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The Watkins Book Of English Folktales by Neil Philip (Watkins Publishing) 3 stars

Publication date UK format 11/10/22 book 400 pages


I would like to thank the author, publishers and Netgalley for allowing me to pick this to read and review. all my reviews are honest.




Synopsis


The most authentic, comprehensive and highly entertaining collection of English folktales, with scholarly notes from a folktale expert and a foreword from Neil Gaiman. This is a golden treasury of over one hundred English folktales captured in the form in which they were first collected in past centuries. Read these classic tales as they would have been told when storytelling was a living art – when the audience believed in boggarts and hobgoblins, local witches and will-o’-the-wisps, ghosts and giants, cunning foxes and royal frogs. Find “Jack the Giantkiller”, “Tom Tit Tot” and other quintessentially English favourites, alongside interesting borrowings, such as an English version of the Grimms’ “Little Snow White” – as well as bedtime frighteners, including “Captain Murderer”, as told to Charles Dickens by his childhood nurse. Neil Philip has provided a full introduction and source notes on each story that illustrate each tale’s journey from mouth to page, and what has happened to them on the way. These tales rank among the finest English short stories of all time in their richness of metaphor and plot and their great verbal dash and daring.


My Review


This was an interesting read. I read it over 2 days. I enjoyed reading it and learning about various folktales that were new to me. It was funny finding out that Jack was a very popular name in folktales. There were plenty of well known stories which I knew and loved and also hoe they were changed slightly over time. I really loved reading the first half of this book as these were the stories I had know the most and it was great learning about its origins. I thought it was very interesting reading the authors introduction and history of each story they really were fascinating to know. I learnt quite a bit from reading this book which was brilliant. The second half of the book didn't grab me so much im sure it was because I hadn't heard of most of the stories and some has hard fot me to read as some use old English words. You know the ones missing most of the letters. I'm sure that if you know alots or folktales or want to learn about folktales that you might find this book very interesting. If I rate it 3 stars I always recommend reading a sample of the story to see If it is a perfect fit for you. Remember I am just one person and my average rating could be your 5 star rating. This book was wrote well and it flowed very well from one book to the next.

Many thanks to the author and publishers for putting together this great collection of English folktales.


Where you can buy this book


Amazon US K $12.54, HC $19.95



Waterstones HC £14.99



Google Books EB £18.00



B&N HC $19.95, EB $9.99



Kobo EB £10.99



Amazon UK K £11.16, HC £11.75



All prices are subject to change at any time. Please remember to review all books you finish reading so others can find these amazing books. All reviews help just remember not to tell people what the book is about as everyone has already read the synopsis. Just include what you liked and felt when reading the book. HAPPY READING

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