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Fairy Tales From Around the World
From the Barnes and Noble Classic Leather Bound edition of 'Fairy Tales from Around the World' and originally published 'The Blue Fairy Book' by Andrew Lang.
736 pages, Leather Bound
First published January 1, 1889
82 people are currently reading
2471 people want to read
About the author
Andrew Lang
2,899 books557 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 Leonora Blanche Alleyne Lang, his wife.
Interest in myths and folklore continued as he and Leonora 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 Leonora 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 Leonora Blanche Alleyne Lang, his wife.
Interest in myths and folklore continued as he and Leonora 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 Leonora 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.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
February 8, 2015
“Once upon a time ...”
All it takes for you to identify a story as a fairy tale is those four words. Four words that transport you to another world where animals can talk, where good conquers evil and where people fall deeply in love just by looking at each other. All it takes is those four words, and you know. You know you've entered a world with specific rules; a world of repetition, a world where everything happens thrice, and a world where bravery, beauty, cleverness and kindness always is rewarded.
I adore reading fairy tales. I adore the thought of entire moral codes hiding within the layers of a fantastical story. Old stories, memorized and told for generations before they were written down and preserved.
But it is important to remember, that Lang wasn't a collector of fairy tales. He was an editor. He selected fairy tales which were already put down on paper, translated them and edited them. His goal was to present a huge variety of fairy tales which had never appeared in an English translation before; and he wanted them to be appropriate for children. He rewrote the stories, left out the darkest and most sinister details, and provided almost all of them with a happy ending.
Therefore, his fairy tales seem tamer than the versions I've come to love. In Lang's version of "Little Red Riding Hood", the wolf never even touches the little girl; his tongue is burnt by her golden cap and he flees with an empty stomach. The imagery is nowhere near as powerful as that of Charles Perrault, nor is the morality.
While I did enjoy the variety of these fairy tales and the culture they represent, I did not care much for Lang's rewriting. In his simplification, he ultimately robs the tales of their power.
All it takes for you to identify a story as a fairy tale is those four words. Four words that transport you to another world where animals can talk, where good conquers evil and where people fall deeply in love just by looking at each other. All it takes is those four words, and you know. You know you've entered a world with specific rules; a world of repetition, a world where everything happens thrice, and a world where bravery, beauty, cleverness and kindness always is rewarded.
I adore reading fairy tales. I adore the thought of entire moral codes hiding within the layers of a fantastical story. Old stories, memorized and told for generations before they were written down and preserved.
But it is important to remember, that Lang wasn't a collector of fairy tales. He was an editor. He selected fairy tales which were already put down on paper, translated them and edited them. His goal was to present a huge variety of fairy tales which had never appeared in an English translation before; and he wanted them to be appropriate for children. He rewrote the stories, left out the darkest and most sinister details, and provided almost all of them with a happy ending.
Therefore, his fairy tales seem tamer than the versions I've come to love. In Lang's version of "Little Red Riding Hood", the wolf never even touches the little girl; his tongue is burnt by her golden cap and he flees with an empty stomach. The imagery is nowhere near as powerful as that of Charles Perrault, nor is the morality.
While I did enjoy the variety of these fairy tales and the culture they represent, I did not care much for Lang's rewriting. In his simplification, he ultimately robs the tales of their power.
June 1, 2016
Wonderful fairytales from all around the world. Loved this collection.
Want to read
December 12, 2017East of the Sun, West of the Moon
New favorite tale. I love the complexity of it, compared with Grimm's tales. The journey to the castle was enchanting
Aladdin and the Lamp
I jad never read this tale before. I thought it was quite funny that Aladdin is just a giant fraud who ends up as a prince in the end, due to his trickery with the lamp
Beauty and the Beast
Andrew Lang's version is really nice. I loved all the new details in this one that I haven't read before.
New favorite tale. I love the complexity of it, compared with Grimm's tales. The journey to the castle was enchanting
Aladdin and the Lamp
I jad never read this tale before. I thought it was quite funny that Aladdin is just a giant fraud who ends up as a prince in the end, due to his trickery with the lamp
Beauty and the Beast
Andrew Lang's version is really nice. I loved all the new details in this one that I haven't read before.
November 18, 2018
Great tales and some wonderful illustrations make this collection one to keep handy. The stories are great to read aloud with loved ones by your side.
October 14, 2019
It took me a long, long, long time to read this. But that’s just because it was one of those slowly enjoyed books. Like a really expensive chocolate. It was delicious to just sit there and savour it. closing my eyes with pleasure at the end of each tale. Or sometimes whooping out loud when a story was particularly familiar and I could place my modern day version quickly…
The illustrations that accompany this beautiful book completely swept me away. They were stunning, and more than a little distracting. But in the best way possible. They bought to life the stories - jumping at you from the page, but did so in a way that still felt timeless and classic – like the tales contained in this giant volume.
I originally bought this book because the cover is just stunning. There is something that brings out my nostalgia as soon as I look at this book… even if I hadn’t had a chanced to read over half of the fairy tales in this collection. Fairy tales + childhood = nostalgia. But the themes were also very adult… these really aren’t the stories you read as a child. They’re something far more fun, intense and dark… perfect for a little late night reading before you head off to bed.
I love that the first story in this is East of the Sun, West of the Moon. I have recently read a modern remake of this (North Child) and I loved that I finally got to sink my teeth into the original. There was also the original Aladdin (or some of it), Beauty and the Beast… so many tales. More than enough to keep me occupied again and again and again in the years to come…
The illustrations that accompany this beautiful book completely swept me away. They were stunning, and more than a little distracting. But in the best way possible. They bought to life the stories - jumping at you from the page, but did so in a way that still felt timeless and classic – like the tales contained in this giant volume.
I originally bought this book because the cover is just stunning. There is something that brings out my nostalgia as soon as I look at this book… even if I hadn’t had a chanced to read over half of the fairy tales in this collection. Fairy tales + childhood = nostalgia. But the themes were also very adult… these really aren’t the stories you read as a child. They’re something far more fun, intense and dark… perfect for a little late night reading before you head off to bed.
I love that the first story in this is East of the Sun, West of the Moon. I have recently read a modern remake of this (North Child) and I loved that I finally got to sink my teeth into the original. There was also the original Aladdin (or some of it), Beauty and the Beast… so many tales. More than enough to keep me occupied again and again and again in the years to come…
June 5, 2019
This one is difficult for me to review simply because of its subject matter: fairy tales. Now, these aren’t Grimm’s or Anderson’s fairy tales where we’ve all heard them dozens of times or we get morals with each story. This volume consists of selected stories from each of the colored Fairy Books by Andrew Lang. The stories are from all over the world. They all consist of princes and princesses, talking animals, ogres and giants, mischievous creatures, treasures, and the search for wealth and royalty.
Overall, they are very dull. But, they’re so old it’s hard to judge them, as they were once considered entertaining.
I started reading these stories in July of 2014. That means it took me almost 5 years of perseverance. I don’t regret reading them as it was insightful to learn what different cultures fairy tales are like, but I have zero intention of reading any of them to my children nor would I recommend it.
Overall, they are very dull. But, they’re so old it’s hard to judge them, as they were once considered entertaining.
I started reading these stories in July of 2014. That means it took me almost 5 years of perseverance. I don’t regret reading them as it was insightful to learn what different cultures fairy tales are like, but I have zero intention of reading any of them to my children nor would I recommend it.
February 22, 2017
Fairy Tales From Around the World is, as it's name implies, a collection of fairy tales gathered from around the world. It's a fun read, with classic tales and some more forgotten once. The greatest function of this book is to be read to your children, as you'll not run out of tales to tell for a while. I do recommend reading through the fairy tale before reading it out loud, as sometimes the language is complicated, or may describe someone in a way that's not so proper now.
My only problem with the book is that it's too westernized, meaning that it has been translated both in language and moral, as to fit the standard of 1889 and 1910 when the books were released. This makes it more difficult to understand the differences in the cultures who made the stories up via subtext, which is why I picked it up. Then again, that's just my mad standard.
My only problem with the book is that it's too westernized, meaning that it has been translated both in language and moral, as to fit the standard of 1889 and 1910 when the books were released. This makes it more difficult to understand the differences in the cultures who made the stories up via subtext, which is why I picked it up. Then again, that's just my mad standard.
February 23, 2020
I ended up unfortunately being disappointed with this collection. It definitely has a lot of stories I haven’t read before, and the leather binding is beautiful with a ribbon bookmark and great illustrations. But most of the stories were not very engaging. I listed below the new stories I did like. I’m sticking with the Grimm, Anderson, and other world tale collections I have.
The Nettle Spinner
The Wounded Lion
The Maiden with the Wooden Helmet
The Story of Yara
Hábogi
Kupti and Imani
The Five Wise Words of the Guru
The Nettle Spinner
The Wounded Lion
The Maiden with the Wooden Helmet
The Story of Yara
Hábogi
Kupti and Imani
The Five Wise Words of the Guru
July 25, 2017
I love the art work on the cover of the book!
Fairy Tales From Around The World by Andrew Lang is simple collection from each of his color books. Some of the stories you might already hear of like Blue Beard, The Three Little Pigs while others like Rosanella, The Goat -faced Girl.
Some cons:
The book does not included all the stories from the color books. Translation might not be accorted by todays standers, and stories maybe not be as sugar coated that little kids are used to by today stander.
Still you have 726 pages of stories to enjoy especial during winter/raining days.
Fairy Tales From Around The World by Andrew Lang is simple collection from each of his color books. Some of the stories you might already hear of like Blue Beard, The Three Little Pigs while others like Rosanella, The Goat -faced Girl.
Some cons:
The book does not included all the stories from the color books. Translation might not be accorted by todays standers, and stories maybe not be as sugar coated that little kids are used to by today stander.
Still you have 726 pages of stories to enjoy especial during winter/raining days.
August 27, 2018
you get board of fairytales after a while =/
March 28, 2020
A masterful collection of fairy tales from Andrew Lang. So glad I got it in a leatherbound collection.
May 2, 2021
Been picking at this for while now, but its now finished. Wonderful B &N book that editors selected from Lang's color fairy books. A few tales from each book.
May 25, 2023
A wide variety of fairy tales from familiar to much lesser known, including stories from several countries and cultures
January 29, 2024
I absolutely love this collection of fairy stories! Beautiful and fantastical.
May 28, 2020
This is a lovely collection of fairy tales, but those looking for the darkness and occasional violence of the original stories may have to look elsewhere. Andrew Lang compiled this collection particularly for the children of his day, so a lot of the more gruesome elements that are present in, say, Grimm's tales (which, as violent as they are, are toned-down versions of darker stories themselves) are missing here. While it some could consider it more appropriate bedtime reading for children, those very children may miss out on some of the powerful imagery and excitement that they could get from reading the Grimm version. All the same, this wonderful and eclectic sampler of Lang's Fairy Books is recommended for any fairy tale enthusiast.
December 30, 2016
An assortment of tales from, as the title says, around the world, it’s interesting to see how different cultures and regions have their own common themes. After reading, though, I can see why so many academics and researchers are interested in folklore from what it tells us about the interactions between different regions and how the same basic story appears across multiple cultures.
This anthology is compiled from Mr. Lang’s fairy books, and while it isn’t a complete work, it’s still a pretty nice cross section of those stories. For those who have read the Grimm brothers and Hans Christian Andersen and are looking for something more, this one is worth a read. Recommended.
This anthology is compiled from Mr. Lang’s fairy books, and while it isn’t a complete work, it’s still a pretty nice cross section of those stories. For those who have read the Grimm brothers and Hans Christian Andersen and are looking for something more, this one is worth a read. Recommended.
January 16, 2017
It took me a loooong time to make it all the way through this one. It was easier to read than Grimm's, and there were more recognizable fairytales, but even so it was a trek at times.
Thoughts during reading:
*I'm liking this much better than Grimm's
*The Got Faced Girl has a good moral, in that the girl is punished for being ungrateful, but the king only loves her for her looks
*Mohammed and the magic finger is super weird
*The Tortoise and the Mischievous Monkey shoilf really be separate stories - they don't actually interact. they're both dicks to everybody and so is the puma though
Thoughts during reading:
*I'm liking this much better than Grimm's
*The Got Faced Girl has a good moral, in that the girl is punished for being ungrateful, but the king only loves her for her looks
*Mohammed and the magic finger is super weird
*The Tortoise and the Mischievous Monkey shoilf really be separate stories - they don't actually interact. they're both dicks to everybody and so is the puma though
December 31, 2014
Fantastic collection of my favourite childhood fairy tales as well as introduction to some new ones. The beautiful leather covers added to my delight and I'd recommend this collection to readers of all ages.
Read
July 18, 2015Loved the book! When I have a kid of my own, I'll read this to them, one story at a time.
May 3, 2016
just a bunch of different fairy tales, strange yet kind of cute fairy tales. Some are a little bit more intense than others, i recommend.
Read
October 8, 2016I only read Beauty and the Beast. It was kind of cute, but personally, I like the Disney version better.
Read
April 17, 20221889-1910 include retelling
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews