Fairies, Elves and Sprites: Myths and Legends

by Jean Menzies (editor)

An enchanting collection of stories about magical folk drawn from all around the world.

Genres: Mythology, Fantasy, Classics, Folklore

256 pages, Hardcover

Published May 13, 2025

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded down. This collection is fine. It has mostly European fairy tales and folk tales. The introductions to each story tell you the stated provenance of each tale. The reason this book doesn't get a higher rating is that the tales from Japan, Oceania, and other non-Western countries and regions were translated to fit Western a cadence, view of faeries, and story telling conventions. There is a good bit of Localization, and little is said as to if these translations are truly representative of the stories and cultures they come from.

[Flower_leaf_tree_grass · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s a nice book, but it’s by no means based on real stories that originated from the claimed places. It features a legend from ‘The Netherlands’, but this story is actually made up by an American in the 20th century. It’s a cute story, but it does not appear in real legends from the Low Lands. The tale features all kind of creatures like ‘Trintjes’ that don’t exist in Dutch folklore. Not that this is bad, but it presents itself as a book with real Folklore and that is not true at all. Was a bit of a disappointment, because it’s unclear now if the other myths and legends are authentic. These things should be made clear in books.

[justonemorechapter · Rating 5 out of 5]

so cute. loved the stories and different styles in each one. AN’s were cool. aesthetic read.