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jgintrovertedreader's review against another edition
5.0
You know Jack from Jack and the Beanstalk? He got up to much more than just giant-killing. If I remember correctly, Richard Chase traveled around the southern Appalachians collecting all the Jack stories that had been passed down in the oral tradition for generations and this is the result. They probably get kind of predictable, but we used to fight over who got to check this out of our school library. This book was a lot of fun.
tabithar's review against another edition
3.0
This is a good collection but somehow it isn't what I was expecting. I grew up in East Tennessee and heard many great storytellers tell stories. A couple of these stories were familiar but the stories our storytellers told were (at least in my memory) really awesome. If others know of stories collected for that purpose, I'd be interested in reading them.
I guess it shouldn't be a surprise but don't read this book expecting it to be politically correct (it won't be). If you read it expecting stories from around 1900, that might help. Some content might be more than a little surprising for modern readers.
I guess it shouldn't be a surprise but don't read this book expecting it to be politically correct (it won't be). If you read it expecting stories from around 1900, that might help. Some content might be more than a little surprising for modern readers.
brandonc31's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
denton's review against another edition
3.0
Everyone has heard at least one Jack tale (involving a particular beanstalk), but the Appalachian everyman has so many more elements to his lore. Three stars because while the stories have some entertaining twists to them, and I appreciate Jack's attitude, the overarching theme of this anthology is murdering people to solve problems. That's authentic, but just isn't as compelling as when I was growing up.
ama_m's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
qemorio's review
4.0
My son and I read these stories together at bedtime. I was fascinated by the history behind these Jack Tales as much as the actual stories themselves and my son (11 yrs) was captured by the adventure and fantasy in each tale. Tales about a boy named Jack have been passed down from generation to generation and this is one of the few books that collects those folktales, I highly recommend it to everyone young and old.
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