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Chanterelle Dreams, Amanita Nightmares: The Love, Lore, and Mystique of Mushrooms
*2011 Winner, International Association of Culinary Professionals Jane Grigson Award *2011 Finalist, International Association of Culinary Professionals in the Culinary History category Throughout history, people have had a complex and confusing relationship with mushrooms. Are fungi food or medicine, beneficial decomposers or deadly "toadstools" ready to kill anyone foolhardy enough to eat them? In fact, there is truth in all these statements. In Chanterelle Dreams, Amanita Nightmares , author Greg Marley reveals some of the wonders and mysteries of mushrooms, and our conflicting human reactions to them. With tales from around the world, Marley, a seasoned mushroom expert, explains that some cultures are mycophilic (mushroom-loving), like those of Russia and Eastern Europe, while others are intensely mycophobic (mushroom-fearing), including, the US. He shares stories from China, Japan, and Korea-where mushrooms are interwoven into the fabric of daily life as food, medicine, fable, and folklore-and from Slavic countries where whole families leave villages and cities during rainy periods of the late summer and fall and traipse into the forests for mushroom-collecting excursions. From the famous Amanita phalloides (aka "the Death Cap"), reputed killer of Emperor Claudius in the first century AD, to the beloved chanterelle (cantharellus cibarius) known by at least eighty-nine different common names in almost twenty-five languages, Chanterelle Dreams, Amanita Nightmares explores the ways that mushrooms have shaped societies all over the globe. This fascinating and fresh look at mushrooms-their natural history, their uses and abuses, their pleasures and dangers-is a splendid introduction to both fungi themselves and to our human fascination with them. From useful descriptions of the most foolproof edible species to revealing stories about hallucinogenic or poisonous, yet often beautiful, fungi, Marley's long and passionate experience will inform and inspire readers with the stories of these dark and mysterious denizens of our forest floor.
288 pages, Paperback
First published July 28, 2010
54 people are currently reading
932 people want to read
About the author
Greg Marley
2 books3 followersGreg Marley has a passion for mushrooms that dates to 1971, the year he left his native New Mexico and spent the summer in the verdant woods of central New York. Since then, he has become an avid student and teacher of mycology, as well as a mushroom identification consultant to the Northern New England Poison Control Center and owner of Mushrooms for Health, a company that provides education and products made with Maine medicinal mushrooms. Marley is the author of Mushrooms for Health: Medical Secrets of Northeastern Fungi. He lives and mushrooms in Rockland, Maine.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
March 31, 2025
I’m really not sure how to review this book. It is written in an engaging way, and I did learn a few interesting facts, but I am honestly not sure which audience this book is targeting. I feel like this is a book written by a guy who is clearly passionate about mushrooms and who wanted to share his knowledge and enthusiasm, and he goes about that by describing specific types of mushrooms and giving the reader some context and details about their biology, foraging potential and their place in folklore and culture. But it’s neither a field guide, nor a social history of fungi’s place in human culture – it’s trying to be both at the same time with mixed results.
Marley uses some mycological terms he doesn’t really explain or illustrate, so if you haven’t read anything about mushroom anatomy, you may be confused by what he mean by ‘universal veil’; on the other hand, he goes to great lengths to make sure beginner mycologists don’t take unnecessary risks while foraging by explaining which mushrooms have a history of toxicity and how to differentiate the edible ones from the poisonous ones. He shares some recipes of how to prepare the mushrooms he deems safe for foraging and gives some useful information about how one should proceed if they want to grow mushrooms in their gardens. But overall, it felt to me as if he was hesitant to commit to what kind of book he wanted this to be, and I was often a little bit confused as to what kind of book I was supposed to be reading.
I think I would have enjoyed it more had he picked one angle to focus on and done a really deep dive into each specific topic; instead, he meandered a bit, and the lack of formal structure bothered me. I might have just not been in the right mood, to be fair. I was going to rate it 3 stars, for interesting but not too memorable, but I did find some information in there that is crucial to work I’m currently doing, so it gets a bump up to 4.
Marley uses some mycological terms he doesn’t really explain or illustrate, so if you haven’t read anything about mushroom anatomy, you may be confused by what he mean by ‘universal veil’; on the other hand, he goes to great lengths to make sure beginner mycologists don’t take unnecessary risks while foraging by explaining which mushrooms have a history of toxicity and how to differentiate the edible ones from the poisonous ones. He shares some recipes of how to prepare the mushrooms he deems safe for foraging and gives some useful information about how one should proceed if they want to grow mushrooms in their gardens. But overall, it felt to me as if he was hesitant to commit to what kind of book he wanted this to be, and I was often a little bit confused as to what kind of book I was supposed to be reading.
I think I would have enjoyed it more had he picked one angle to focus on and done a really deep dive into each specific topic; instead, he meandered a bit, and the lack of formal structure bothered me. I might have just not been in the right mood, to be fair. I was going to rate it 3 stars, for interesting but not too memorable, but I did find some information in there that is crucial to work I’m currently doing, so it gets a bump up to 4.
July 14, 2019
Most certainly Greg Marley does in his educational Chanterelle Dreams, Amanita Nightmares: The Love, Lore, and Mystique of Mushrooms enthusiastically present to us readers how much he enjoys and treasures collecting and later consuming wild mushrooms (even presenting a number of delectable recipes featuring the edible mushroom species he considers the best and yes also the safest to pick and consume). However as someone who is and in fact has always been rather majorly afraid of poisoning myself (and others) with hand gathered mushrooms, I also do very much appreciate that in Chanterelle Dreams, Amanita Nightmares: The Love, Lore, and Mystique of Mushrooms, Greg Marley albeit that he in fact and naturally does try to convince that most mushrooms are indeed non toxic and not dangerous to gather and eat, he definitely also acknowledges not only that some very few mushrooms are absolutely lethally toxic (such as more than a few of the amanita species), that there are certain types of mushrooms that are possibly dangerously poisonous if one does not properly cook them (for example false morels which Marley actually does not suggest collecting and eating at all as their toxicity even when cooked is a matter of some debate) but also that if one wants to start picking and consuming wild mushrooms one should always tread warily and and be prudent with eating even species considered delightfully gourmet as some people do seem to react with moderate to severe gastric distress to mushroom species with which others seem to have absolutely not issues (and yes, to also absolutely avoid any species of mushroom that tend to look too similar to the amanitas and to also be extremely careful with deliberately trying so-called magic mushrooms and fly agarics in order to get high and/or stoned, not to mention that mushrooms also can easily store residual pesticides in them so that it is of course and naturally also better to avoid picking mushrooms in areas where there usually is much pesticide use, such as golf courses and intensely artificially manicured public parks and lawns).
Chatty without being too annoyingly personable and academic without being dry and pedantically rambling, even for someone like myself who actually (and yes even after having read Chanterelle Dreams, Amanita Nightmares: The Love, Lore, and Mystique of Mushrooms) would still rather look at mushrooms in the wild and collect them with my camera, as pictures, and not put them into baskets to later prepare and consume them as a source of food, Chanterelle Dreams, Amanita Nightmares: The Love, Lore, and Mystique of Mushrooms is indeed a wonderful introduction to not only mushroom collecting/eating and mushroom species in general but also to the history, folklore and ecology of the latter (how the health of a forest can often be determined by the kind of mushroom species present there and that mushrooms tend to have intricate relationships with not only trees but also with the many forest animals that consume them, relying on them to spread mushroom spores post eating with their excrement). Highly recommended for both active mushroom enthusiasts (and in particular those individuals who indeed might want to try their hands at collecting wild mushrooms and cooking with them), but yes, Chanterelle Dreams, Amanita Nightmares: The Love, Lore, and Mystique of Mushrooms is in my opinion equally interesting for those of us with just a casual interest in mushrooms (and also for those of us who would not ever really want to start mushrooming and/or are still too afraid of encountering poisonous toadstools whilst out and about collecting and searching for edible and delectable species of mushrooms). And indeed, the only reason that I am not upping my ranking to five stars is that the photographic insert should in my humble opinion have been considerably more expansive (and that in my opinion, there really should be both an illustration and a photograph of EVERY SINGLE mushroom described by Greg Marley in Chanterelle Dreams, Amanita Nightmares: The Love, Lore, and Mystique of Mushrooms, for how can we really even consider knowing which mushrooms to actively search out and which to totally and utterly avoid without also being visually confronted by them as illustrations and photographs).
Chatty without being too annoyingly personable and academic without being dry and pedantically rambling, even for someone like myself who actually (and yes even after having read Chanterelle Dreams, Amanita Nightmares: The Love, Lore, and Mystique of Mushrooms) would still rather look at mushrooms in the wild and collect them with my camera, as pictures, and not put them into baskets to later prepare and consume them as a source of food, Chanterelle Dreams, Amanita Nightmares: The Love, Lore, and Mystique of Mushrooms is indeed a wonderful introduction to not only mushroom collecting/eating and mushroom species in general but also to the history, folklore and ecology of the latter (how the health of a forest can often be determined by the kind of mushroom species present there and that mushrooms tend to have intricate relationships with not only trees but also with the many forest animals that consume them, relying on them to spread mushroom spores post eating with their excrement). Highly recommended for both active mushroom enthusiasts (and in particular those individuals who indeed might want to try their hands at collecting wild mushrooms and cooking with them), but yes, Chanterelle Dreams, Amanita Nightmares: The Love, Lore, and Mystique of Mushrooms is in my opinion equally interesting for those of us with just a casual interest in mushrooms (and also for those of us who would not ever really want to start mushrooming and/or are still too afraid of encountering poisonous toadstools whilst out and about collecting and searching for edible and delectable species of mushrooms). And indeed, the only reason that I am not upping my ranking to five stars is that the photographic insert should in my humble opinion have been considerably more expansive (and that in my opinion, there really should be both an illustration and a photograph of EVERY SINGLE mushroom described by Greg Marley in Chanterelle Dreams, Amanita Nightmares: The Love, Lore, and Mystique of Mushrooms, for how can we really even consider knowing which mushrooms to actively search out and which to totally and utterly avoid without also being visually confronted by them as illustrations and photographs).
May 28, 2011
Fantastic book, I just wish I lived on the East coast! Very amazing recipes in this book as well as great details on how to dry or freeze or otherwise store a large mushroom harvest. This guy really knows how to eat a mushroom. I really appreciate that he isn't shy to use healthy amounts of butter. Some of the recipes are very traditional.
It is also fantastic the amount of information he provides about mushrooms from the truffles to the bioluminescence of mushrooms to the psycadelic properties. He isn't afraid to tell it like it is and helps to clear up many myths about mushrooms.
Greg Marley's discussion of how different people are different and care needs to be taken when first eating any wild food. Never eat too much and wait to see how you react. Some people are fine with something that is poison for the next guy.
I also really enjoyed the discussion at the very end of the book about how to start a mushroom garden in your backyard or even bathroom.
I highly recommend this book. Read More
It is also fantastic the amount of information he provides about mushrooms from the truffles to the bioluminescence of mushrooms to the psycadelic properties. He isn't afraid to tell it like it is and helps to clear up many myths about mushrooms.
Greg Marley's discussion of how different people are different and care needs to be taken when first eating any wild food. Never eat too much and wait to see how you react. Some people are fine with something that is poison for the next guy.
I also really enjoyed the discussion at the very end of the book about how to start a mushroom garden in your backyard or even bathroom.
I highly recommend this book. Read More
September 22, 2020
Of the two, Mycophilia: Revelations from the Weird World of Mushrooms is the more readable and interesting for a general audience. CDAN was very enjoyable as a cross between a field guide and narrative, though. It's divided into chapters generally about specific fungi, but instead of a very brief field-guide description, there's a longer discussion of the mushroom's properties, history, identification, and so on. If and when I take up mushroom hunting and growing, I'll absolutely buy a copy to keep as a reference.
May 19, 2013
I gave this 4 stars even though it's not especially well written. It is a great beginner's guide to the world of mushrooms, covering all of the areas in which I was interested. He cites personal experience along with a decent amount of scientific literature, and he provides a helpful reading list for delving deeper into specific topics. I doubt there is a better introductory text for the field.
August 10, 2011
I'm still not convinced that "deadwoodology" is a word.
Want to read
December 27, 2015
Been a warm day. So warm butterflies could be seen fluttering, even a little snake I caught on camera.
What a winter....,
winter, really?
July 14, 2018
I loved this book way more than I should have. I picked it up for some basic research, and I ended up reading it cover to cover, in part because the author impressed me so much with his balance of passion and caution.
Greg Marley is a professional, careful, and winsome guide to the world of mycology. He describes edible mushrooms with such care and love that I caught his passion and found myself wanting to try every single mushroom he wrote about (except the poisonous ones, which were also very interesting). I also just wanted to meet him, because he seems like a genuinely pleasant person. Now I'm getting inordinately excited every time I see a mushroom on the lawn.
Greg Marley is a professional, careful, and winsome guide to the world of mycology. He describes edible mushrooms with such care and love that I caught his passion and found myself wanting to try every single mushroom he wrote about (except the poisonous ones, which were also very interesting). I also just wanted to meet him, because he seems like a genuinely pleasant person. Now I'm getting inordinately excited every time I see a mushroom on the lawn.
November 13, 2023
"Chantarelle Dreams, Amanita Nightmares" is an engaging exploration of the diverse world of mushrooms, blending scientific insight with captivating storytelling. The author's passion for mycology shines through, making it an enjoyable read for both enthusiasts and aspiring foragers.
Author delves into the cultural impact of mushrooms, illuminating their multifaceted role in human history and society. From ancient rituals to contemporary culinary trends, the book navigates the rich tapestry of mushroom symbolism, folklore, and usage across various cultures. It provides a understanding of how mushrooms have influenced art, literature, and even spiritual practices, showcasing their enduring significance in shaping human experiences (...be it culinary or altered states of mind) throughout centuries or maybe even several millenia.
The book also offers responsible guidance on mushroom foraging, emphasizing safety. It provides practical tips on identifying edible mushrooms, emphasizing the importance of accurate identification to avoid potentially harmful or even fatally poisonous species like "death cap", Amanita Phalloides or "Finnish fugu", korvasieni, Gyromitra esculenta, which also have their respective chapters in the book.
Author delves into the cultural impact of mushrooms, illuminating their multifaceted role in human history and society. From ancient rituals to contemporary culinary trends, the book navigates the rich tapestry of mushroom symbolism, folklore, and usage across various cultures. It provides a understanding of how mushrooms have influenced art, literature, and even spiritual practices, showcasing their enduring significance in shaping human experiences (...be it culinary or altered states of mind) throughout centuries or maybe even several millenia.
The book also offers responsible guidance on mushroom foraging, emphasizing safety. It provides practical tips on identifying edible mushrooms, emphasizing the importance of accurate identification to avoid potentially harmful or even fatally poisonous species like "death cap", Amanita Phalloides or "Finnish fugu", korvasieni, Gyromitra esculenta, which also have their respective chapters in the book.
June 21, 2011
Very interesting! Goes through a brief history of people using fungi for medicine, food, recreational and spiritual purposes. Examines the most edible of fungi and the most poisonous. Encourages us to be curious not scared of fungi. For those who wish to forage for wild mushrooms he gives you guidelines-mainly to take care to identify the mushrooms correctly, not to take chances (If in doubt, throw it out!) and to take your time to get to know all types of fungi, not just the edible ones. He also addresses how fungi are essential parts of a healthy eco-system; they deliver nutrients to plants, decompose organic matter and provide food to many types of insects and animals. Written in a concise and easy to read manner.
June 8, 2016
Really enjoyable and fun for any mycophile. Part natural history, part ethnobotany, part humorous memoir. Fascinating topic. The author's style is anecdotal and charming, but the book suffered from inadequate editing and organization. I would have enjoyed more pictures, but I love a good field guide, which this is not, so that is pure wishful thinking. The good descriptions of the edible and poisonous mushrooms are very valuable to the learning mushroom hunter.
October 4, 2011
What can I say? I love mushrooms and this has great mushroom stories.
October 31, 2019
Caveat: much of this info is specific to the east coast. But it still has plenty of valuable information and is an entertaining read.
January 13, 2012
A well written survey of the kingdom of mushrooms. Marley covers edible mushrooms, psychoactive mushrooms, bioluminescent mushrooms, cultivated mushrooms, and mushrooms as keystone species. This is an overview of mushrooms, especially in the Northeast, rather than a field guide of edible mushrooms. Marley repeatedly mentions how important it is to take a spore print before eating mushrooms, but he never describes how to take a spore print.
He does, however, explain how bioluminescent fungi were used in the first military submarines (in the revolutionary war!) because candles used up too much oxygen. Thank you, Ben Franklin.
He does, however, explain how bioluminescent fungi were used in the first military submarines (in the revolutionary war!) because candles used up too much oxygen. Thank you, Ben Franklin.
April 12, 2011
So many times as I've read the short descriptions for common mushrooms in field guides, I've wished for more information. In this book, Marley provides the stories behind the mushrooms, explaining what it means when a mushroom is noted as "edible, perhaps", and what the toxic effects might be like or due to.
July 3, 2012
Not bad, a bit dry for a book that's not really aimed at hardcore mushroomers. Seems to be trying a little too hard to sound important but despite the bogginess it's a good source of info for those looking for cultural and medicinal infomation about fungi.
July 26, 2015
Interesting read, full of lovely fiddly bits of trivia and fun! The middle was kind of dry and listy so it might not be everyone's cup of tea, but definitely an enjoyable book to return to for mushrooming inspiration and references.
December 12, 2012
I haven't read the book from back to front as it's pretty hard to keep fully focused on, but what I have read has been very interesting and informative. Definitely glad I have the book at home as a reference.
November 8, 2015
Excellent book fro anyone just beginning a hobby in mycology or those curious to start. I will be passing my copy since I have been in the hobby long enough that there isn't much new for me, but perfect for the novice.
July 18, 2023
I wish this book dove even deeper into lore, multiculturalism, and science of mushrooms, as I found this book to be too general for me. Fortunately, I would definitely recommend it to those never introduced to the world of mushrooming!
February 11, 2013
Extremely fascinating and informative book about fungi! Well-written and thoughtful. Highly recommend to anyone who is curious about mushrooms and their natural or cultural history.
May 10, 2013
Everything you want to know about mushrooms.
July 23, 2013
This was an enjoyable survey of mushroom history and mythology. Don't expect a field guide - it's clearly not meant to be one. It'll likely make you go looking for one, though.
May 24, 2016
I never know how to rate things that don't fall on the "literary" spectrum, but this one gave me the info I was looking for in a really enjoyable manner.
August 15, 2023
I’m proud of myself for finishing this one! It was a labor of love. I did learn some interesting facts, and I really liked the cover design, but I felt it could have used more of a thread tying the various strands together. It ended abruptly without any kind of unifying conclusion and didn’t really live up to its evocative title. But, that said, there were some parts I found interesting and I was glad to learn more about different facets of the mushroom world. Now I can enjoy it sitting on my shelf looking pretty with the satisfaction of having read it.
January 10, 2023
I very much enjoyed the first and then the final few chapters. The lore and human interaction sections are what I was primarily looking for in the first place. In the times I found the book slow or not relevant to my own experience with fungi, it was either because the book is quite old (I was in HS when published) or the author seemed to be primarily focused on the east coast. Still, it wasn't a bad book, and I bet the author would be fun to chat with.
June 6, 2025
This was a really fun book: perfect for someone beginning to consider foraging! (If you want to actually forage, you will need a real guidebook.)
Marley tells stories about edible, poisonous, and psychedelic mushrooms using personal anecdotes, scientific studies, historical tales, and, for the edible mushrooms, recipes. His love for mushrooms is clear and infectious. I learned a lot and am excited to learn more!
Marley tells stories about edible, poisonous, and psychedelic mushrooms using personal anecdotes, scientific studies, historical tales, and, for the edible mushrooms, recipes. His love for mushrooms is clear and infectious. I learned a lot and am excited to learn more!
January 5, 2020
This was an unexpected (to me) favourite. One borrowed on a whim from the library. The best mix for folklore, science, anecdotes and reflections.
I loved especially the chapter on Amanita muscaria. It was magical.
Highly recommended for any mushroom freak. Maybe my favourite non-identification book on mushrooms.
I loved especially the chapter on Amanita muscaria. It was magical.
Highly recommended for any mushroom freak. Maybe my favourite non-identification book on mushrooms.
October 2, 2024
I found this to be fascinating and I kept mentioning parts of it to my loved ones. I thought I knew a lot about mushrooms already, but I learned a lot. It felt a little dated to me (2011) only because mushroom science is continually refining, but it was a great foundation and has a killer bibliography for more research.
October 4, 2020
Very interesting.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews