Il Salice Verde & other stories

by Grace James, Warwick Goble (Illustrator)

I racconti di questo volume sono stati attentamente scelti tra quelli presenti nella prima edizione di Green Willow and Other Japanese Fairy Tales, pubblicata dalla prestigiosa casa editrice inglese Macmillan Publishers Ltd. nel 1910. La scrittrice e studiosa di folklore Grace Edith Marion James, britannica nata a Tokyo, raccolse in quest’opera alcune leggende e fiabe giapponesi per farle conoscere al pubblico occidentale. Fanno parte della prima edizione del 1910 anche le finissime illustrazioni che accompagnano i racconti, opera dell’artista britannico Warwick Goble, grande appassionato di cultura giapponese e indiana.

Questa edizione comprende:
- Il salice verde
- Il flauto
- Il bollitore
- La lanterna delle peonie
- Il re del mare e i gioielli magici
- Il tuono benevolo
- La scodella nera
- Gli innamorati tra le stelle
- Horaizan
- Riflessi
- La storia di Susa l'Impetuoso
- Il vento fra i rami del pino
- Il fiore della peonia
- Il martello
- La campana del tempio di Dōjō-Ji
- La fanciulla di Unai

Genres: Mythology, Classics, Short Stories, Fairy Tales, Japan, Fiction, Fantasy

191 pages, Hardcover

Published December 31, 2022

About the author

Grace Edith Marion James (1882–1965) was an English writer, born in Tokyo. She was both an author of children's literature and a Japanese folklorist.

Her Japanese Fairy Tales (1910) collected and retold stories from the Japanese folk tradition. It was illustrated by Warwick Goble.

Reviews

[Krisette Spangler · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations for this edition of Japanese fairy tales are gorgeous. I enjoyed reading these fairy tales from Japan, but they weren't my favorite collection of fairy tales. I much prefer the good old Brothers Grimm.

[Valentina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ne parlo qua: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGJxejDMJ/?t=1

[Gabriel Benitez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Una buena recopilación de cuentos populares y leyendas japonesas. Algunas ya las conocía pero la mayor parte de ellas no. El libro es tan bueno que me lo acabé en un día.

1. El sauce verde
Un joven Samurai se enamora de una chica pero debe escoger entre ella y cumplir una misión
2. La flauta
Un mercader casado en segundas nupcias tiene una hija bella pero su nueva esposa es ruín.
3. El hervidor de té
Un monje compra un hervidor de té que realmente es... un tejón mágico.
4. La linterna de las peonías
Un joven se enamora de una hermosa chica que lo visita todas las noches... hasta que se entera de la trágica verdad.
5. El rey del mar y las joyas mágicas
Un joven se casa con la hija del rey del mar, pero casarse con un hada marina no es fácil y siempre hay una promesa que se debe cumplir.
6. El dios trueno
El hijo del dios del trueno ha decidido nacer entre campesinos pobres para aprender una lección.
7. El cuenco negro
Una chica ve opacada su gran belleza cuando debe mantener sobre su cabeza un profundo cuenco negro.
8. Los amantes de las estrellas
¿Es mejor conocer el amor o no haberlo conocido jamás?
9. Horaizan
Un sabio hombre llega al paraíso que siempre ha deseado, pero para otro, el paraíso es donde esta el hogar.
10. Reflejos
Un hermoso espejo traerá el enojo y el caos a una pareja de casados
11. La historia de Susa el impetuoso
El dios del mar, Susa, ha asustado a su hermana Amaterasu, la diosa del sol y se ha escondido en una caverna. Hay que hacerla salir o el mundo se verá para siempre cubierto por las tinieblas
12. El viento en el pino
Un Pino es el lugar donde los espíritus de la naturaleza se reúnen
13. La flor de la peonía
Una joven conoce a un hermoso muchacho que aparece donde se encuentran sembradas estas flores.
14. La maza
Los hijos de las hadas tienen una extraña maza que cumple todos los deseos.
15. La campana de Dojoji
Un santo monje se ve perseguido por el espíritu de una mujer del cual no puede olvidarse.
16. La dama de Unai
Una hermosa chica tiene como destino un desastre que su padre quiere evitar a toda costa.

[Saffron Moon]

This rating is for the edition adapted and by Grace James and illustrated by Warwick Goble.

[CJ Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

James seems to have gone through considerable work on the provenance of her stories, drawing them from as close to the source as she can get. This edition is apparently well known for the watercolor illustrations by Gobel, but the copy I snagged on forgottenbooks.com renders them in black and white, and low resolution. ):
These are, given a couple of exceptions, very different from the western European stories. As an example, there is a story where Rai-den, God of Thunder, sends his son, who is also a God, down to earth to be born and live there so he knows about humans. This old couple finds him and takes him in. He works super hard and is super respectful and does all the good things, and they didn't have to worry about starving because they were old and couldn't work that hard. After eighteen years (I'm not sure why 18--is that a particularly relevant age to Japanese people a few hundred years ago?) he says "This has been lovely, honored parents, but I'm going home to my August Dad. Bye." And the last line is the two of them wondering how they'll live without him. The old man says "Well, we're old and will die soon anyway."
Different times, different cultures. Oh, and I also found out that Oyuki is a really common name in these stories, maybe the cultural equivalent of Jack.

[Elinor Loredan · Rating 4 out of 5]

11/2022 reread:
I enjoyed and appreciated the stories more this second time, but many of them I was still mystified by or did not enjoy. The thing I like most is the lyrical prose in contrast to the Grimms' straightforward style. In further contrast to Grimm, the stories usually do not end well for the main characters. The illustrations are also gorgeous.

***
2020
After reading a few Japanese fairy tales in Lang's fairy books and loving them, I was excited to read more. The stories in this book are poetical and mostly sad with a haunting quality about them. Aside from a few familiar fairy tale tropes, they are very different from most fairy tales I have read, which is why I love reading tales from a variety of cultures. Although most of the stories are sad, they are very beautiful and remind me of some of Andersen's work in which simple happily ever afters usually do not occur.

Favorites:
Wind in the Pine Tree
Flower of the Peony
The Cold Lady
The Fire Quest
Espousal of the Rat's Daughter
Spring Lover and Autumn Lover
Urashima (very different from Lang's version)
The Nurse
The Moon Maiden

[Velma]

http://archive.org/stream/greenwillow...

[Yes Me · Rating 4 out of 5]

Al fin un libro de cuentos que no me toma más de una semana terminar. Y que tambien me sea llevadero para mi suma mucho, 4 ⭐️.

Tengo una gran curiosidad por Japón y me emocionaba que llegara esta entrega con cuentos y fábulas tradicionales. Sin embargo, por algo de mi propio fanatismo, no llegué a conectar en él 100%.

En primer lugar, me chocaba leer “quimono” en todas las ocasiones o que el sake fuera prácticamente la única bebida mencionada. Tienen un glosario al final para palabras que tampoco eran propias de la cultura japonesa.

En segundo lugar, aunque las ilustraciones me gustaron, para mí hubiese tenido más valor que también fueran tradicionales, realizadas por algún artista nativo que representara mejor lo que se estaba contando.

Son detalles, quizá chiquitos, pero son cosas que me resonaron.

Igual, disfruté muchísimo varias historias y de muchas otras me hizo gracia su humor. Creo que de todas las entregas de la coleccion, esta es la más podrían leerse a niños por su contenido atp, salvo tal vez la de la flauta, que me pareció muy triste ;-;

Con mis peros, aun así, no me parecio repetitivo ni tedioso, lo termine en una tarde y me acerco de una linda manera a un mundo que tenia ganas de conocer. Me quedo con que conocí varias historias nuevas que me gustaron, las que me llegaron, enserio me dejaron una sensacion linda no solo al final sino mientras la leia, y eso que cada cuento tiene muy pocas paginas. Me encantó la manera en que están narradas; este es mi primer acercamiento a la literatura japonesa y me dejó con ganas de más. Me interesa saber si existen traducciones y/o adaptaciones mejores, quizá más respetuosas o más naturalizadas a la cultura.

Al principio del libro se menciona que este es el primero de dos volúmenes donde se recopilan estos cuentos, y por eso espero con ansias el siguiente, que tampoco se que número es.

Por último, la ilustración de la portada me pareció hermosísima.

[Julieta Vera · Rating 4 out of 5]

El sauce verde & other stories ⭐(4,37):

-El sauce verde ⭐⭐⭐ (3,5)
-La flauta⭐⭐⭐⭐(4)
-El hervidor de té ⭐⭐⭐⭐(4,5)
-La linterna de las peonías ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5)
-El rey del mar y las joyas mágicas ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4)
-El dios trueno ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐(5)
-El cuenco negro ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4)
-Los amantes de las estrellas ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5)
-Horaizan ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5)
-Reflejos ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4)
-La historia de Susa el impetuoso ⭐⭐⭐(3,5)
-El viento en el pino ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4)
-La flor de la peonía ⭐⭐⭐⭐(4)
-La maza ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐(5)
-La campana de Dojoji ⭐⭐⭐⭐(4,5)
-La dama de Unai ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐(5)

[isa pisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

cuentos de hadas japoneses; selección del libro “Green willow and other japanese fairy tales”

el sauce verde
los amantes de las estrellas
la dama de unai
el desposorio de la hija del señor rata
el pretendiente de la primavera y el pretendiente del otoño
la medusa emprende un viaje
tamamo la dama zorro

[Velvet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amo ésta serie las historias son deliciosas

[Cara Dore]

Title: Green Willow and Other Japanese Folktales: The Tea-Kettle
Author: Grace James
Illustrator: Warwick Goble
Genre: Non-European Folktale
Theme(s): Preemptive judgment, Friendship, Diversity

Opening line/sentence: Long ago, as I've heard tell, there dwelt at the temple of Morinji, in the Province of Kotsuke, a holy priest.

Brief Book Summary:
A holy man buys an ancient tea kettle which comes alive, first in front of his “novices” and then in front of his own eyes. Thinking this animation to be the work of the devil, the holy man sells the tea kettle to a tinkerer. When the tea kettle comes alive this time, the tinkerer is unafraid and he understands that the kettle is not wicked. Together, the tinkerer and tea kettle make a spectacle of the rare kettle and make a lot of money. At the end, the tea kettle tells the tinkerer sadly that it is his time to go, so the tinkerer lovingly gives him to the temple of Morinji as a sacred treasure.

Professional Recommendation/Review #1:
Forgotten Books
Green Willow and Other Japanese Fairy Tales is a collection of 38 "tales and legends" from the Land of the Rising Sun, published in 1912. Grace James diligently gathered these beautiful stories from various sources, including the Ko-ji-ki, which is the oldest Japanese chronicle of myths that has survived the test of time and human hands to this day.

Warwick Goble, well-known illustrator of his time, enhances the appeal of the anthology by furnishing it with 16 artistic depictions of some of the characters in the stories. As he specialized in Asian themes, particularly Japanese and Indian ones, he is a fitting choice for the creation of this book.

Children and young adults will find these stories a fine introduction to Japanese culture. Despite its translation into a Western language, various Eastern elements remain, such as the names of the characters and places, as well as the designations of certain figures.

Also, certain Asian values, such as profound respect for elders and superiors, help youngsters understand why they are important and how they are supposed to be practiced. However, since the tales date back more than a hundred years ago, some customs featured may be deemed too conservative for modern readers.

These old legends and tales effectively transports one to another era and place. As such, this anthology is a great tool for escaping into a fictional realm while, at the same time, learning or being reminded of timeless moral lessons that remain applicable today.

Response to Two Professional Reviews:
After checking the CLCD and University Library and searching around the internet, I found many amateur reviews, but unfortunately only one professional review. I like this review because it comments on why many of the stories seem morally imposing— these are tales from another era and another place, so it is natural that modern readers would have more trouble relating. While I agree it is a strong point of James to keep Japanese names in the folktales, I think she should have included more of the original wording. An index or footnotes with translations could have been included, and it would have bolstered the authenticity of the collection. Though the version of this book I got did not have any illustrations, I am happy to hear through the review that Warwick Goble has spent a long time studying Japanese art and thus created fitting illustrations.

Evaluation of Literary Elements:
Green Willows and Other Japanese Folktales features numerous stories, all playing with the imagination and offering some sort of moral message. It is the message of morality that offers itself up for analysis and presents a basis for more in-depth literary searches for moral messages. Symbolism is a prominent feature of these Japanese folktales, with each character embodying a different standpoint on life and the interactions among characters shedding light on how these varied perspectives should play out.

Consideration of Instructional Application:
I would stay away from having students create their own cultural folktales, for fear of encouraging cultural appropriation or undermining the importance of these stories to the Japanese culture. However, using this book to compare Japanese folktales with other cultural folktales would be a thrilling alternative, as long as it is done respectfully. Students could choose two folktales which have similar or opposite messages and present their claims and evidence to the class.

[Isadora Urbano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Contos preciosos da cultura japonesa, mesclando histórias mitológicas, românticas, divertidas e absurdas. Fiquei encantada com essas narrativas, que me despertaram um grande interesse pelo folclore japonês. No livro, há presença constante de vocabulário relativo ao vestuário e comidas típicas do país, além de samurais, geishas, crianças encontradas no quintal e seres mágicos como fadas, dragões, demônios e tanukis. Há também alguns mitos fundadores, com personagens como Izanagi, Ama Terassu e Susa, além de seres icônicos como a raposa de nove caudas, a deusa Kwannon, Kiyohime e Yuki. Vários contos também falam do Yomi, a terra dos mortos, e das lendas sobre o retorno dos espíritos, e em algumas histórias também se fala da tradição budista. Enfim, é uma coletânea maravilhosa, que vale mil por cento a leitura.

[Alessia Saulle · Rating 3 out of 5]

L’ennesima storia senza un lieto fine, eppure l'amore tra un giovane samural e una fanciulla dal passato enigmatico, è avvolgente, triste, poetico, dolce e commovente.
Dispiace vedere il loro amore frantumarsi in mille pezzi a causa di Tomodata, per una missione affidatagli e mai portata a termine.
A pagarne il prezzo non sarà solo lui, ma anche Aoyagi e le loro famiglie.
Una storia da strappalacrime, accompagnate sempre dalle poche e bellissime immagini presenti nel volume.
Oltre alla dama del salice verde però sono presenti innumerevoli storie in questo volume, alcune altrettanto interessanti e altre meno.

[Jason Hendricks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good selection of Japanese fairy tales.

[Alessia Castellan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Mork · Rating 3 out of 5]

3'5/5