What do you think?
Rate this book
Two Cakes Fit for a King: Folktales from Vietnam
For centuries, Vietnamese have sustained the history of their nation, both actual and mythic, through their folklore. These stories, passed from generation to generation, contain not only the national saga, but also fundamental cultural values that Vietnamese hold dear. Some stories, like "A Daughter's Love," are imaginative accounts of early Vietnamese history. Others, like "The Anger of the Waters" and the title story, "Two Cakes Fit for a King," provide colorful explanations of the world and how it works. "The Story of Watermelon Island" offers readers a glimpse of the traditional agrarian values and way of life that are the foundation of Vietnamese society.
Imaginative and captivating, funny and sometimes tragic, these tales have remained popular and culturally significant for Vietnamese, young and old, for hundreds of years. The intricate illustrations draw on centuries-old painting styles and on natural imagery and everyday life in Vietnam.
Imaginative and captivating, funny and sometimes tragic, these tales have remained popular and culturally significant for Vietnamese, young and old, for hundreds of years. The intricate illustrations draw on centuries-old painting styles and on natural imagery and everyday life in Vietnam.
128 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2003
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
November 8, 2014
I am pretty weary of books that partially read like advertisements, the preview for this book already talks about the sustaining of the history of the nation of the Vietnamese, although that nation per se isn't that old and the ancestors of the people we call the Vietnamese today were pretty much spread over at least two if not more kingdoms for a long time. In addition this book clearly ignores the reality that Vietnam has actually more than 50 native ethnicities and so we can be sure the tales in this are from the Vietnamese majority, at least there is no hint of Hmong or so stories here. And the book itself at first sounded like advertisement, about how unique Vietnamese folktales are and so on, and as usual that made me suspicious.
You see the author specifically stated that in Vietnamese folktales supernatural events and characters are rare and usually appear in skillful combination with realistic ones, they are notable for their elegant balance, gentleness and humanity (not sounding very objective in my mind), uses the model of the village as a foundation, the protagonist often displays dissatisfaction with the world, many mention the active role of women. These are considered the distinctive features of Vietnamese folktales (apparently some reviewers didn't read that last word).
However I am not inclined to believe something just because the author says so and I really question these "distinctive" features. Grimm's fairy tales, the ones I mostly grew up with (with some of other sources of course) and the various folktales from my country also have many active women, many have no magic at all, play in villages and protagonists are not necessarily satisfied with the world.
Also these stories here do not seem to really fit these points of the authors either. So you see only one of 10 stories truly has no magic, the others are full of it. So the only truly distinct feature compared to the Grimm stories I know is that one princess being a good fighter, and I saw princesses as good huntsmen already so… apart from that these stories only seem to be a bit blunter with their moral lessons but that was it. Sure these are only 10 stories and maybe the authors are right with their claims but the stories they presented do not support their claims in my eyes.
The stories themselves are fine and well written though, albeit they seem partially modernized and there were some translation choices (like using "angel") that I would not have done.
So the book is an entertaining read, but I would not give much about what the author said.
PS. I would not have put the comments on the folktales before the appearance of the actual stories, you tend to forget these comments quickly in that case.
You see the author specifically stated that in Vietnamese folktales supernatural events and characters are rare and usually appear in skillful combination with realistic ones, they are notable for their elegant balance, gentleness and humanity (not sounding very objective in my mind), uses the model of the village as a foundation, the protagonist often displays dissatisfaction with the world, many mention the active role of women. These are considered the distinctive features of Vietnamese folktales (apparently some reviewers didn't read that last word).
However I am not inclined to believe something just because the author says so and I really question these "distinctive" features. Grimm's fairy tales, the ones I mostly grew up with (with some of other sources of course) and the various folktales from my country also have many active women, many have no magic at all, play in villages and protagonists are not necessarily satisfied with the world.
Also these stories here do not seem to really fit these points of the authors either. So you see only one of 10 stories truly has no magic, the others are full of it. So the only truly distinct feature compared to the Grimm stories I know is that one princess being a good fighter, and I saw princesses as good huntsmen already so… apart from that these stories only seem to be a bit blunter with their moral lessons but that was it. Sure these are only 10 stories and maybe the authors are right with their claims but the stories they presented do not support their claims in my eyes.
The stories themselves are fine and well written though, albeit they seem partially modernized and there were some translation choices (like using "angel") that I would not have done.
So the book is an entertaining read, but I would not give much about what the author said.
PS. I would not have put the comments on the folktales before the appearance of the actual stories, you tend to forget these comments quickly in that case.
September 5, 2018
This is a varied and engaging collection of ten traditional tales from Vietnam, accompanied by an attractive black and white illustration for each tale. The stories are told in simple, clear language, appropriate for children as well as adults; they are neither overly didactic, nor overly simplified, but maintain their regional character and key episodic elements.
Even better, they are preceded by a very useful introduction, which gives historic and cultural background for the country of Vietnam, delving a little deeper into the stories to explore how each represents a particularly Vietnamese worldview, even examining the influences of other cultures upon cultural and folkloric development as they pertain to Vietnam. Highly recommended for anyone wishing to explore the dreamy and romantic folklore of this lovely country.
Even better, they are preceded by a very useful introduction, which gives historic and cultural background for the country of Vietnam, delving a little deeper into the stories to explore how each represents a particularly Vietnamese worldview, even examining the influences of other cultures upon cultural and folkloric development as they pertain to Vietnam. Highly recommended for anyone wishing to explore the dreamy and romantic folklore of this lovely country.
November 26, 2017
I enjoy learning about other countries through their fables and this is a must-read.
November 5, 2012
Not that I need to compare Vietnamese folktales to the British/German folktales that I grew up with, but it’s hard, when reading stories about princesses and adventures, not to compare. And I have to say the Vietnamese stories did away with a lot of the magic (with the exception of a talking turtle) in favour of hard hitting moral lessons that announce themselves as moral lesson (behave!). Not in an Edward Gorey kind of way, more in a… hmm… ‘don’t be promiscuous.’
I liked the folktales because they are short and I’m falling behind on my reading list (in large part because I’m ‘stuck’ on the Satanic Verses, a book that will not give itself over to me easily), which I know is not a good reason to like a book, but there you have it. It’s April in 10-10-12 and I’m admitting to enjoying something for its brevity. Take me as I am.
I liked the folktales because they are short and I’m falling behind on my reading list (in large part because I’m ‘stuck’ on the Satanic Verses, a book that will not give itself over to me easily), which I know is not a good reason to like a book, but there you have it. It’s April in 10-10-12 and I’m admitting to enjoying something for its brevity. Take me as I am.
February 25, 2011
This was exactly what I needed -- short, clever little stories that I had never encountered before. I can't say there are any standouts in this collection, but the translation is lighthanded and based on this, I will be seeking out more Vietnamese literature.
The way the supernatural is handled is *fascinating* -- there are frequent appearances of the King of Heaven, and stuff happens that is not, you know, possible in reality, but these really feel like folklore more than fairytales, and I'm damned if I know why.
The way the supernatural is handled is *fascinating* -- there are frequent appearances of the King of Heaven, and stuff happens that is not, you know, possible in reality, but these really feel like folklore more than fairytales, and I'm damned if I know why.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews