What do you think?
Rate this book
French Folktales
Selected from Henri Pourrat's classic Le tresor des contes, one of the finest folktale collections in the world, these one-hundred-odd legends, fairy tales, devotional pieces, jokes, and animal stories from the rural provinces of France comprise a magical volume. Fairies, changelings, giants, demons, bumpkins, knaves, bewitched and bewitching princesses, bandits, and others enact stories of perilous tests of love, contests with the devil, the beneficence of saints, and more.
Royall Tyler's translation deftly captures the vigor and resonance of the originals, and his cogent introduction illuminates for the reader the earthy, chilling, mischievous, and mystical realm these tales evoke.
Contents:
Fairy enchantments
The devil
Bandits
Around the village
The mad and the wise
Bestiary
Love and marriage
480 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
6 people are currently reading
600 people want to read
About the author
Henri Pourrat
150 books3 followersHenri Pourrat était un écrivain français qui a produit un œuvre abondante et variée: poèsie, romans, biographies, contes.
Henri Pourrat was a French writer who had an abundant and varied production: poetry, novels, biographies, stories.
Henri Pourrat was a French writer who had an abundant and varied production: poetry, novels, biographies, stories.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 17, 2016
A fun collection of French folktales collected by Henri Pourrat (1887-1959). Pourrat contracted tuberculosis (which killed his younger brother) when he was a teenager. Pourrat barely survived himself and found his choice of a career severely restricted by his delicate health. He turned to writing and then to gathering folktales. His novel, Gaspard des montagnes ("Gaspard from the Mountains,") which was based on folktales, won a national literary prize in 1922. He won another national literary prize in 1941 for his novel, "March Wind." Pourrat became one of the major regional writers of France in 20th century. His massive collection of French folktales was published in 13 volumes as Le Trésor des contes ("The Treasury of Tales.") This volume is drawn from a sampling of those stories.
There is, however, something of a problem with these stories. Pourrat did not follow the usual guidelines and provide "the name, dwelling place and age of the teller; the date when the tale was recorded; and an appropriate citation when the tale was taken from a printed source." (Paul Delarue, quoted in the introduction of this book). Actually, Pourrat recorded this information meticulously - he just didn't share it. Pourrat claimed he didn't know why anyone would want to know this information. In reality, he knew quite well. "Source identification would only reduce a tale to an accident of time, place, and person, instead of restoring it to its rightful place as a timeless expression of the genius of a whole people, or even of humanity itself." (Introduction) In short, Pourrat did not want: "Here's the story. Make of it what you will." He wanted: "Here's the story. Isn't it wonderful?"
Pourrat also rewrote the tales to make them sound better. There is a difference between orally transmitted tales and written ones. In his documentary, "In Search of the Trojan War," Michael Wood comments on the use of repetition in the oral tales. Think of the use of a chorus in a song. Obviously, this would not work in printed stories. Pourrat rewrote and polished the tales to make them more palatable to a reading audience.
I strongly recommend reading the introduction to get a better understanding of Pourrat, the tales, and his writing of them. This volume is translated by Royall Tyler, who also translated and edited Japanese Tales, another volume of the Pantheon Fairy Tale and Folklore Library. The tales are divided into seven sections: "Fairy Enchantments," "The Devil," "Bandits," "Around the Village," "The Mad and the Wise," "Bestiary," and "Love and Marriage." There is a good selection of tales and the translation is very good and flowing. These are not necessarily for young children, mostly due to the language. However, older children might enjoy them. Don't automatically assume that volumes of folktales and fairy tales are suitable for children (Japanese Tales of Mystery & Imagination is decidedly not).
Goodreads lists several of Pourrat's books. However, most of them are in French. I was not able to find "March Wind" on Goodreads, so there is no link to it. "French Folktales" is out of print, but is available used in hardback and paperback. In addition to this collection, Jack D. Zipes includes Pourrat's work in his Spells of Enchantment: The Wondrous Fairy Tales of Western Culture.
There is, however, something of a problem with these stories. Pourrat did not follow the usual guidelines and provide "the name, dwelling place and age of the teller; the date when the tale was recorded; and an appropriate citation when the tale was taken from a printed source." (Paul Delarue, quoted in the introduction of this book). Actually, Pourrat recorded this information meticulously - he just didn't share it. Pourrat claimed he didn't know why anyone would want to know this information. In reality, he knew quite well. "Source identification would only reduce a tale to an accident of time, place, and person, instead of restoring it to its rightful place as a timeless expression of the genius of a whole people, or even of humanity itself." (Introduction) In short, Pourrat did not want: "Here's the story. Make of it what you will." He wanted: "Here's the story. Isn't it wonderful?"
Pourrat also rewrote the tales to make them sound better. There is a difference between orally transmitted tales and written ones. In his documentary, "In Search of the Trojan War," Michael Wood comments on the use of repetition in the oral tales. Think of the use of a chorus in a song. Obviously, this would not work in printed stories. Pourrat rewrote and polished the tales to make them more palatable to a reading audience.
I strongly recommend reading the introduction to get a better understanding of Pourrat, the tales, and his writing of them. This volume is translated by Royall Tyler, who also translated and edited Japanese Tales, another volume of the Pantheon Fairy Tale and Folklore Library. The tales are divided into seven sections: "Fairy Enchantments," "The Devil," "Bandits," "Around the Village," "The Mad and the Wise," "Bestiary," and "Love and Marriage." There is a good selection of tales and the translation is very good and flowing. These are not necessarily for young children, mostly due to the language. However, older children might enjoy them. Don't automatically assume that volumes of folktales and fairy tales are suitable for children (Japanese Tales of Mystery & Imagination is decidedly not).
Goodreads lists several of Pourrat's books. However, most of them are in French. I was not able to find "March Wind" on Goodreads, so there is no link to it. "French Folktales" is out of print, but is available used in hardback and paperback. In addition to this collection, Jack D. Zipes includes Pourrat's work in his Spells of Enchantment: The Wondrous Fairy Tales of Western Culture.
August 5, 2008
Thought I still prefer Italo Calvino's Italian Folktales, this collection of folktales is highly amusing. Not your toddler's bedtime stories, these are authentic and traditional, with enough raunchiness and violence to warrant at least a PG-13 rating. The stories are told with a light sense of humor and a masterful use of language. I could imagine sitting in some French inn a few centuries back, listening to the old men and women swapping these stories around the fire and a few flagons of wine. Or whatever they drank wine in, at these inns.
September 3, 2016
A collection of tales taken from the oral tradition -- and reworked, lightly. This is discussed in the foreword by the translator. Doesn't provide many notes, though.
Some tales of fools and wise men, some religious, some animal tales, but mostly fairy tales. Some tales of bandits.
A couple of them are Madame d'Aulnoy's tales, put through the paring down of a folk tale. A number of interesting variations. Maria Cendron goes to Mass, not a ball, and the prince isn't even there the first time; he comes because he's heard the tales. The Man With the Bean plants it, but when he climbs it, he finds himself in "The Donkey, the Table, and the Stick", not "Jack and the Beanstalk" (not to mention that he's an old man whose twelve grown children don't help support him). There are couple of tales where the hero, dealing with royal caprices, finally decides to go back to marry a commoner woman instead of the princess.
Interesting collection
Some tales of fools and wise men, some religious, some animal tales, but mostly fairy tales. Some tales of bandits.
A couple of them are Madame d'Aulnoy's tales, put through the paring down of a folk tale. A number of interesting variations. Maria Cendron goes to Mass, not a ball, and the prince isn't even there the first time; he comes because he's heard the tales. The Man With the Bean plants it, but when he climbs it, he finds himself in "The Donkey, the Table, and the Stick", not "Jack and the Beanstalk" (not to mention that he's an old man whose twelve grown children don't help support him). There are couple of tales where the hero, dealing with royal caprices, finally decides to go back to marry a commoner woman instead of the princess.
Interesting collection
November 5, 2020
We've read a bit of folktales to the kids, mainly The Complete Grimm's. There were some similarities between Grimm's and French Folktales, mainly the Rule of 3 (which makes me think that most folktales, regardless of culture, has the Rule of 3??) but even some of the stories were the same. A French version of Cinderella, The Musicians of Bremen, Bluebeard, and, of course, Beauty and the Beast were included. Even our favorite new tale from Grimm's, and I don't remember the name, was included under the title The Stupid Wife.
I learned a lot about French culture such as: the French were very Catholic! "Ringing the angelus" is a thing. French translations are hilarious such as Slop Girl and Princess Bootface but not cruel like the version of Cinderella where they called her Cinderslut. And lastly: I have no idea how to pronounce French names.
This book was very long and I don't remember a lot of it but there was a great story near the end. The book was broken up by sections based on Pourrat's giant collection of volumes. These stories were the best of each volume. In the Love and Marriage section, there was a story of a nun who was tempted by a man. She left the convent to spend naughty time with the man who cast her out after a few weeks. She had prayed to the Virgin Mary before she left and begged forgiveness. When she returned to the convent, full of shame, she was told she never left and was indeed still praying at the altar. When she approached the altar, she saw the Virgin in her place. The Virgin took her place and did not need her forgiveness. It was a really sweet story.
I learned a lot about French culture such as: the French were very Catholic! "Ringing the angelus" is a thing. French translations are hilarious such as Slop Girl and Princess Bootface but not cruel like the version of Cinderella where they called her Cinderslut. And lastly: I have no idea how to pronounce French names.
This book was very long and I don't remember a lot of it but there was a great story near the end. The book was broken up by sections based on Pourrat's giant collection of volumes. These stories were the best of each volume. In the Love and Marriage section, there was a story of a nun who was tempted by a man. She left the convent to spend naughty time with the man who cast her out after a few weeks. She had prayed to the Virgin Mary before she left and begged forgiveness. When she returned to the convent, full of shame, she was told she never left and was indeed still praying at the altar. When she approached the altar, she saw the Virgin in her place. The Virgin took her place and did not need her forgiveness. It was a really sweet story.
July 9, 2022
Kings, ogres, queens, fairy's, peasants even an early Cinderella and Rumpelstiltskin story. The folk stories even offer Christian and Catholic beliefs. Starting off with Fairy Enchantments there are seven parts to the book including The Devil, Bandits, Around The Village, The Mad And The Wise, Bestiary and Love And Marriage, which is more comical. The tales are cunning with country feels to them that is a wonderful simplicity and gives more insight to provincial living. The introduction to the book says it all when ending with "They (the tales) are delicious, and the days they taste of will never come again"
December 21, 2021
Terrific collection, great Auvergne details give a wonderful sense of place, language and customs. The usual French folklore themes emphasizing trickery, dirty humor, class distinctions, marital strife, devilry and witchcraft, etc.
October 12, 2018
I didn't read every story, but did work through most of them. A nice collection of folktales, many that were new to me.
Read
September 21, 2018398.20944 P8778 1989
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews