Scan barcode
A review by emays7
English Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs
4.0
There is something very comforting about reading a collection of fairy tales. I loved the matter-of-fact, colloquial tone and constantly being surprised by very odd details which sprung up out of nowhere! The fantastical element of these stories was charming and intriguing. The stories often reminded me of dream logic - things that just 'make sense' although in reality they really don't.
Some prevalent themes were: retribution, justice, fate, marriage, making one's own fortune (/wealth), and interaction with the reader. I found it interesting to consider the cultural context of the stories, their oral and written evolution, and certain narrative features such as the many repeated refrains and motifs and sudden changes in tense.
The brief nature of these stand-alone stories makes for very light reading and a volume which is easy to set aside for a while and come back to later.
A few good bits:
"Well, that was one big silly."
"So the gentleman turned back home again and married the farmer's daughter, and if they didn't live happy for ever after, that's nothing to do with you or me."
"So Jack climbed and he climbed and he climbed and he climbed and he climbed and he climbed and he climbed till at last he reached the sky."
"Once upon a time when pigs spoke rhyme And monkeys chewed tobacco, And hens took snuff to make them tough, And ducks went quack, quack, quack, O!"
Some prevalent themes were: retribution, justice, fate, marriage, making one's own fortune (/wealth), and interaction with the reader. I found it interesting to consider the cultural context of the stories, their oral and written evolution, and certain narrative features such as the many repeated refrains and motifs and sudden changes in tense.
The brief nature of these stand-alone stories makes for very light reading and a volume which is easy to set aside for a while and come back to later.
A few good bits:
"Well, that was one big silly."
"So the gentleman turned back home again and married the farmer's daughter, and if they didn't live happy for ever after, that's nothing to do with you or me."
"So Jack climbed and he climbed and he climbed and he climbed and he climbed and he climbed and he climbed till at last he reached the sky."
"Once upon a time when pigs spoke rhyme And monkeys chewed tobacco, And hens took snuff to make them tough, And ducks went quack, quack, quack, O!"