his eye, the younger to the salt in her food.
The Enchanted Snake **** The princess might be lovely, but she's quite a conniving and spoiled brat, fortunately, the hero realizes he deserves better.
The Biter Bit" **** Simon might be a scrooge but he's also clever, and knows to take good advice when he's given it.
The Story of the Three Bears *** Basically Goldilocks and the 3 bears, but goldilocks is a old woman.
Prince Vivien and the Princess Placida ** Fairies get so offended over the stupidest things. This story was boring and it dragged on.
Little One-eye, Little Two-eyes, and Little Three-eyes *** A weird story about a trio of sisters who, as the title says, have six eyes distributed unequally between them. Two-eyes is tormented by her mother and sisters because she's the only "normal" looking one. I'd give this story a higher rating if not for the ableist slant.
Jorinde and Joringel *** Pretty typical, nothing stood out to me. A tale of two lovers separaed by an evil witch.
The Crystal Coffin *** The poor princess was captured by an incel, but fortunately a kind and hard-working tailor was able to rescue her.
The Riddle *** Well, the princess is not a very nice one... I think the hero could have done better. Still, a fun tale.
Jack my Hedgehog Er, okay, this childless man is tired of being teased by his neighbors on not having kids so in the heat of the moment he says he is determined to have a child, even if that child is just a hedgehog. And as luck would have it, he eventually does have a son... who is half hedgehog. The man is so bitter that he wishes his son were dead. Gee, father of the year material right there /s. But hey, at least the hedgehog boy is a decent enough lad and gets a happy ending.
The Golden Lads *** Yanno, it would have been easy for the fisherman to just tell his wife that a fairy was responsible for their good fortune, it'd have gotten her off his back. But these stories have a lot of people forgetting their agreements with magical beings. You'd think the golden fish would find somewhere else to be...
The Story of a Clever Tailor *** Lazy but clever fellow manages to win a princess. Good on him.
The Golden Mermaid *** The wolf put up with a lot more than he needed to.
The War of the Wolf and the Fox **** I rejoice at this clever story of a old dog and a cat who prove themselves better than the master who wanted to kill them because he thought they were old and useless.
The Three Musicians ** Meh. The hero wins a princess from a ugly dwarf sorcerer holding her prisoner.
The Three Dogs **** I know that in these stories the hero often has things handed to him, but in this one the hero gets three dogs with varying wondrous abilities for what is almost a steal.
The Blue Bird **** A prince is cursed to become a blue-bird, the princess that saves him is sweet and kind. All's well that ends well, and a good story to start off the Green Fairy Book.
The Enchanted Watch **** A lad rescues several animals along his journey and it pays off in the end, especially when his wife betrays him.
Sylvain and Jocosa *** OMG BEST FRIENDS 4EVER!!!!
Fairy Gifts **** A nice spin on the story of princesses being given fairy gifts - too much of a good thing really is too much.
Prince Narcissus and the Princess Potentilla *** Not a very memorable one for me.
Prince Featherhead and the Princess Celandine *** Such a ridiculous name for a prince.
The Three Little Pigs **** Classic tale that has been told many times, it's interesting to note the variations.
Heart of Ice *** A princess has her heart stolen and encased in ice.
The Enchanted Ring ** Handsome = good, ugly = bad and a magic ring makes everything better.
The Snuff-box *** Much store is placed in a magical snuff-box, which functions in much the same way as the fabled lamp in the story of Aladdin.
The Golden Blackbird *** Three sons go to try and find the golden blackbird to heal their ailing father.
The Little Soldier *** Damn, but that princess really is a trifling bitch who lies to the soldier repeatedly. I think that conniving girl got off too easy in the end but at least the soldier got his stuff back.
The Dirty Shepherdess *** This is reminiscent of a Greek story, as well as the story of King Lear. The older daughter compares her love to the apple of his eye, the younger to the salt in her food.
The Enchanted Snake **** The princess might be lovely, but she's quite a conniving and spoiled brat, fortunately, the hero realizes he deserves better.
The Biter Bit" **** Simon might be a scrooge but he's also clever, and knows to take good advice when he's given it.
The Story of the Three Bears *** Basically Goldilocks and the 3 bears, but goldilocks is a old woman.
Prince Vivien and the Princess Placida ** Fairies get so offended over the stupidest things. This story was boring and it dragged on.
Little One-eye, Little Two-eyes, and Little Three-eyes *** A weird story about a trio of sisters who, as the title says, have six eyes distributed unequally between them. Two-eyes is tormented by her mother and sisters because she's the only "normal" looking one. I'd give this story a higher rating if not for the ableist slant.
Jorinde and Joringel *** Pretty typical, nothing stood out to me. A tale of two lovers separaed by an evil witch.
The Crystal Coffin *** The poor princess was captured by an incel, but fortunately a kind and hard-working tailor was able to rescue her.
The Riddle *** Well, the princess is not a very nice one... I think the hero could have done better. Still, a fun tale.
Jack my Hedgehog Er, okay, this childless man is tired of being teased by his neighbors on not having kids so in the heat of the moment he says he is determined to have a child, even if that child is just a hedgehog. And as luck would have it, he eventually does have a son... who is half hedgehog. The man is so bitter that he wishes his son were dead. Gee, father of the year material right there /s. But hey, at least the hedgehog boy is a decent enough lad and gets a happy ending.
The Golden Lads *** Yanno, it would have been easy for the fisherman to just tell his wife that a fairy was responsible for their good fortune, it'd have gotten her off his back. But these stories have a lot of people forgetting their agreements with magical beings. You'd think the golden fish would find somewhere else to be...
The Story of a Clever Tailor *** Lazy but clever fellow manages to win a princess. Good on him.
The Golden Mermaid *** The wolf put up with a lot more than he needed to.
The War of the Wolf and the Fox **** I rejoice at this clever story of a old dog and a cat who prove themselves better than the master who wanted to kill them because he thought they were old and useless.
The Three Musicians ** Meh. The hero wins a princess from a ugly dwarf sorcerer holding her prisoner.
The Three Dogs **** I know that in these stories the hero often has things handed to him, but in this one the hero gets three dogs with varying wondrous abilities for what is almost a steal.
October 1, 2016
I had to read a selection of fairytales from this book for class! I will definitely be checking out the rest of these tales. Below is a list of the fairytales I've read with my ratings of each.
Rosanella: 4.25/5 stars
Prince Narcissus and the Princess Potentilla: 4/5 stars
Prince Featherhead and the Princess Celandine: 4/5 stars
The Enchanted Snake: 4/5 stars
Prince Vivien and the Princess Placida: 3/5 stars
Rosanella: 4.25/5 stars
Prince Narcissus and the Princess Potentilla: 4/5 stars
Prince Featherhead and the Princess Celandine: 4/5 stars
The Enchanted Snake: 4/5 stars
Prince Vivien and the Princess Placida: 3/5 stars
August 6, 2020
ENGLISH: In his prolog, Lang says that "old people, long, long ago," liked fairy tales because they were like children and believed in witches, talking animals, magic rings that made people invisible, and so forth; but then, "as the world became grown-up," they stopped believing in those things, and fairy tales would have been forgotten, except that grannies remembered them and told them to their grandchildren.
Lang seems to forget that the climax of the belief in witches took place in the seventeenth century in Protestant countries, not "long, long ago." I also doubt that people actually believed in one-eyed giants, such as cyclops Polyphemus, or in the enchantress Circe, that turned people into swine, as Lang maintains.
Another thing Lang says in his prolog is that "there are not many people now, perhaps there are none, who can write really good fairy tales, because they do not believe enough in their own stories." According to Lang, the last authors of good fairy stories were Madame d'Aulnoy and other French authors, two hundred years before his time. Is it possible that he hasn't heard of (or doesn't like) the fairy stories written by Hans Christian Andersen? Not to mention other authors that Lang couldn't have known, such as Tolkien.
Some of the 42 fairy stories Lang has selected for this, his third collection were written by the Brothers Grimm (17 stories) and one by Madame d'Aulnoy: The Blue Bird, the first story in the book. While translating this story, Lang has made a few changes, such as turning the name of the bad, ugly step-sister from Truitonne into Turritella (turning a fish-like name into a gasteropod mollusc), and at the end of the story has her magically converted into an owl, rather than a sow, which in the original French is represented by the word Truie, and jutified by the similarity of the word to the name of the Princess.
Another mistake Lang made in his prolog of this book was announcing that this would be his third and last collection of his "fairy books of many colors." Then he proceeded to publish a total of twelve colored collections.
ESPAÑOL: En el prólogo, Lang dice que a "la gente de hace mucho, mucho tiempo" les gustaban los cuentos de hadas porque eran como niños y creían en brujas, animales que hablan, anillos mágicos que hacen invisibles a quien los lleva, etc. Pero luego, "a medida que el mundo se volvió adulto", dejaron de creer en esas cosas, y los cuentos de hadas habrían sido olvidados, de no ser porque las abuelas los recordaban y se los contaban a sus nietos.
Lang parece olvidar que el punto culminante de la creencia en brujas tuvo lugar en el siglo XVII en los países protestantes, no "hace mucho, mucho tiempo". También dudo de que la gente realmente creyera alguna vez en gigantes con un solo ojo, como el cíclope Polifemo, o en la hechicera Circe, que convertía a los hombres en cerdos, como dice Lang.
Otra cosa que Lang dice en el prólogo es que "ahora no hay muchos autores, tal vez ninguno, que puedan escribir cuentos de hadas realmente buenos, porque no creen bastante en sus propias historias". Según Lang, los últimos autores de buenos cuentos de hadas fueron Madame d'Aulnoy y otros autores franceses, doscientos años antes de su época. ¿Es posible que no haya oído hablar (o que no le gusten) de los cuentos de hadas escritos por Hans Christian Andersen? Sin hablar de otros autores que Lang no pudo conocer, como Tolkien.
Algunos de los 42 cuentos de hadas que Lang ha seleccionado para esta, su tercera colección, fueron escritos por los Hermanos Grimm (17 cuentos) y uno por Madame d'Aulnoy: El Pájaro Azul, el primero del libro. Al traducirlo, Lang ha realizado algunos cambios, como el nombre de la hermanastra mala y fea, que no se llama Truitonne, sino Turritella (lo que convierte un nombre relacionado con un pez en un molusco gasterópodo), y al final del cuento la hace convertir mágicamente en lechuza, en vez de en marrana, que en el francés original está representada por la palabra Truie y justificada por la semejanza de esa palabra con el nombre de la Princesa.
Otro error que cometió Lang en su prólogo de este libro fue anunciar que esta sería la tercera y última colección de sus "cuentos de hadas multicolores". Luego procedió a publicar un total de doce colecciones de cuentos con colores en el título.
Lang seems to forget that the climax of the belief in witches took place in the seventeenth century in Protestant countries, not "long, long ago." I also doubt that people actually believed in one-eyed giants, such as cyclops Polyphemus, or in the enchantress Circe, that turned people into swine, as Lang maintains.
Another thing Lang says in his prolog is that "there are not many people now, perhaps there are none, who can write really good fairy tales, because they do not believe enough in their own stories." According to Lang, the last authors of good fairy stories were Madame d'Aulnoy and other French authors, two hundred years before his time. Is it possible that he hasn't heard of (or doesn't like) the fairy stories written by Hans Christian Andersen? Not to mention other authors that Lang couldn't have known, such as Tolkien.
Some of the 42 fairy stories Lang has selected for this, his third collection were written by the Brothers Grimm (17 stories) and one by Madame d'Aulnoy: The Blue Bird, the first story in the book. While translating this story, Lang has made a few changes, such as turning the name of the bad, ugly step-sister from Truitonne into Turritella (turning a fish-like name into a gasteropod mollusc), and at the end of the story has her magically converted into an owl, rather than a sow, which in the original French is represented by the word Truie, and jutified by the similarity of the word to the name of the Princess.
Another mistake Lang made in his prolog of this book was announcing that this would be his third and last collection of his "fairy books of many colors." Then he proceeded to publish a total of twelve colored collections.
ESPAÑOL: En el prólogo, Lang dice que a "la gente de hace mucho, mucho tiempo" les gustaban los cuentos de hadas porque eran como niños y creían en brujas, animales que hablan, anillos mágicos que hacen invisibles a quien los lleva, etc. Pero luego, "a medida que el mundo se volvió adulto", dejaron de creer en esas cosas, y los cuentos de hadas habrían sido olvidados, de no ser porque las abuelas los recordaban y se los contaban a sus nietos.
Lang parece olvidar que el punto culminante de la creencia en brujas tuvo lugar en el siglo XVII en los países protestantes, no "hace mucho, mucho tiempo". También dudo de que la gente realmente creyera alguna vez en gigantes con un solo ojo, como el cíclope Polifemo, o en la hechicera Circe, que convertía a los hombres en cerdos, como dice Lang.
Otra cosa que Lang dice en el prólogo es que "ahora no hay muchos autores, tal vez ninguno, que puedan escribir cuentos de hadas realmente buenos, porque no creen bastante en sus propias historias". Según Lang, los últimos autores de buenos cuentos de hadas fueron Madame d'Aulnoy y otros autores franceses, doscientos años antes de su época. ¿Es posible que no haya oído hablar (o que no le gusten) de los cuentos de hadas escritos por Hans Christian Andersen? Sin hablar de otros autores que Lang no pudo conocer, como Tolkien.
Algunos de los 42 cuentos de hadas que Lang ha seleccionado para esta, su tercera colección, fueron escritos por los Hermanos Grimm (17 cuentos) y uno por Madame d'Aulnoy: El Pájaro Azul, el primero del libro. Al traducirlo, Lang ha realizado algunos cambios, como el nombre de la hermanastra mala y fea, que no se llama Truitonne, sino Turritella (lo que convierte un nombre relacionado con un pez en un molusco gasterópodo), y al final del cuento la hace convertir mágicamente en lechuza, en vez de en marrana, que en el francés original está representada por la palabra Truie y justificada por la semejanza de esa palabra con el nombre de la Princesa.
Otro error que cometió Lang en su prólogo de este libro fue anunciar que esta sería la tercera y última colección de sus "cuentos de hadas multicolores". Luego procedió a publicar un total de doce colecciones de cuentos con colores en el título.
May 25, 2023
5/2023 reread:
Reading these again here and there as I near the end of my Land of Stories series reread. Although I am ready to be finished, mainly due to irritation with Colfer's blatant efforts to be relevant to modern times, his series does make me want to read fairy tales. And reading these ones truly refreshes my soul. I have always enjoyed The Little Soldier, but I appreciated it even more this time and am declaring it a new favorite, not just of this volume but all fairy tales. It is one of the deepest and most satisfying ones I have read. Not only does the soldier regain the cloak and purse at the end, but he learns to love a woman far more worthy than the princess, he discovers the emptiness of material wealth, and he achieves justice but not in the vengeful way he could have. Instead of harming or punishing the princess, he simply reclaims the magical items and leaves, saying that she does not need horns because she is already so much like the devil. Zing! What a line.
***
2014
I love most of the first several stories. The characters are interesting, plots clever, magic enchanting, humor effective, and endings satisfying:
-The Blue Bird (5/2023 reread: this one does not seem quite as interesting and magical as I once thought. I also dislike the notion that since Fiordelisa is beautiful she must be amiable, while Turritella must be disagreeable because she is unattractive. True, part of Turritella's unattractiveness is likely due to her disagreeable personality, but still.)
-The Story of Caliph Stork (funny and featuring one of those magical objects I am a sucker for. The calif also goes from lounging in the beginning while everyone else carries out his wishes to facing a difficulty himself--namely, agreeing to marry someone he has no idea if he will be attracted to)
-Rosanella
-Sylvain and Jocosa
-Fairy Gifts (I love the morals about desires and wishes in this one, although I am rather amused that wishing for beauty is discouraged when the princesses in the fairy books are always so beautiful)
-Prince Narcissus (the best part of this one is Grumedan. He is boorish and wicked, but his antics to win over Potentilla are hilarious, and he has so much more personality than the insipid prince. I love the description of his laughter, too--"like a pack of wolves quarrelling." I almost find myself rooting for him. Apart from Grumedan, whimsical comments throughout the story make it extra charming. For instance, the narrator states that the Prince is "really, for his age, not so very scatter-brained." While the Prince is the hero of the story, this line pokes fun at him and at the notion of the "perfect prince.")
-Prince Fickle
-Hok Lee and the Dwarfs (this one is amusing, wise, and does not feel like a formula)
-Three Little Pigs (this one has more depth than other versions. Not only do the pigs triumph over the fox, but they also learn about their own faults work against them)
-Prince Vivien (similar to Prince Featherhead but, to me, deeper and more satisfying. I absolutely love how the prince and princess are led to overcome their greatest faults)
Others started out holding my interest, but either became muddled or the hero/heroine did something I could not sympathize with (like in the Enchanted Ring, when the hero drowns everyone, or Puddocky, when the dogs and women are drowned as cast offs, or The Enchanted Snake, when the princess kills the fox).
Reading these again here and there as I near the end of my Land of Stories series reread. Although I am ready to be finished, mainly due to irritation with Colfer's blatant efforts to be relevant to modern times, his series does make me want to read fairy tales. And reading these ones truly refreshes my soul. I have always enjoyed The Little Soldier, but I appreciated it even more this time and am declaring it a new favorite, not just of this volume but all fairy tales. It is one of the deepest and most satisfying ones I have read. Not only does the soldier regain the cloak and purse at the end, but he learns to love a woman far more worthy than the princess, he discovers the emptiness of material wealth, and he achieves justice but not in the vengeful way he could have. Instead of harming or punishing the princess, he simply reclaims the magical items and leaves, saying that she does not need horns because she is already so much like the devil. Zing! What a line.
***
2014
I love most of the first several stories. The characters are interesting, plots clever, magic enchanting, humor effective, and endings satisfying:
-The Blue Bird (5/2023 reread: this one does not seem quite as interesting and magical as I once thought. I also dislike the notion that since Fiordelisa is beautiful she must be amiable, while Turritella must be disagreeable because she is unattractive. True, part of Turritella's unattractiveness is likely due to her disagreeable personality, but still.)
-The Story of Caliph Stork (funny and featuring one of those magical objects I am a sucker for. The calif also goes from lounging in the beginning while everyone else carries out his wishes to facing a difficulty himself--namely, agreeing to marry someone he has no idea if he will be attracted to)
-Rosanella
-Sylvain and Jocosa
-Fairy Gifts (I love the morals about desires and wishes in this one, although I am rather amused that wishing for beauty is discouraged when the princesses in the fairy books are always so beautiful)
-Prince Narcissus (the best part of this one is Grumedan. He is boorish and wicked, but his antics to win over Potentilla are hilarious, and he has so much more personality than the insipid prince. I love the description of his laughter, too--"like a pack of wolves quarrelling." I almost find myself rooting for him. Apart from Grumedan, whimsical comments throughout the story make it extra charming. For instance, the narrator states that the Prince is "really, for his age, not so very scatter-brained." While the Prince is the hero of the story, this line pokes fun at him and at the notion of the "perfect prince.")
-Prince Fickle
-Hok Lee and the Dwarfs (this one is amusing, wise, and does not feel like a formula)
-Three Little Pigs (this one has more depth than other versions. Not only do the pigs triumph over the fox, but they also learn about their own faults work against them)
-Prince Vivien (similar to Prince Featherhead but, to me, deeper and more satisfying. I absolutely love how the prince and princess are led to overcome their greatest faults)
Others started out holding my interest, but either became muddled or the hero/heroine did something I could not sympathize with (like in the Enchanted Ring, when the hero drowns everyone, or Puddocky, when the dogs and women are drowned as cast offs, or The Enchanted Snake, when the princess kills the fox).
May 8, 2015
The Green Fairy Book contains 42 tales, if I counted correctly. The ones which you will immediately recognize are The Three Little Pigs and The Story of the Three Bears. However, these stories aren't always the way that you remember them. Another one, which was my favorite, was The Fisherman and His Wife. You might recognize this tale, and you might not, but it is about a poor fisherman who catches a flounder who claims to be a prince. He decides to release it but the wife berates him saying he should have asked for a reward in return. He does so the next day, and instead of being happy the wife gets greedy. She keeps demanding more and more, and eventually loses it all. Other interesting and lesser known stories include The Enchanted Snake. which is an Italian fairy tale, and The Riddle, which is a German fairy tale that the Brothers Grimm compiled.
If you are a fan of fairy tales, this series is for you. The books are wonderfully constructed, and the vibrant dust jackets stand out on your shelf and make for a beautiful collection. I hope they will continue to publish these wonderful books until my collection is complete. Judging by the previous release schedule, there should (emphasis on should) be another two put out at the end of this year or beginning of next year, and they would be the Pink and Grey books. Until then, remember that if you like tangible books and want good books like this to continue to be available in print, then you have to support smaller publishers like Hesperus Press.
If you are a fan of fairy tales, this series is for you. The books are wonderfully constructed, and the vibrant dust jackets stand out on your shelf and make for a beautiful collection. I hope they will continue to publish these wonderful books until my collection is complete. Judging by the previous release schedule, there should (emphasis on should) be another two put out at the end of this year or beginning of next year, and they would be the Pink and Grey books. Until then, remember that if you like tangible books and want good books like this to continue to be available in print, then you have to support smaller publishers like Hesperus Press.
December 4, 2016
42 tales from around the world, Germany Grimm, France de Caylus, Fenelon, Kletke, D'Aulnoy - The Blue Bird, Sylvain and Jocosa, Prince Narcissus, The Three Little Pigs, the Half-Chick - feature monsters, giants, and more.
What did I think:
first off I want to say that I actually have this as part of a bind up off all of the Color Fairy Books by Andrew Lang as a kindle book, so far of the 12 I'm slowly making my way though it I have only read 3 of them , this one which is book 3 and I listened to this one as a free audio book from loyalbooks.com, and the only other 2 I've read so for is Books 1 ( The Blue Fairy Book) and book 2( The Red Fairy Book) , the stories are from all over the world , can't wait to pick up the next book and see what ones it has.
December 12, 2015
This one was front-loaded with a few literary ones I didn't much like. But it has a number I quite like, including some I had forgotten about. The Golden Blackbird I remembered but not The Little Soldier -- which combines plotlines I've seen from other tales, with a bit more sense than I've sometimes seen them -- with a twist I've seen elsewhere and forgot I saw here. We have a whole bunch of less usual Grimms, such as The White Snake and Spindle, Shuttle, and Needle. Seemed to me to be spread out in location a bit, with tales like Russian King Kojata, but I'm not sure, since there were a few far-fetched ones in the earlier versions.
January 23, 2022
The tales were fun. Lang makes a big deal about how they were often morality tales. Some of them are morally questionable, but it's still fun to think about it.
The edition I had almost seemed like it had been printed from Gutenberg. And I am a huge fan of Gutenberg, but this edition's illustrations were blurry(and I love that etched Romantic style) and the paragraphs ran together(one lasted a whole page) and I know they weren't like that originally. It would have been better on Gutenberg.
The edition I had almost seemed like it had been printed from Gutenberg. And I am a huge fan of Gutenberg, but this edition's illustrations were blurry(and I love that etched Romantic style) and the paragraphs ran together(one lasted a whole page) and I know they weren't like that originally. It would have been better on Gutenberg.
September 18, 2014
My favorite Fairy Book so far, with less-familiar stories than the Red and Blue.
March 10, 2015
Great book of fairy tales! Read it when I was a kid. All the Andrew Lang color fairy books are wonderful, with lovely illustrations by H.J. Ford.
December 10, 2015
Just really enjoy reading all of these fairy tales :)
June 26, 2018
Hay hơn nhiều so với cuốn Truyện Cổ Tích Màu Hồng, đơn giản vì các câu chuyện trong "Truyện Cổ Tích Màu Lục" có độ dài hơn, mạch truyện có nhiều "đất" để phát triển phong phú hơn. Các truyện này lại còn được tuyển chọn từ những nguồn vốn đã nổi tiếng trong mảng truyện cổ tích (ví dụ như Truyện cổ Grimm, truyện cổ Pháp...). Nhiều truyện có mô-típ hoàng tử công chúa yêu nhau nhưng phải bị thử thách, mình cực kỳ thích luôn ấy :D Mấy truyện đầu mình đánh giá rất hay, càng về sau thì càng thấy hơi bị đuối tí, nhưng mà mình vẫn rất thích :))) Các bài học làm người được lồng ghép vào các câu chuyện thì phải nói là chuẩn khỏi chê rồi ha ^^
April 5, 2024
This was a lovely collection of stories by every measure imaginable, and perhaps too pretty of a book to be given to children, unless you have a child who’s habitually clean, careful and gentle with precious objects.
I believe, the most significant takeaway from the Green Fairy Book should be as follows:
If you happen to become lost in the forest, and a helpful creature of magical persuasion offers to give you directions, in exchange for the first thing you see upon your return home, never ever take that deal, because that thing you see, will be, universally, inevitably and always, your daughter.
I believe, the most significant takeaway from the Green Fairy Book should be as follows:
If you happen to become lost in the forest, and a helpful creature of magical persuasion offers to give you directions, in exchange for the first thing you see upon your return home, never ever take that deal, because that thing you see, will be, universally, inevitably and always, your daughter.
September 21, 2023
Not surprisingly, as the third in the series, this one offers a higher percentage of obscure stories than The Red Fairy Book or The Blue Fairy Book did. But it has some classics as well – for example, “The Blue Bird”, “The Half-Chick,” “Little One-eye, Little Two-eyes, and Little Three Eyes,” “The Three Bears,” “The Three Little Pigs,” and “The Story of the Fisherman and His Wife.” This version of “The Three Little Pigs” would not reach print nowadays – the pigs are named Browny, Whitey, and Blacky! And, contrary to modern expectations, it is Blacky who is the hero of the story. Whitey, meanwhile, is a clever but greedy glutton. It is perhaps my favorite version of that story of all those I have read. Although the Best in Children's Book version, with illos by Richard Scarry, is the one I loved growing up.
Many of the lesser-known stories in this collection seem to me to hold more wisdom than some of the ones most popular nowadays. In “Sylvain and Jocosa”, the Fairy who loves the children teaches them that a modest home inhabited by a couple who love and will sacrifice for each other “is a gift more likely to bring you happiness and contentment than many things that would at first seem grander and more desirable.”
The next story, “Fairy Gifts,” extols the virtues of “A quiet spirit,” and is a reminder of how the ideal personality changed between the 1880s and the 1920s. During that time the US culture shifted from favoring and praising a more introverted and disciplined personality to favoring and praising a more extraverted and spontaneous personality. So this is another one that probably wouldn’t reach print nowadays. But, as an introvert, I appreciate it.
I thought “The Enchanted Ring” an interesting study on how the exact same “gift” can be a blessing for one man, and a curse for another, a concept not often explored in children’s books anymore.
“The Little Soldier” returns to the theme of “Sylvain and Jocosa,” “Happiness does not lie in the possession of treasure,” a position the modern advertising industry does not support. “The Enchanted Snake” is equally outrageous to many modern ears with its claim that “there is no better seasoning for the joys of true love than a few pangs of grief.” I think for many people that philosophy sounds cruel. But speaking as someone who has been married some 36 years, there is truth in it. Suffering for each other, and caring for each other within suffering, does indeed deepen and sweeten love.
G. K. Chesterton wrote, “Tradition means giving a vote to most obscure of all classes, our ancestors. It is the democracy of the dead.” Fairy Tales must be one of the easiest ways to see reality from a new perspective – and, sometimes, from a perspective held throughout the ages and currently discarded that we moderns ignore to our peril.
Many of the lesser-known stories in this collection seem to me to hold more wisdom than some of the ones most popular nowadays. In “Sylvain and Jocosa”, the Fairy who loves the children teaches them that a modest home inhabited by a couple who love and will sacrifice for each other “is a gift more likely to bring you happiness and contentment than many things that would at first seem grander and more desirable.”
The next story, “Fairy Gifts,” extols the virtues of “A quiet spirit,” and is a reminder of how the ideal personality changed between the 1880s and the 1920s. During that time the US culture shifted from favoring and praising a more introverted and disciplined personality to favoring and praising a more extraverted and spontaneous personality. So this is another one that probably wouldn’t reach print nowadays. But, as an introvert, I appreciate it.
I thought “The Enchanted Ring” an interesting study on how the exact same “gift” can be a blessing for one man, and a curse for another, a concept not often explored in children’s books anymore.
“The Little Soldier” returns to the theme of “Sylvain and Jocosa,” “Happiness does not lie in the possession of treasure,” a position the modern advertising industry does not support. “The Enchanted Snake” is equally outrageous to many modern ears with its claim that “there is no better seasoning for the joys of true love than a few pangs of grief.” I think for many people that philosophy sounds cruel. But speaking as someone who has been married some 36 years, there is truth in it. Suffering for each other, and caring for each other within suffering, does indeed deepen and sweeten love.
G. K. Chesterton wrote, “Tradition means giving a vote to most obscure of all classes, our ancestors. It is the democracy of the dead.” Fairy Tales must be one of the easiest ways to see reality from a new perspective – and, sometimes, from a perspective held throughout the ages and currently discarded that we moderns ignore to our peril.
April 22, 2019
I first encountered the Lang collection, often called the Colored Fairy Books because of their titles (Blue, Olive, Crimson, etc.) when I was in elementary school. I enjoyed them because they were so different from the sanitized, prissy princess, modern versions, and I'm happy to see them now available (for very cheap) in Kindle format.
We forget that fairy tales were not originally for children and were not created as vehicles for which to market toys and Happy Meals to toddlers. They were oral entertainment, grisly and cutting social or political commentary more often than not.
For one of the more interesting aspects of fairy tale history, look up "préciosité." The Brothers Grimm are credited with collecting and publishing fairly tales; however,les précieuse is a little-known step in how a group of French noble-women affected the shape of the modern fairy tale and elevated the art of storytelling.
Like any old literature, it's best to read Lang's collections in the context of their times and understand that our 21st century (professed) sensibilities might get a little tweaked from some of the language and prejudices in older literature. Anyone looking for the sweet, slick, happily-ever-after versions where nothing violent or rude ever happens will likely not like this (or any of the older) collections.
We forget that fairy tales were not originally for children and were not created as vehicles for which to market toys and Happy Meals to toddlers. They were oral entertainment, grisly and cutting social or political commentary more often than not.
For one of the more interesting aspects of fairy tale history, look up "préciosité." The Brothers Grimm are credited with collecting and publishing fairly tales; however,les précieuse is a little-known step in how a group of French noble-women affected the shape of the modern fairy tale and elevated the art of storytelling.
Like any old literature, it's best to read Lang's collections in the context of their times and understand that our 21st century (professed) sensibilities might get a little tweaked from some of the language and prejudices in older literature. Anyone looking for the sweet, slick, happily-ever-after versions where nothing violent or rude ever happens will likely not like this (or any of the older) collections.
May 22, 2016
As expected, this installment of Andrew Lang's Fairy Books series is full of timeless stories(though some are more memorable than others), nicely retold by Lang and beautifully illustrated by H.J. Ford. Here are my favorite stories from this collection:
-The Blue Bird
-The Half-Chick
-Rosanella
-Fairy Gifts
-Prince Featherhead and the Princess Celandine
- The Three Little Pigs
-Heart of Ice (this one has a more interesting premise than your typical prince-and-princess fairy tale)
-The Enchanted Ring
-The Magic Swan
-King Kojata
-The Story of the Three Bears(this version is old enough that it features a poorly-behaved little old lady, rather than the now-familiar Goldilocks)
-Prince Vivien and Princess Placida(an unusual prince-and-princess story in which the protagonists actually have to overcome their personal flaws!)
-Spindle, Shuttle, and Needle
-The Story of a Clever Tailor(this one is almost worthy of being on this list based solely on its closing sentence)
-The Golden Mermaid
-The Story of the Fisherman and his Wife(possibly my favorite fairy tale ever!)
January 5, 2009
A collection of tales perhaps best taken on small dosis. Andrew Lang's were a landmark of fairy tales for children and still are a wortwhile reading. However, I must admit a certain dissapointment with the Green Fairy book. It wasn't that I was not transported to the lands of the fairies in every tale, but I'm afraid that the telling and the stories became somewhat repetitive from very early on: it just became too obvious who was the fairy, who the princess, who the prince, no matter what disguise/spell they were supposed to be underneath. The choice of tales gets better towards the end, when the choice of Grimm tales dominates. A final note: be warned that this retelling of fairy tales is very much Victorian, in terms of morals.
August 13, 2014
There is nothing like a fairy tale and Lang’s Green Fairy Book brings together some wonderful stories.
There is the slightly whimsical heroes, the murderous villains, the romantic leads, the fierce protector, the wizened mentor and a stack of other characters. What counts is that good always triumphs no matter how many times the hero is lied, tricked, killed, maimed they will always be fully restored and find true love.
If only life was so
There is the slightly whimsical heroes, the murderous villains, the romantic leads, the fierce protector, the wizened mentor and a stack of other characters. What counts is that good always triumphs no matter how many times the hero is lied, tricked, killed, maimed they will always be fully restored and find true love.
If only life was so
December 26, 2015
This book was a gift from my 3rd Grade teacher and I read it over and over through the years. Its since been lost to me, but I can remember spending many hours reading this book. I loved it and if it was in my possession I have no doubt that I would continue reading it. Like Grimm's Fairy Tales, I never tired of this book. Full of delightful stories!!
April 9, 2018
Beautiful edition with some of my chidhood fairytales in it.
The illustrations are lovely but for me they are not in the right order: the illustration of a tale sometimes appears some stories later and I really hate this.
January 5, 2019
Wonderful little collection of fairy tales! Lang's commentary occasionally raises a sly eyebrow of appreciation, but the stories themselves are sweet imaginings of good people getting what they deserve.
December 24, 2013
I had a lot of favorites in this one :)
March 19, 2015
great read aloud, we really enjoyed this one except for three stories that were just bizarro world o_O
Displaying 1 - 30 of 108 reviews