Leaves from the Garden of Eden

by Howard Schwartz

In Leaves from the Garden of Eden , Howard Schwartz, a three-time winner of the National Jewish Book Award, has gathered together one hundred of the most astonishing and luminous stories from Jewish folk tradition. Just as Schwartz's award-winning book Tree of Souls collected the essential myths of Jewish tradition, Leaves from the Garden of Eden collects one hundred essential Jewish tales. As imaginative as the Arabian Nights , these stories invoke enchanted worlds, demonic realms, and mystical experiences. The four most popular types of Jewish tales are gathered here--fairy tales, folktales, supernatural tales, and mystical tales--taking readers on heavenly journeys, lifelong quests, and descents to the underworld. There is a dybbuk lurking in a well, a book that comes to life, and a world where Lilith, the Queen of Demons, seduces the unsuspecting. Here too are Jewish versions of many of the best-known tales, including "Cinderella," "Snow White," and "Rapunzel." Schwartz's
retelling of one of these stories, "The Finger," inspired Tim Burton's film Corpse Bride .

Genres: Folklore, Judaism, Fiction, Short Stories, Religion, Jewish

544 pages, Paperback

First published October 7, 2008

About the author

Howard Schwartz is Professor Emeritus at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. He is a prolific writer who has published fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. In searching for themes and images for his work in various genres, he has often found his inspiration in biblical, midrashic, and kabbalistic lore. Many of his works retell ancient folktales, reflecting his belief in the importance of passing cultural lore from one generation to the next. His poetry frequently reflects the dreamlike and mysterious elements of Jewish mythology.

Reviews

[ambyr · Rating 3 out of 5]

My dad gifted this to me an age ago, and I've been hauling it around (and occasionally poking at it) ever since. I think he might have picked it up under false pretenses; this is not really a book for casual readers. It's a compilation for academic students of folklore, full of explanatory notes and appendices that categorize and trace the evolution of each tale. Stories with similar themes and elements are clumped together, which makes for somewhat tedious and redundant reading if you try to work straight through. Very few are phrased with any sort of verve; I could adapt some into stories to read aloud to my niece, but if I tried to read them as-written I think she'd doze off from boredom.

I don't regret having read it (I mean, without it I would never have encountered "The Pirate Princess," and "The Pirate Princess" is great--there's also some genuinely chilling horror here that would make for good campfire tales), and I probably will hang onto it as a source of future inspiration for tale-telling, but I can't recommend it either. There are similar collections designed more as "greatest hits" than exhaustive compilations; maybe pick one of those up instead?

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn't a huge fan of the Mystical section, but I might have been if I were Jewish, as it was very religion focused. I loved seeing where all of the tales originated and trying to guess before I finished reading each one. I was surprised by how different these tales are from all of the other oral tradition folktales that I have read so far. They were closer in context to the Arabian Nights than any other, but even then, they had a very different feel. All in all, a great collection that was accessible and entertaining.

[Joel Kleehammer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a sucker for anything Jewish, including fairy tales, folktales, supernatural, and mystical tales. This book has over 500 pages of legends and fables that are full of entertaining and educational stories. If you love the old stories, do yourself a favor and read this book.

[Mary Catelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of tales. A number from his earlier collections.

They range over. Fairy tales (and this has an appendix with Aarne-Thompson types) and anecdotes of the supernatural. Quite a bit about people's demonic doubles managing to dispose of them and take over their lives.

[Naomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Howard Schwartz' collection of Jewish fairy, folk, and wisdom tales is a treasury of storytelling. With one hundred folktales, there is weeks and weeks of material here to study, share, and reimagine, as the gifts of the past weave themselves into the reader's life. Best read aloud, as these are stories to be told.

[Fred Kohn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don't expect that each and every of these 100 tales is wonderful, because they're not. But there are enough gems that the book is certainly worth reading. The notes at the end are very informative and not to be passed over.

[Phillip · Rating 5 out of 5]

Howard Schwartz has published several volumes of stories from Jewish literary and folk traditions. They are presented in very readable translations with notes giving much information about their sources and their place in Jewish tradition. This collection is a must for anyone who wants to know Jewish culture and history.