East of the Sun and West of the Moon: Old Tales from the North

by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, Kay Nielsen (Illustrator), Jørgen Moe

The 33 Scandinavian folk tales take the imagination of the reader from rags to riches, from skulduggery to heroism, via witches' curses, beautiful princesses, giants, quests, billy goats and the occasional wicked troll, to a happy ending.

Genres: Fantasy, Fairy Tales, Classics, Fiction, Short Stories, Folklore, Childrens

208 pages, Hardcover

Published October 10, 2008

About the author

Peter Christen Asbjørnsen was a Norwegian writer and scholar. He and Jørgen Engebretsen Moe were collectors of Norwegian folklore. They were so closely united in their lives' work that their folk tale collections are commonly mentioned only as "Asbjørnsen and Moe".

Reviews

[Hamed Manoochehri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nerding out on folklore and fairy tails:

(برای مطالعه اگه ایران هستید، بهترین منبع سایت آرکایو دات اورگ هست. قانونیه و اسکن از روی اوریجینال انجام شده که حس قصه پریانی رُ خوب انتقال میده. من چندتا نسخه دانلود غیر قانونی و دو نسخه دیجیتال قانونی از آمازون تهیه کردم که هَمِگی بی کیفیت و فارغ از صفحه آرایی بودن.)

تصویرگری 5 از 5

داستان‌ها 3 از 5

تصویرگری:

در مورد تصویرگری در طی مطالعه کتاب گفته بودم که Kay Nielsen از مینیاتور ایرانی الهام گرفته و با تلفیق سبک آرت‌نووُ به تصویرگری شرقی تونسته به یه فرمول بدیع و چشم‌نواز دست پیدا کنه. نیلسِن، به واسطه علاقه به شرق، سبک پرینت اُکیوعه okio-e ژاپنی رُ هم به مهارت هاش افزود و تونست با بهره گیری از سمبولیسم شرقی و غربی یه سبک بصری تازه رُ نه تنها برای تصویرگری کتاب، بلکه برای هنر نقاشی ابداع کنه.

ویژگی اصلی المانهای تصویری نیلسن، دقت و تاکید به طراحی صحنه تأتر گونه، خلق پروتاگونیستهای مُلَبس به فاخرترین جامه‌ها و دو بُعدی بودنِ پرتراکمِ مُلهم از میناتور هست.

برای من از بین سمبول‌‍‌های متعددی که نیلسن توی کتاب گنجونده، "درخت تکیده سرافکنده" جذاب ترین و پراحساس ترین بود.

داستان ها:

درمورد اصل داستانها چیز زیادی برای گفتن نیست اما در طی پروسه تحقیق درباره کتاب و تک تک داستانها (که از تفریحات اصلی من محسوب میشه) به نکات جالبی برخوردم. بعضی‌هاشون رُ براتون بازنویس می کنم:

1- داستان اول EAST OF THE SUN AND WEST OF THE MOON

طبق تحقیق Jan-Öjvind Swahn روی 1100 داستان حاوی واریانت‌های کیوپید و سایک در بین داستان های اسکاندیناوی، جرمانیک و صربی، «خرس» بیشترین جایگشت رُ بین "شوهران مافق طبیعی" داشته.

2- داستان سوم PRINCE LINDWORM

این داستان و بخصوص قسمت دوم اون یه اویکوتایپ شرق مدیترانه‌ایEast) (Mediterranean oikotype خلق میکنه که در یونان و آسیای صغیر بسیار مشهوره.

به علاوه دامادِ مارگون در شعرهای حماسی صرب-کرُوات بسیار متداوله.

تا اونجا که یادمه یه نمونهٔ ترکیه‌ای داستان هم هست که نمی دونم اسمش چی بود.

3- داستان ششم THE LAD WHO WENT TO THE NORTH WIND

این داستان مشابه داستان برادران گریم به اسم The Wishing-Table, the Gold-Ass, and the Cudgel in the Sac.

هست. جالبه بدونید بهترین تصویرگر داستان‌های برادران گریم هم Arthur Rackham، یکی دیگه از اساتید آرت نوو و تصویرگری کتاب، و شاید مشهورترینشون باشه.



4- داستان هشتم Soria Moria Castle

این داستان باعث شد وارد سیاه چاله ای بشم که مربوطه به "چکمه" در داستان های فولکلر!

چکمه‌های این داستان معروف هستن به "چکمه های هفت فرسنگی" (seven-league boots). این اصطلاح از داستان مشهور Charles Perrault به اسم Hop-o’-My-Thumb میاد. برادران گریم در داستان Sweetheart Roland، در بریتانیا در داستان Jack the Giant Killer از این چکمه ها اسم برده شده. در داستان های بومی/محلی روسیه اسم این چکمه ها сапоги-скороходы هست.

به علاوه این داستان یه المان مشهور داستانهای اسکاندیناوی دیگه رُ هم داره: حلقه. و این حلقه ای هست که فرد دورافتاده یا گم شده برای اثبات هویت خودش ارائه می‌ده.



5- داستان نهم THE GIANT WHO HAD NO HEART IN HIS BODY

واریانت های این داستان علاوه بر اسکاندیناوی و اروپا، در آمریکا، آسیا و حتی شما آفریقا هم وجود داره. در ورژن های غربی "قلب" داخل تخم مرغ یا تخم اردک هست ولی در ورژن آسیایی داخل حشره یا پرنده.



موتیف «روح بیرونی external soul» هم طبق کتاب The Golden Bough، حداقل در 250 واریانت مختلف در سرتاسر دنیا و در داستان های پریان یا فولکلر وجود داره و تقریبا در تمامی این داستان ها شخصیت بد ماجرا (villain) هست که قسمتی از قلب یا روحش رُ در جعبه یا موجود زنده ای قایم میکنه و قهرمان داستان با از بین بردن اون روحِ بیرونی، به پیروزی نهایی میرسه.



6- داستان دهم THE PRINCESS ON THE GLASS HILL

مفهوم مهم این داستان همون تپه شیشه ای هست که در داستان The Seven Ravens برادران گریم وجود داره و یه نمونه‌‌ی لهستانیش هم در The Yellow Fairy Book نقل شده. به علاوه یه ورژن روسی از سفید برفی هست به جای 7 کوتوله، هفت برادر که به وسیله شاهینی که در بالای تپه شیشه ای زندگی می کنه جادو شدن. یه ورژن فلِمیش (Flemish) هم از Swan Maiden وجود داره که به تپه شیشه ای اشاره داره(ر.ج Het zwanenmeisje van den glazen berg, “The Swan Maiden of the Glass Mountain”).



7- داستان سیزدهم THE THREE PRINCESSES IN THE BLUE MOUNTAIN

مفهوم Blue Mountain نمودی هست از مکانی دور و دست نیافتنی که به وفور در سبک های مختلف ادبیات مورد استفاده و تکرار قرار گرفته. نمونه بسیار مشهورش Ered Luin: تالکین این اسم رُ برای نشون دادن مکانی دوردست که شگفتی های ناشناخته در انتظار است به کار برده. البته این Ered Luin در زبان اِلویش به معنی کوهستان آبی هست.

[Jazzy Lemon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such beautiful illustrations!

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

The majority of the stories in this book can be summed up as such: A lad named Halvor or Boots ventures out and comes across a princess or three princesses guarded by a troll or three trolls, who are all defeated by Halvor/Boots with a sword he has to drink a potion to use, and as a reward for saving the princess(es) he gets to marry her or one of his choosing, and they live happily for some time until one or the other wants to go back home and that’s fine but “only if you follow these rules while you’re/I’m gone” which are always broken, and the princesses have to return to their homeland or decide to abandon Halvor/Boots, but Halvor/Boots is so in love that he searches to all ends of the earth until he finds the princess(es) and she/they are so happy to see him again that all is well and “if they are not done feasting, why they are still at it”

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a reproduction of the one issued in the 1920s with illustrations by Kay Nielson. It might possibly be the most beautiful book I own. The pages are so thick, they are almost printed on card stock rather than paper. It is simply beautifully put together and the illustrations are amazing, both the black and white images in the text and the full colour plates. The stories are wonderful tales most of which I'd not heard before. I liked the fact that the first one starts with a girl going on a quest to free her would be husband (instead of the boy rescuing the maiden as per normal). There are some lovely themes in this book and some interesting cultural differences to the fairy tales I'm used to reading. I loved the evil trolls, the fact that witches could be helpful, and that random people would help you on your way and everything has to happen three times. I would very very highly recommend this book. It's simply gorgeous.

[Yeg · Rating 4 out of 5]

end of 2025

I finished this collection feeling quietly impressed by how direct and thoughtful these stories are. They don’t rely on sentimentality or elaborate language; instead, they present clear moral situations and let the consequences speak for themselves.

Themes like responsibility, patience, humility, and persistence come up again and again, and they’re handled in a way that feels grounded rather than idealized. Some stories are dark, some practical, some unexpectedly sharp, but all of them reflect a deep understanding of human behavior. This is a solid collection that rewards careful reading and stays relevant long after you’re done.

Also, about the frequent use of the number 3 I found that, The number three is often employed in folklore and fairy tales for several reasons. It creates a sense of balance and completeness, making stories more memorable and engaging. The pattern of three can also serve to build tension and resolution, as seen in the classic structure of "three trials" or "three wishes." This repetition helps to emphasize key themes and allows audiences to anticipate outcomes, which can be satisfying.

Here are all the story titles from the collection:

1. East of the Sun and West of the Moon ★★★★★

2. The Blue Belt ★★★★

3. Prince Lindworm ★★★★★

4. The Lassie and Her Godmother ★★★

5. The Husband Who Was to Mind the House ★★★★

6. The Boy Who Went North to the Wind ★★★

7. The Three Princesses of Whiteland ★★

8. The Giant Who Had No Heart in His Body ★★★★

9. The Princess on the Glass Hill ★★★

10. The Widow’s Son ★★

11. The Three Billy Goats Gruff ★★

12. The Three Princesses in the Blue Mountain ★★★★

13. The Cat on the Dovrefell ★★★

14. One’s Own Children Are Always Prettiest ★★

[Karen Margrethe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember as a child, growing up in Scandinavia, hearing the fairy tales gathered in this book. With Kay Nielsen's mesmerizing illustrations, you get lost in what seems like an epic yet tragic beautiful fairy tale universe which represents values of a lost time.
The themes with the humble animals and wonders of the woods, trolls and other fantastic creatures captivate a feeling of balance and power in nature. That combined with the theme of the loved one you will seek and fight for, makes a powerful story.
Where other fairy tale traditions indclude in great deal witches and magical humans, the nordic tales use the trolls to represent magical power and the strength and danger of nature, life and human choices. With the introduction of christanity, the tales changed and started mentioning if a character was christian or not (the latter not good according to the tales (try to watch the Norwegian movie Troll Hunter and you can sense the relationship between Christians and trolls in a modern setting), and the stories truly gives one a sense of the values of the age in which they were told and took form as a piece of vital literature. The story telling style can get repetitive, but is still very intriguing.
I simply adore Kay Nielsen, and his illustrations make the stories even more magic and interesting.
.... And Right now I feel like going on an adventure with the northern wind or my own personal bear.

[Tricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's strange, but the reviews that show up under this title seem to be about a variety of different books. The one I'm commenting on is a compilation of Norwegian (Scandinavian?) folk tales. The stories get repetitive after a while - there are quite a few common themes that show up again and again (and again!). The real reason to get this book is to pore over the wonderful luxurious color illustrations by Kay Nielsen. If you are an artist of any variety, you will be inspired!

[Acondog · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too many words not enough pictures

[Caitlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've always found Kay Nielsen's illustrations captivating, so I was delighted to find this book a couple of years ago at an out-of-the-way bookshop. After gazing at it on my shelf for quite some time, I finally brought it down and read it cover to cover while sick in bed. This is a gorgeous book, from the cloth cover to the typeface to Nielsen's inimitable illustrations. I had never read these Norwegian fairy tales before, and I found them amusing, well-paced, and above all, magical. In keeping with the fairy tale tradition of stories being similar/shared across different cultures, these stories held parallels to Cupid and Psyche, Bluebeard, and others. A lovely read.

[Hilary "Fox" · Rating 5 out of 5]

East of the Sun and West of the Moon is a classic collection of Norwegian folklore collected in the late 1800s. In many ways this was the very first collection of Norway's folklore, that area being one late to be examined by folklorists for a number of reasons. It was fortunate to be printed when it did, as that printing coincided with the short period of collectible art books for adults being in vogue, creating this brilliantly illustrated collection. Kay Nielsen was, perhaps a bit ironically, a Danish artist best known now for the Bald Mountain sequence of Fantastia. Imagine that artwork gracing the tales of the bitter North and you can see what a treat this book is.

This collection has been expanded with an introduction that goes in depth into the nature of Norwegian folklore collection and what sets this book apart. There is also a section contextualizing the difficulties of printing art books, and what set this one apart from many others at the time it was first printed. Lastly, there is a section about the history of Nielsen and his artwork - this latter section containing art that was not present within the book before to give the reader a wider view of his oeuvre and his influences.

I can't adequately express how incredible it was to pick up this book from the library. This is a truly gorgeous publication. The artwork is breathtakingly beautiful, and I could spend hours just looking at the drawings. This is the sort of book I'd expect to see for sale at the AVAM for a price well outside of my capability to comfortably pay, but instead this is just... readily available at the library or for an astonishingly low amount. Likewise, the tales contained within are as fascinating as the artwork.

There are well-known stories now - such as "Three Billy Goat's Gruff" that is now a staple for all young people. There are less well-known stories like "The Giant Who Had No Heart in his Body" which echo throughout stories from every continent in varying ways. Then there are stories that are more wholly unique, but damn fine reads that deserve to be a bit better known like "The Blue Belt" and the tale that lends its title to the book itself. This edition corrects minor errors from previous
editions, and is remarkably readable and just a true treasure to hold. What a great treat for the end of the year.

[Orinoco Womble (tidy bag and all) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to Project Gutenberg for this classic.

Strangely enough, most of the reviews I see here speak as if it were only the title story, while the Gutenberg edition has several tales. The first few stories had a strong George MacDonald At the Back of the North Wind vibe. I enjoyed the first 40% of the book but the stories sandwiched in the middle were just annoying. Perhaps I'm too old for fairy tales, but I've put it down for now and may never continue. If I do, I'll edit this review.

[gabby .__. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was a solid 3.5 stars!! It honestly got kind of repetitive towards the end but some stories stood out more than others. Of course my favorite was "East of the Sun and West of the Moon", mostly because I was delighted that a) the protagonist was a female character with a lot of agency and really drove the plot forward and b) there was a complexity to the story that some other tales lacked. But the atmosphere of the whole collection was otherworldly and I deeply enjoyed reading a few bits before bed to revive that good old childish nostalgia. Honestly it gets quite gruesome for children's tales (ie. "Prince Lindworm", "the Blue Belt") but I think it added a lot to the charm.

[M⚫️N · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nielsen's illustrations in this are, of course, breathtaking. The fairy tales are certainly entertaining, but can be at times rather convoluted and odd; what you'd expect, considering their age, and a wonderful insight into fairy tales of a different time period. Also, the book itself is beautiful; thick, smooth paper, innumerable black-and-white illustrations in addition to the gorgeous color plates- even someone unfamiliar with book-construction can tell that they're holding an item of exceptional quality, something you don't often see nowadays.

[Ekman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tricky to rate - my enjoyment was definitely increased by being closer to the original stories & language and having heard variations of several of them as a kid, but I wouldn't recommend this in its entirety to anyone who lacks those bits.

[Haley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book specifically because of Kay Nielsen. Calla Editions know what's on, folks.

[Allie · Rating 4 out of 5]

absolutely stunning artwork

[Sabrina · Rating 3 out of 5]

the stories were very hit or miss (mostly miss tbh) but I loved seeing the classic fairytale motifs and it was cool to see some plot elements that were similar to other great myths


style: 3.5 stars
language: 3.5 stars
characters: 2 stars
atmosphere: 4 stars
plot: 3.5 stars
themes: 3.5 stars
enjoyment: 3 stars
overall: 3 stars

[Steffi]

I don't know what I was expecting picking up a collection of Scandinavian folk tales (- less repetition, I guess?). It was alright, there were some decent stories in here and it's nice to see some fairy tales from another part of the world. But my god did this get repetitive in the second half!

[Audiobook Heaven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book, I listened to the audiobook version on YouTube. I will leave the link below so that everyone can enjoy it! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwhZE...

[totorolow · Rating 1 out of 5]

something was definitely lost in translation…

[Ben Gibbs]

A Dazzling Collection of Folk Tales.

[Amy Meyers · Rating 3 out of 5]

We are studying Norway, so we chose this for the literature for my third-graders. I'd purchased it several years ago for Kay Nielsen's legendary, beautiful illustrations. The quality of the book is indisputable--heavy cardstock pages (probably weighs 5 lbs.), plentiful and beautiful illustrations, and nice large font to make it accessible to young readers. However, the tales are every bit as gruesome, violent, or occasionally illogical as Grimm's. A few times, my daughter has said while reading her turn aloud, "I don't want to read that..." with a wrinkled nose, as I laughed awkwardly or furrowed my brow in response. My presupposition was that fairy tales and fables are such excellent literature for children that I should by no means give this book's reading up!

On a particularly busy homeschooling day, I did something I haven't done yet for these two--let them read the story on their own. Unfortunately it was "'The Lassie and Her Godmother." What a horrible tale. The Virgin Mary is hoarding the sun, moon, and stars, and finally casts out her young adopted charge when the child disobediently lets them out, with a curse-blessing on her that she is a mute beauty. She is married by a prince, has three children with him, all of whom are stolen by the Virgin, who also makes it look like the beautiful mute has eaten them!! Finally when they're about to burn her for eating her THIRD baby, the Virgin comes back with all three children and says she just wanted the girl to know how she felt about having lost the sun, moon, and stars, and here are your children back now. By the way, I'm the Virgin Mary. That's how it ends. It was so horrific, I determined we wouldn't read any more Norwegian fairy tales. But, unable to cast off my presupposition so easily (and also knowing that these Norse tales influenced Lewis and Tolkien!!), I read the rest of the book. So now my thoughts are these:

1. You can safely read all the tales with your children with the exception of "The Lassie and Her Godmother."
2. Be aware of the totally different mindset [from post-modernity] that these tales show. Yes, they can be viewed as gruesomely violent at times, perhaps ever-so-slightly hinting at immorality at times [which your children won't pick up, and maybe people would debate me about that...], and illogical or incoherent in flow. But they are also archetypal in their repeated portrayals of Christianity against the pagan troll monsters, their heroes self-sacrificially giving their rights or lives for the sake of loving another human being, and their bravery.
3. It might be better to read a more modern version, in which the stories may have been "softened" a little, or different selections given, or even English grammar a little less archaic. In this book, she "span" at the spinning-wheel or "clomb" the tree. But there is also a benefit to the beauty of this edition as well as the old English for the most part. However, I wonder about the endings, if they can't be changed a bit for modern sensibilities?? Like "The Husband Who Was to Mind the House" is a hilarious story that I heard first in a picture-book version we have. I love that one. But this one ends, "But, as she did this, down came her Husband out of the chimney; and so, when his old dame came inside the kitchen, there she found him standing on his head in the porridge pot." [which had been boiling oatmeal] *illustration shows him doing just that--waist to feet sticking out of a pot!] Now...in the "Three Little Pigs" story, that's how the wolf dies, so I'm not sure if they're trying to communicate death here? At least the picture book version has him happy with his wife ever afterwards, because now he appreciates her work and isn't so picky and hard on her. I LOVE that message! :) But this is a little abrupt for my taste!

[freya · Rating 3 out of 5]

just read this out loud in class it took forever and my throat was so sore afterwards. i'm not super into all the conjunctions. the repetition's pretty epic though.

free link :B

[Liberty · Rating 1 out of 5]

Actual averaged rating: 1.43 stars.

I think we have to call it here, folks. Fairytales just aren’t for me. This is my second, possibly my third, set of fairytales I’ve read as an adult and I don’t like them. I think I rated this collection very slightly lower than the collection of Grimm’s Fairytales I read about a year and a half ago. But given the sheer volume of Grimm’s Fairytales I’m not surprised. This was only 15 stories that were published in 1845. Or at least that’s the earliest date I can find for them. I had heard someone say that the East of the Sun, West of the Moon fairytale was inspiration for the original Beauty and the Beast at someone point which I don't think is right. Feel free to correct me. From what I’ve seen, the East of the Sun, West of the Moon story came out in 1845 while the original Beauty and the Beast Story came out in 1740. But that’s all GoodReads and Wikipedia research so let me know if you know differently. All that to say that me hearing that comment is what led to me reading these stories. I like Beauty and the Beast and I found a gorgeous Minalima edition at the New York Public Library so why not read the story and then Beauty and the Beast?

Turns out, this is why. I found the stories were either way too short or way too long. I struggled to get through the longer ones. The shorter ones felt like a waste of time. My favorite story was in fact East of the Sun, West of the Moon which I rated 3 stars. My most popular (and lowest rating) was 1 star. I’m excited to read the Minalima edition of Beauty and the Beast, but otherwise I’m staying far away from anything that could possibly be called a fairytale.

[Marissa Elera · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting collection of twenty one Norwegian folk and fairy tales that has collaborative history of being translated and edited by various authors over the span of many years. The original tales were collected by Asbjornsen and Moe, translated by George Desent, and finally edited and illustrated by the D’Aulaires. Due to the Victorian translations, there is a definite air of elegance to the telling of the tales, though the D’Aulaires mention that they tried to modernize that some in the course of their edition.

The introduction is the only area of explanation about the origin and history of the tales. It meanders dreamily for the first half, talking of fairyland, before accounting the history of the original collecting and translation and the backgrounds of men who did so. There is short mention of the tales they chose to rework significantly.

The tales themselves are on the longer side, but to the point enough that they resemble a standard, original European fairy tale, a la the Grimm Brothers. Magic, virtue, evil, and the other common fairy tale elements make this a safe bet for storytelling, though the length of many of the tales would lend itself better to third grade and up. Particular favorites for storytelling are “The Three Bushy Billy-Goats” (The Three Billy Goats Gruff), “East of the Sun and West of the Moon”, and “The Three Princesses In the Mountain So Blue”.

[Bruce · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of fifteen fairy tales is elegantly illustrated by Danish illustrator Kay Nielsen. His strikingly posed elongated human figures inhabit fantastic and detailed color illustrations. The preface describes, “…the exquisite bizarrerie of his drawings… ,” which I find an odd way of describing them.

Many fairy tale motifs are repeated in the tales. It gives the impression that princesses in Scandinavia always come in sets of three, and are rescued by heroes who invariably find them in a kitchen at the spinning wheel while the troll or monster that has captured them in not at home at the time of the hero’s visit. There’s also a good bit of chopping off of heads and limbs in the stories. Nevertheless, the collection contains the ever popular “Three Billy Goats Gruff,” “Soria Moria Castle” and the title tale.

All but two of the tales come from George Webbe Dasent’s nineteenth-century English translations of Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe collection Norske Folke-Eventyr, with the English title Popular Tales from the Norse. Two additional tales, “The three princesses in the blue mountain” is from Fairy Tales from the Far North by Asbjørnsen translated from the Norwegian by H. L. Braekstad. The preface says “…Prince Lindworm is newly translated for this volume,” however. the source, Danish, Swedish, or Norwegian, and the translator are unnamed.

[Saranya ⋆☕︎ ˖ · Rating 3 out of 5]

🌙East of the Sun and West of the Moon – Where Trolls Troll Hard and Bears Have Secrets

Ever wondered what would happen if Beauty and the Beast took a detour through a snowstorm, got lost in a fjord and picked up a few Viking hitchhikers??? East of the Sun and West of the Moon is your answer. This is like stepping into a dream woven from ice, moonlight and the occasional talking animal with boundary issues.

🧸A white bear who offers a poor family riches in exchange for their daughter. Classic fairy tale economics. But this bear isn’t just a bear—he’s a cursed prince with a serious case of “don’t light candles near me while I sleep.” Naturally, the girl does exactly that, triggering a quest that involves witches, winds and a journey to a place that sounds suspiciously like a poetic way of saying “good luck finding it on Google Maps.”

👹 Trolls, Trolls Everywhere!!!
The trolls not garden-variety internet nuisances. They’re big, ugly and oddly bureaucratic. They love kidnapping princesses, hoarding treasure and setting up impossible tasks like “wash this black wool white” or “fetch water with a sieve.” Basically, they’re the HR department of fairy tale villains.

It’s folklore at its frostbitten finest!!!

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn't a bad collection. It just wasn't my favorite. Many of the stories felt redundant, and many of the characters shared the same names across stories. That may be due to the source material, but it was confusing.

The writing style was alright... Do you recall stories that your mother or grandmother would tell you? Some phrases weren't actual sentences, and others had mysterious things/being/characters that just popped up out of nowhere? That's how this was written. It's more an oral recording that was transcribed instead of polished up stories written by an author.

All in all, a nice little collection, but I've read many of these stories in other places where they are slightly more polished.

[Caitlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of these 15 Scandinavian fairy tales might seem familiar to readers--many have been re-imagined or retold. And several of them are repetitive, slightly different versions of the same story, or containing some of the same elements. But fairy tales from pretty much any country have similar roots, so it's not surprising.

So perhaps read one or two at a time, with breaks in between. Expect a little weirdness, too. These are the kinds of original fairy tales, the ones that are sometimes a little dark--cautionary tales. The pictures alone are worth the reading--lovely, detailed, vivid color pictures, and smaller black and white pictures are slightly less detailed, but still beautiful.

[Mary Zemina · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting collection of old Scandinavian fairy tales. My favorite was definitely East of the Sun, West of the Moon. It was one of the more original of the tales in this book--many of them were so similar to each other they might was well have been the same story. But my second favorite was "The Cat of Dovrefell," about a man who caught a polar bear and stayed overnight in a cottage in the woods, which was overrun with trolls every Christmas Eve, who thought the bear was a cat and were so afraid of it they never came back to the cottage again. It was really short and bizarre, and I've never read a story quite like it before.