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bupdaddy's review
4.0
I'm not much of a sociologist, but these enchanting tales fascinated me. Like European fairy tales (but unlike, for instance, Japanese Fairy Tales), these tend to have clear morals, reward good, and act as cautionary tales.
Also like European mythology, the 'spirit' or 'soul' appears as a puff of white smoke when it's visible. Is that common to all of humanity - that the 'ghost in the machine' is an ethereal substance, and white?
Less surprisingly, lots of talking animals, and tales about when the world was new, and tales that personify things like "spring" and "the north wind."
Oh yeah - there are even a couple of tales where the bad guy is vulnerable only in one part of his body - the leg and foot.
These were obviously collected after Europeans had interacted with the New World*, so I don't know how much corruption had occurred to these tales (a powder horn is mentioned in one), but if there's not much, I'd love to hear theories about the commonalities of the tales from various cultures that had been out of touch for millennia.
Also, they're good - it's a short audiobook (about two hours), and the stories do have that 'magic' about them that makes for a tale that stays with you for a long time. The seductive feeling of each story lingers.
This would be a great thing for kids on a car trip, too - entertaining and world-expanding.
*originally collected by a guy in the 1830's sent by the government - sort of a Neil Lomax for the 1800's. Then this version was written in the 1920's.
Also like European mythology, the 'spirit' or 'soul' appears as a puff of white smoke when it's visible. Is that common to all of humanity - that the 'ghost in the machine' is an ethereal substance, and white?
Less surprisingly, lots of talking animals, and tales about when the world was new, and tales that personify things like "spring" and "the north wind."
Oh yeah - there are even a couple of tales where the bad guy is vulnerable only in one part of his body - the leg and foot.
These were obviously collected after Europeans had interacted with the New World*, so I don't know how much corruption had occurred to these tales (a powder horn is mentioned in one), but if there's not much, I'd love to hear theories about the commonalities of the tales from various cultures that had been out of touch for millennia.
Also, they're good - it's a short audiobook (about two hours), and the stories do have that 'magic' about them that makes for a tale that stays with you for a long time. The seductive feeling of each story lingers.
This would be a great thing for kids on a car trip, too - entertaining and world-expanding.
*originally collected by a guy in the 1830's sent by the government - sort of a Neil Lomax for the 1800's. Then this version was written in the 1920's.
absentminded_reader's review against another edition
4.0
I've come to the end of another lovely collection of folktales. This collection was important to me because it was given to me by my grandmother almost thirty years ago. The book originally belonged to my great grandmother. She was an art fan and had enjoyed the illustrations in this edition. There were other illustrations tucked inside from another book, as well. I tracked down the book they came from, which is a story for another day. I usually left the book on the shelf because it was so old and deteriorated, but I found the book on Project Gutenberg, so I finally was able to enjoy it.
The art by John Rae was hard to discern sometimes because the color had begun to bleed from this 1921 edition, although it could also have been due to a lousy print job. Regardless, the illustrations where fanciful and matched the stories well. My favorite was the one of the last, which depicted the puk-Wudjies, or fairies. The stories were culled from an earlier publication which I have discovered is on Project Gutenberg, so I'll be reading it next to see how Westernized these tales had become in the retelling.
My favorites were the stories with characters with distinct personalities striving to overcome an enemy, often a personification of weather. The second to last story (Mish-o-sha, the Magician) could have fit well thematically with some Irish folktales I have read due to the evil magician and the three trials, but was distinct because of the way nature was depicted. At one point, Seegwun, the hero, convinced a flock of seagulls to not eat him and, instead, carry him back to the magician astride their backs as the thousands of seagulls beat their wings. Imagery like that helps Native American folklore stand out from other cultures. There is a grand majesty to their imagination that felt both old fashioned and modern. Although the book has been reprinted, I recommend looking it up on Project Gutenberg so that you can enjoy it with the original illustrations.
The art by John Rae was hard to discern sometimes because the color had begun to bleed from this 1921 edition, although it could also have been due to a lousy print job. Regardless, the illustrations where fanciful and matched the stories well. My favorite was the one of the last, which depicted the puk-Wudjies, or fairies. The stories were culled from an earlier publication which I have discovered is on Project Gutenberg, so I'll be reading it next to see how Westernized these tales had become in the retelling.
My favorites were the stories with characters with distinct personalities striving to overcome an enemy, often a personification of weather. The second to last story (Mish-o-sha, the Magician) could have fit well thematically with some Irish folktales I have read due to the evil magician and the three trials, but was distinct because of the way nature was depicted. At one point, Seegwun, the hero, convinced a flock of seagulls to not eat him and, instead, carry him back to the magician astride their backs as the thousands of seagulls beat their wings. Imagery like that helps Native American folklore stand out from other cultures. There is a grand majesty to their imagination that felt both old fashioned and modern. Although the book has been reprinted, I recommend looking it up on Project Gutenberg so that you can enjoy it with the original illustrations.
magis1105's review
adventurous
funny
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
readingthroughthelists's review
3.0
Well-written with lovely illustrations. Favorite stories: "Shin-ge-bis Fools the North Wind," "The Child of the Evening Star," and "Grasshopper."
3.5 stars.
3.5 stars.
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