BlessedMom Posted May 3, 2009 Share Posted May 3, 2009 I am finding that Lang's "Fairy Book Series" comes in several different options (formats). Which one do you recommend? Are they illustrated? Are there any to avoid? I would greatly appreciate any thoughts you could share with me about these books before I purchase them. Thanks & bless you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmoira Posted May 3, 2009 Share Posted May 3, 2009 (edited) I am finding that Lang's "Fairy Book Series" comes in several different options (formats). We have all twelve volumes of the Dover editions. These are paperback, but have withstood much use without coming apart. I believe these are facsimile editions, and they have the original illustrations in B&W. I'd recommend these unless you can get a deal on some old hardcovers. Avoid the 12-in-1 edition: there are no illustrations and the print is *tiny*. The Kessinger editions do not have illustrations. I don't know if Dodo press has any of the Fairy Books, but I've had bad experiences with other editions of theirs which were scanned but never proofread or formatted (footnotes often appeared in the middle of a page, and not always on the same page). Edited May 3, 2009 by nmoira Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmoira Posted May 3, 2009 Share Posted May 3, 2009 (edited) Here's an Amazon list which links all the Dover editions, though not in chronological order. Here's the list from Wikipedia: Blue Fairy Book (1889) Red Fairy Book (1890) Green Fairy Book (1892) Yellow Fairy Book (1894) Pink Fairy Book (1897) Grey Fairy Book (1900) Violet Fairy Book (1901) Crimson Fairy Book (1903) Brown Fairy Book (1904) Orange Fairy Book (1906) Olive Fairy Book (1907) Lilac Fairy Book (1910) Edited May 3, 2009 by nmoira Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angel in FL Posted May 3, 2009 Share Posted May 3, 2009 We have the Dover pb books too. I got them at Barnes & Noble. They do have a few black & white illustrations. They are pretty sturdy and haven't torn up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Medieval Mom Posted May 3, 2009 Share Posted May 3, 2009 Just in case you're feeling indulgent, Easton Press also sells them: http://www.eastonpressbooks.com/leather/product.asp?code=2014 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmoira Posted May 3, 2009 Share Posted May 3, 2009 Just in case you're feeling indulgent, Easton Press also sells them: http://www.eastonpressbooks.com/leather/product.asp?code=2014 That was really cruel. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PollyOR Posted May 3, 2009 Share Posted May 3, 2009 Just in case you're feeling indulgent, Easton Press also sells them: http://www.eastonpressbooks.com/leather/product.asp?code=2014 I can NOT let my 13yo see these. Somehow she would talk me into it. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angel in FL Posted May 3, 2009 Share Posted May 3, 2009 Just in case you're feeling indulgent, Easton Press also sells them: http://www.eastonpressbooks.com/leather/product.asp?code=2014 I would love to have those! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlessedMom Posted May 3, 2009 Author Share Posted May 3, 2009 Thank you so much for sharing your experiences with me! Medieval Mom, Thanks for sharing that link. Those books are beautiful, but a bit out of my price range. lol I More questions please, if I may: Are all the books equally good? Does each one contain all new "fairy tales" or are some repeated? Which have been your children's favorites? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmoira Posted May 3, 2009 Share Posted May 3, 2009 More questions please, if I may: Are all the books equally good? Does each one contain all new "fairy tales" or are some repeated? Which have been your children's favorites? The Blue and Red books will probably have the greatest concentration of familiar tales. Many of the books have tales from specific non-European geographic regions, the major sources being outlined in the introduction along with credits for translation or adaptation (Lang did very little of this work himself; IIRC, the bulk of it was left up to his wife which may be one of the reasons the series has more interesting and involved women and girls than many others). I cannot find -- in a cursory search -- an online listing of the origins of each book. Perhaps you could access the introductions on Google Books. The Pink, Violet, Brown, and Red volumes are the ones most often missing from their bookcase, though I've read most of the volumes and don't recall being disappointed by any of them. I'd recommend starting with Blue, simply because it's the first and has the most familiar tales. Some motifs are repeated (especially in the traditional tales, with three of this or seven of that), but often in a new cultural context. However, stories are not repeated outright. Aside: Does anyone have an audio source for "The Black Bull of Norroway?" I'm not brave enough to read that one out loud again, having thoroughly butchered it the first time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Kirsten~ Posted May 3, 2009 Share Posted May 3, 2009 Actually, the Wikipedia link (search Lang fairy tales and it'll pop up) lists the stories from each book. So that might be a help to you. Of course, I haven't verified if it's accurate. Also, it's my understanding that the tales aren't repeated precisely, though the themes definitely repeat across cultures. I would agree with Moira that the first three (so Blue, Red, and Green) are the ones that have the tales most familiar to us. I additionally have Pink, which according to the back of the book "contains 41 tales from Japan, Scandinavia, Sicily, Africa, and the Catalonia tradition," and Orange, which "delves into the oral traditions of Rhodesia, Uganda, and the American Indian; the traditions of the Pujab and of Jutland; and such familiar European sources as Hans Christian Andersen (The Ugly Duckling) and Madame d'Aulnoy (The White Doe) for its 33 stories." Also, don't forget to check places like ebay and Alibris. You can certainly find used copies of these books, which makes it easier to accumulate them. That's what I'm doing right now! :D Hope that helps a bit! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Kirsten~ Posted May 3, 2009 Share Posted May 3, 2009 Just in case you're feeling indulgent, Easton Press also sells them: http://www.eastonpressbooks.com/leather/product.asp?code=2014 Gorgeous! Just...gorgeous! :drool5: I'm going to back, slowly, away from that link now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carolyndsg Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 yes indeed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hathersage Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 I like the lang fairy tale a day website. I know nothing like having a book in your hands, but this does keep me motivated. http://www.mythfolklore.net/andrewlang/ and illustrations here: http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/illustrations/illustrators/ford.html and some of the audio titles can be found on Lit2Go yellow, brown, crimson, a few of the blue. 110 in all. http://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/mySearch.php and then search by author Lang. These can also be download via ITunesU as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hathersage Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 Aside: Does anyone have an audio source for "The Black Bull of Norroway?" I'm not brave enough to read that one out loud again, having thoroughly butchered it the first time. Moria, the Black Bull of Norroway is available on Lit2Go. Libravox has it as well. They have Blue, Yellow, Lilac fairy books. With Red and Crimson in progress. http://librivox.org/newcatalog/search.php?title=fairy+book&author=andrew+lang&status=all&action=Search And you can find source (location) info here: http://www.mythfolklore.net/andrewlang/indexbib.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen in CO Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 Just in case you're feeling indulgent, Easton Press also sells them: http://www.eastonpressbooks.com/leather/product.asp?code=2014 At least now I know what I want for Mother's Day. :D Not that I will get it, but there's always next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.