The Anthology of English Folk Tales

by The History Press, Nicola Guy (Editor)

This enchanting collection of stories gathers together folk tales from across England in one special volume. Drawn from The History Press’ popular Folk Tales series, herein lies a treasure trove of tales from a wealth of talented storytellers performing in the country today, including prominent figures Taffy Thomas MBE, Hugh Lupton and Helen East.
From hidden chapels and murderous vicars to travelling fiddlers and magical shape-shifters, this book celebrates the distinct character of England’s different customs, beliefs and dialects, and is a treat for all who enjoy a good yarn.

Genres: Folklore, History, Mythology, Short Stories, Anthologies, Nonfiction, Folk Tales

192 pages, Paperback

Published March 13, 2019

Reviews

[Amy Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely collection of folk tales to cuddle up with now the nights are getting colder. Each story is listed by county, so easy to pick up and put down.

A pot of tea and blanket are a must.

[Nicki Markus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, I enjoyed this collection. A few tales I recognised, while others were new to me. Most were highly entertaining. The only reservations I had was that a few were not old but rather stories crafted in folkloric style, written as original works by the authors. To me, this collection should have included only established older stories with good provenance. Modern works are a different thing. Also, it would have been nice to have all counties represented. I can't believe it would have been impossible to find any stories from those left out. But this is still a nice introductory text and as such I am giving it four stars.

[Tasneem · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful collection of stories.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting to dip in and out of.

[loz.sandom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting collection told in a soft, enjoyable manner. A good intro to folk stories!

[Roo · Rating 5 out of 5]

What it says on the label. Fantastic little collection of folk tales.

[David Boddy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mostly very entertaining.

[morag Sarkar · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story from every county in England.
written down in 2016 -so lacks the language of the time the stories were first told .

[ACJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Some stories really endure eh?

Favourite ones:
The Cheviot Sheperds Charm (Berkshire)
The Lyminster Knucker (Sussex)
The Green Children (Suffolk)
The Silent Sentinels (Bedfordshire)
The Monk of Leicester (Leicestershire & Rutland)
The Woodsman and the Hatchet (South Yorkshire)
Cat and Man (South Yorkshire)
The Three Roses (East Yorkshire) (Extra terrifying)
Ingimund's Saga (Cheshire)
The Far-Travelled Fiddler (Northamptonshire)
The Gypsy Boy (Nottinghamshire)
The White Hare (Oxfordshire)

[a dog who learned to read · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd say this anthology is a bit hit and miss, which is only to be expected for an anthology like this. The stories are very short and some feel a bit dull, however I love the presentation and especially the little explanations of local things that influence some of the stories directly.

The story about the spooky painting of red roses was possibly my favourite and made me think "what if this was a horror anthology?"

[Jules · Rating 5 out of 5]

Minder goed dan de Schotse maar nog steeds erg leuk om te lezen. De Engelse is meer speels met verhalen over mensen die domme dingen doen en de Schotse heeft meer focus op mythische dieren. Grappig genoeg heeft de Engelse meer verhalen met Vikingen dan de Schotse en verwijzingen naar Noorde goden, zo komt Thor meerdere malen voor. Maar allebei waren erg goed en interessant. Daarnaast heb ik gewoon een zwak voor folklore.

[Caitlin Laurel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hope to read these stories again one day, I enjoyed most of them. (A couple tough reads) A few stories I have heard versions of before, but less dark as they were put across in this book.

The saddest stories in this book were ones of normal people who wasted their time, lives in pursuit of wealth while their families missed them. This was a common theme among the folk lore, and perhaps the most important lesson.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up from the Stonehenge gift shop, and it was a pleasant surprise. The collection brings together a wide range of folk tales, some eerie, some whimsical, and with that timeless, moral edge you’d expect from oral traditions passed down through generations. Not every story grabbed me, but overall it’s a charming collection and a nice way to dip into the country's storytelling traditions.

[Garry John Watts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting and charming tales.

To be read without expectations as many of the tales are somewhat surreal and fairy tale in context. That said they are beautiful and entreguing and many adults will feel transported to their early fairy tale reading childhood without losing a good adult read. The authors have done a fantastic job of turning the tales into thought provoking literary gems in their own right.

[Jacqueline · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adore this book! Unexpectedly but wonderfully, funny in places, warm hearted, bringing traditional and not so traditional tales up to date. Absolutely wonderful! I love that the book is divided by county, often giving a real sense of the differences between them. But why no story from Kent? I am scandalised! That aside, a joy from beginning to end.

[Marilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable and very varied collection of tales from all around England. Most were folktales, but some were newly written. I appreciated the authors' notes about where, how and from whom they heard the tale, variations across the years and locations. I was surprised at how few of the tales I had heard before.

[Shannon Hargreaves · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally a folk tale anthology that dosent have pages upon pages of boring drabble on history and where it came from. Each of these stories are interesting and easy to read.

I definitely reccomend! And as a bonus most if not all of these stories are safe for children.

[Terri Stokes · Rating 3 out of 5]

A wonderful collection of folk tales, both old and new, written in the classic folklore style. Spread out across the country, there is a good selection of tales to pick and choose from if someone wanted to read a tale from a certain county.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do love a folk tale. They speak of history, tradition, suspicion. They are love and fear and life. This slim volume holds a good selection, would recommend.

[Sophie Bowns · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short stories, but interesting!

The stories in the book were very short but interesting! I thought that all in all it was an enjoyable read. 🙂

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was cute! I loved reading the stories from different places throughout the uk and noticing aspects I recognised. I’m a big fan of folklore so this was a wonderful read.

[Steven Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rather fantastic book, not quite what I was expecting. I like the little bios of the contributors and am quite pleased to discover most of the tales I'd not heard before, and those I had, had extra details and regional variations.