A Time for Trolls : Fairy Tales from Norway

by Asbjornsen and Moe, Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, Jørgen Moe

"Fairy tales from Norway, told by Asbjornsen and Moe"

Genres: Fairy Tales, Fiction, Fantasy, Short Stories, Childrens, Folk Tales, Mythology

82 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1962

Reviews

[Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very delightful! Except for "Rumble-Mumble Goose-Egg" and "Aase the Goose Girl". Rather creepy.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this at a used bookstore mostly because I thought the title was funny, but I ended up liking these stories a lot. This book is full of wonderful things: trolls that burst when they get angry, an ugly-child-turned-adventurer named "Rumble Mumble Goose-Egg," and passages like:

Yes, she could try to search for him. But there was no way there. The castle was east of the sun and west of the moon and she would never be able to find it.

[Aimee]

These tales are bringing a lot of enjoyment to my life. I have been memorizing and retelling the stories to Judah while we swing in the backyard. If I don't hesitate too long in my telling I receive the joyous applause of a 1 and a 1/2 year old, my treasure.

[sweet pea · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book appears to have been created for the tourist market to spread Norwegian folktales abroad. in the same manner as the Brothers Grimm, Asbjørnsen and Moe collected tales from the Norwegian countryside from 1837-1871. Many of the tales have similarities with other European and, in the case of 'The Two Stepsisters', African folktales. Askelad is the universal, wise young man who takes in his surroundings and shows respect where due and thus triumphs. there are strong female characters too, with a quarter of the stories featuring active heroines. Of all of them 'Rumble-Mumble Goose-Egg' deserves the widest readership and/or an opera for its bizarre premise and rollicking plot.

[Ehryn]

Fun collection of short fairy tales! I like the stories of Askelad, but my favorite story was “The Cat of Dovre”.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great little collection of fairy tales from Norway. Interesting optimistic outlook in most stories. Entire book has a unique mix of Christianity with trolls & magic.

[Christiana Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up at a thrift store - seemed unique so I couldn’t say no. The stories felt very authentically fairy tale - some very odd happenings with morals entwined. Some of them I wouldn’t read to small children (for fear of scaring them - ha) but it was an interesting/cozy bedtime read as an adult!

[K. McDevitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like reading fairy tales from other countries, which is why I picked this up at a BookCrossing meeting ages ago. It was an interesting mix of stories, though only a few of them actually had trolls in them. Most of the stories involved peasants or farmers, some of whom rise up to great wealth or power because of noble acts, but some of whom just use their cleverness to not die. I mean, some of them are facing trolls, after all!

Like most collections, there were some stories I enjoyed more than others. My favorite of the stories was "The Two Stepsisters" where two sisters set out on journeys. One is kind to those she meets along the way (milking the cow that begs her to do so, feeding hungry birds, etc.) and so she's able to escape a witch. The other sister... not so much and ends up having toads pouring out of her mouth. Let that be a lesson to you! "Askelad and the Silver Ducks" was an interesting one as well. Askelad steals a lot from a troll and each time the troll is angry and asks if he'll be back. Askelad says he might. The troll, who is pretty incompetent, gets angry and eats him all up. Except, as it turns out, he hasn't eaten Askelad at all but his own daughter. Don't you hate when that happens?

I truly enjoyed this glimpse at a culture and values and important messages as they're conveyed through folk/fairy tales.

[Briana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Found at a half-priced books, an interesting half-hour read. The stories have all of those fairy-tale motifs, but very culturally Norwegian. I enjoyed the goat and troll imagism throughout the stories, and also a great reminder that the concept of talking animals has been around far longer than Disney.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely LOVE this book. They are the best fairy tales!

[Emma Larkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite fairy tale books of all time!

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

My grandfather's cousin brought this back for me from a trip to Norway when I was a child. It's wonderful.

[Amy Dale · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. Very short at 82 pages, there's around 8 stories. This book is a Norwegian souvenir.

For those new to Askeladen tales or fairytales from Norway in general,this will be a fun little collection. However,I was hoping this book would be a collection of stories exclusively about trolls. Trolls are briefly mentioned in about half the tales,but none have them as a big part and none of them fare well. There's much better troll-centric stories by Asbjornsen and Moe than are gathered here.

Aside from that,many of the stories have that profoundly repetitive nature so popular in fairytales,so you can skip pages and not have missed a thing except for the same paragraph being told to more and more woodland animals who agree to help in a long chain of events.

Nothing really romantic or magical here either,I'd recommend investing in the Complete Asbjornsen and Moe or Folktales of Norway.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t really say no to a fairy tale collection. They are usually an enjoyable read, especially after reading and enjoying The Nutcracker by E.T.A. Hoffmann and reading and not so much enjoying some mediocre fantasy books.
This is a nice collection of tales. It has one of my favorites, East of the Sun & West of the Moon and a variety of other stories of varying popularity. Also I like the goats on the cover of this edition. :D

[Kesse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many of these tales will be familiar, with the slight twists that come when the source of the tale varies. Enjoyable for anyone who loves fairy tales (which also means, not all of them are good for children).

[Emmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I stumbled upon this little book quite by chance, and was delighted with the quality and variety of the stories. Even though I read a ton of folk and fairy tales, there were still some new ones to surprise me. Great collection with awesome illustrations!

[JalapenoSoup · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some of the stories were fun, but mostly they were creepy. Just as one should expect from a collection of cultural fairy tales, I suppose...

[Minaeliza · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was cute. It was fun to read and the stories are weird and sometimes have a real shock factor. 7/10.

[Icky · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so fun to read! Great little stories.

[Blanca Ruiz]

I enjoyed reading this nice collection of Fairy tales from Norway.

[Eric Berg · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun book of tales. The introduction is very helpful to put the folktales in context.

[Jeanodonnell66hotmail.Com · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of authentic old folk tales from Norway.
Some are funny, some strange, several are
like rough versions of Grimm's fairy tales.

[Mina]

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[Ayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun collection of fairy tales from Norway .Askelad is literally lad of ashes so he is a male version of Cinder Ella . I really enjoyed the East of the Sun and West of the Moon tale, and as the intro reports could see the similarity to the Cupid and Psyche tale. And the stepsisters tale teaches one to be kind and clever, rewards come to those who earn them. And don't forget the three Billy goats and the troll under the bridge a childhood favorite.

[Samuel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kept this one by bedside to read before the melatonin kicked in. Read a few to the wife too. Many of these are rather formulaic...which I suppose one should expect from the phlegmatic Nordskies. Little bits of humor thrown in to make one chuckle (sometimes only the parents).