Mythology and Folklore Books

We bought three book by nick greaves while travel in south Africa. We buy books for our three grandchildren( age 4,6,8) while travelling in South Africa last year. We have given them so many books through the years from around the world. They love these books so much. First the parents read to them,every night now the oldest reads to the younger ones. I wish the author writes more books for children.

My 9-year old son came home from school today very excited about this book, which his teacher had started reading to the class. He took out his wallet, counted his money, and asked, "Can we go on line and buy this book right now? I have enough of my own money to buy it." This is enough proof for me that kids love it.

The sub-title "And other tales from Africa" seems to suggest that this book was written for children, but it is fun to read for adults as well. Nick Greaves tells stories, tales, fables and legends from the African tribes about different animals and after each section gives facts about them. By doing this especially for tourists the book gives a general idea of the wildlife one might come across while traveling in Africa and furthermore the book supplies the not native speaker with useful vocabulary. The illustrations of Rod Clement are just as good as photos, sometimes even better, because good close-ups of mainly the small and nocturnal animals are quite rare. "When Hippo Was Hairy" was followed up by "When Lion Could Fly", which is highly recommendable, too.

We recently moved to South Africa and, prior to our first visit to a game park we bought this book to read on our adventure- it is wonderful, full of short entertaining stories that were gathered from the various tribes of Africa to explain why certain animals have spots, long trunks, sleep standing up etc....

Our children loved it and we bought the other 2 in the series.

We love this book!!!! I read this to my son who is 9 1/2 years old and has ADD. He has such a short attention span with any book I read to him. He actually looked at the photos and listened to me read this book without taking his eyes off of it. The rabbit is cunning and the wildcat part is histerically funny, we laughed and laughed. Thank you and You need to keep writing more funny books about this funny rabbit, wildcat.

I was enchanted by Br'er Rabbit when I was a small child. Now as an adult, I find myself emamoured with Compere Lapin! "Why Lapin's Ears Are Long" is a truly delightful story of a mischevious rabbit who knows what he wants, usually gets it and sometimes a little more than he bargained for. It's easy to find yourself laughing while reading this story aloud with a Cajun accent. The stories and illustrations are equally wonderful! Hope Madame Doucet plans to write more Lapin tales!

The pronunciation guide is the subtle difference in this children's book. Granted, the stories are amusing and the illustrations captivating but the real enjoyment comes from reading the story to a child "in character."

I participate in a program in California called Rolling Readers. I am currently reading to a class of third graders. The children were enthralled with the book both with the stories and with the illustrations. They begged me to find more stories of Compere Lapin's antics. I cannot imagine a more successful book from their point of view.

The Library of America has performed a great service by making the writings of the American psychologist and philosopher William James (1842 -- 1910) available to a large audience in two large volumes. Volume 1, which I am reviewing here, consists of James's earlier writings from the period 1878 -- 1899. It includes the "Psychology: Briefer Course" (1892), the "Will to Believe and other Essays in Popular Philosophy" (1897), "Talks to Teachers on Psychology and to Students on Some of Life's Ideals" (1899), and selected essays. The second volume of the series includes James' major works from 1900 until his death, including the "Varieties of Religious Experience", "Pragmatism", and "A Pluralistic Universe, and additional essays. The two collections do not include James's monumental "Principles of Psychology" (1890), his first important book and the product of twelve years of effort. The "Principles" would require a separate volume of its own. But they include virtually all James's other essential writings and offer an excellent way for the reader to get to know James first-hand and in-depth.

In reading both volumes, I was left with the impression of the continuity of James's themes and thought. James was trained as an MD, the only academic degree he ever received. He began with an interest in Darwin's theory of evolution and in physiology. He soon expanded his interests and became an important founder of modern psychology. His later work develops philosophies of pragmatism, radical empiricism, and pluralism.

This collection of James's early writings shows that James's philosophical concerns pervaded his writing, including his scientific writing, from the outset. James was an empiricist and a scientist committed, as the "Psychology" and several of the essays in this volume show to careful and painstaking scientific research. But James was far from advocating a philosophy of materialism or what today is called scientism or reductionism. Throughout his life, he was preoccupied with showing the complex and many-faceted character of human life. The determinism of the scientific method, for James, did not negate human purpose, activity, and free will. And, most importantly, for James, it did not negate the possibility of religious life or belief in God. In his famous essay "The Will to Believe" included in this volume (which would have better been called "The Right to Believe") and in its companion essays, James argued at length that the teachings and method of science did not destroy the possibility of religion.

In approaching this volume of James's early writings, it might be advantageous for the new reader to distinguish between James's more accessible, popular efforts and his more technical works. An excellent place for the new reader to start in this volume would be with the three essays to students in the "Talks to Teachers and to Students." The essay "On a Certain Blindness in Human Beings" is a wonderful brief introduction to James as it shows eloquently how every person tends to see the world through his own eyes and to ignore or downplay the thoughts and insights of other people. Following the three essays in Talks to Students, I suggest reading James' 1898 essay "Philosophical Conceptions and Practical Results" delivered in 1898 in Berkeley, California. In this essay, James first announced and articulated his philosophy of pragmatism, and stated his indebtedness to his philosophical colleagues Charles Peirce and Josiah Royce. This essay makes inspiring reading. James is direct and eloquent in relating his pragmatic philosophy to the religious quest.

After reading these short essays, a good next step would be to read the collection "The Will to Believe and Other Essays in Popular Philosophy." In this collection, James is addressing educated college audiences as he explores questions of religious faith, free will, pluralism, and ethics. The final essay in this volume of James's writings, "On Immortality" can be read together with the essays in "The Will to Believe."

The two remaining books in this collection are both derived from James's massive "Principles of Psychology." The "Talks to Teachers" is short and accessible. It focuses on how psychology can be used to advantage in teaching young students. This short book offers an insightful and accessible introduction to James's psychology. Here is one of the more inspring passages in James from the "Memory" chapter of "Talks to Teachers" on the value of perserverence and purpose and the will to learn in the face of obstacles.

"Depend upon it, no one need be too much cast down by the discovery of his deficiency in any elementary faculty of the mind. What tells in life is the whole mind working together, and the deficiencies of any one faculty can be compensated by the efforts of the rest. You can be an artist without visual images, a reader without eyes, a mass of erudition with a bad elementary memory. In almost any subject your passion for the subject will save you. If you only care enough for a result, you will almost certainly attain it. If you wish to be rich, you will be rich; if you wish to be learned, you will be learned; if you wish to be good, you will be good. Only you must, then, really wish these things, and wish them with exclusiveness, and not wish at the same time a hundred other incompatible things just as strongly." (p. 790)

The "Psychology: Briefer Course" was an abridgment James prepared of his "Principles" for use in college introductory courses in psychology. Even though it is an abridgment, the book includes a great deal of detail. It develops James's thought on the "stream of consciousness" and on the nature of the "self" and it is interlaced throughout with observations on the relationship between psychology, philosophy, and religion. Several of the remaining essays in the volume take up themes articulated in the "Psychology" and develop them in substantial technical detail.

James was an eloquent writer. His pragmatic philosophy has been highly influential, with thinkers such as Richard Rorty and Hilary Putnam acknowledging its influence. James preoccupation of reconciling the scientific and religious outlooks on life remains much with us. There is no better way to become involved with James's thoughts and issues than by serious and sustained reading of his works. The two volumes in the Library of America series will allow the reader to explore the work of William James. Readers wanting to get to know William James may also wish to read Robert Richardson's excellent biography "William James: In the Maelstrom of American Modernism".

Robin Friedman

These are the early writings of James, including the textbook for his course in psychology. The most well- known piece here is his essay on the 'Will to Believe'. Here James worked to contravene the principal enunciated by the philosopher Clifford that it is wrong to believe anything anywhere for which there is not sufficient evidence. James instead insisted that our passionate life, our life in decision means that we must make choices. And this leads us to believe in certain religious principles we do not have evidence to prove.
James here as elsewhere in his thought rejects a kind of Olympian and abstract stance, and tries to feel into and understand our actual way of being in everyday life.( Also with the mystical researches he would include in the 'Variety of Religious Experiences' in not so 'everyday life')
It is almost as if he is seeking to present a democratic philosophy, one which can defend and be understood by the man in the street.
James is for a philosopher a very clear writer.
I would only add that there is a second Volume of James' writing in the American Library which includes his 'Pragmatism' and 'Varieties of Religious Experience' a volume even deeper and more significant than this very valuable one.

OK--I readily admit it: I am both a big loser & a nerd. I had heard passing reference to William James is the abundance of schooling I have had, but never tried to read anything he wrote. Then, during one otherwise unmemorable episode of Star Trek--Next Generation, Patrick Stewart qua Captain Picard was enthralled with an "antique" volume by William James. The show did not mention which work it was--but that was good enough for me! And, courtesy of the fine people at Library of America, I picked up this edition.

First, in terms of Library of America editions, these are AMAZING. They are the right size in not being too big, but also are not what we used to call "trade paper backs" which are so hard to read. The binding is tight, yet the books easily lay flat. The paper is thin enough so the reader doesn't struggle with a three inch thick giant, yet thick enough to take lots of page turning. The selection & research that goes into producing each volume is second to none, and the works couldn't be more faithful. Most importantly, the books are priced to sell: you will be buying an edition meant to spread these works to the masses, one that will last a good long time & many readings. You are *not* buying a work of art, or an "investment" edition, or something that looks great on your book shelf. You're buying a book for reading. If you're looking for any work at all, and it comes in a Library of America edition, buy that book.

In terms of the specifics of William James, I'm pleased to report that Captain Picard once again shows that he knows his onions. For a book written before the turn of the century (and I mean the one one before the last turn), Dr. James writing style holds up remarkably well. All too often, books from that time period are simply unreadable, becasue writing styles have changed so much. Not so with William James. His writing & arguments are clear, interesting, even charming. He writes with a gentle amusment, especially when addressing difficult and challenging topics.

In terms of specific content, The Will to Believe is a defense of a certain type of belief in the face of rampent rationalism. James begins by pointing out the trivial nature of what passes for "belief," specifically dismissing "Pascal's wager" (You should believe in god because if you believe in god & there's no god, you haven't lost anything. But if you don't believe in god & there is a god, holy hades batman! That's bad!). Whatever "belief" may be, it is not "hedging your bets."

What James advoctates is a system of belief that strives for absolutes, yet always encourages skepticism and a scientific basis supporting those conclusions. James criticizes those who contend that no such absolutes exist, ironicly largely based on faith. While James may personally believe that such absolutes exist and can be discovered, those answers are found through search, evaluation, and careful study. While humans ultimately not discover those truths, it is still vital that we continue to seek them out.

I didn't agree with everything James argued, but found his viewpoint interesting and well worth considering. His writing is not as clear as Bertrand Russell's, but surprisingly Russell is the philosopher that James's work seemed closest.

If you have any interest in philosophy, especially on the shaddy lines between "psychology" and "philosphy," then this is a great place to go to. Don't wait for any other Star Trek captains to pick up this book--Lord only knows what else those guys (and Janeway) may be picking up.........

any lover of philosophy OR psychology should doubtlessly buy this book. if you are interested in the work of William James, and are searching for the right compilation of his writings, you have found it, no doubt. but i strongly recommend buying the second volume to this, which basically looks the same but with a different picture on him on it and obviously other works by him.

now as for the works themselves.... Will does seem to change his basis for thought a lot of the time. one thing that particularly got to me is his lack of psychological/scientific integration into his "the moral philosopher". it is nevertheless a wonderful peice. and the writing is wonderful.... his talks to teachers and students being the more effortlessly read. Psychology: Briefer Course outlines psychology in a way that allows us to think in a way that integrates actual physical psychology into our perspective, instead of mystical talk of "souls", etc.

The Will to Believe is a collection of enthrawling works, and i particularly enjoyed talks to teachers and students. i can say my favorite work in this book is "On a Certain Blindness", one of the 3 talks to students. when philosophy becomes spiritual, is when you know you can really use it. a great book, buy it.

We love to listen to this in the car. It is Classic and enjoyable.

The narrator is great, he created different voices for each of the characters so the listener can know who is talking. His voice is also very smooth and pleasant. It is a great addition to any collection and can be enjoyed by all age groups

This book won't let me go. I find myself quoting small animals! "Oh,Bother" has become my favorite exclamation. The author brings Mr Rat, Mole and Mr Toad to life with vivid descriptions of their surroundings. A wonderful book.

My grandchildren and I listened to this while on a car trip, and we loved it. In fact, I wanted to listen even when they weren't in te car. hte writeup states that you might want to buy one for the children and another for yourself, and that's probably true. Very well done.

Though this book was written for academic purposes and shows corresponding literary telltales, it is quite accessible and has several outstanding features. The best thing about the book is that the author did not just do an academic survey--she immersed herself in the Bay Area Wiccan culture, and presents first-hand descriptions of what she discovered. Her description of public rituals in the New Reformed Order of the Golden Dawn, Reclaiming, and at least one other tradition, are informative to those who wonder but do not know what Wiccan religious rites look like. In addition, she provides insight into how and why the people she interviewed were drawn to Wicca, thus complementing the observations of visible Craft with some inward explanation.

*Must Have, Double Bag!* is old school comic fandom's term for things that a fan _cannot_ live without--and have any fanboy or fangirl cred in the eyes of her or his fan peers.

And a perfect, to-the-point description of this book.

Written by a Gardnerian and Reclaiming practitioner who also happens to be a skillful folklorist and anthropologist, Magliocco is presently an assistant professor at California State University, Northridge.

Witching Culture is thoughtful, insightful, fruitful, grounded, and, maybe, provocative.

Witching Culture is well-crafted and a joy to read.

Witching Culture is one of the best ethnographies that I've read in a long time.

Magliocco manages to accentuate the participation in her participant-observations, but sustain a vibrant and keen postmodern theoretical analysis at the same time. She takes the reader *there* to a living experience of an alternative culture.

She addresses a broad range of topics shaping and challenging Neo-Paganism,especially Craft in the San Francisco Bay Area, from how magic is envisioned as a working relationship with world and deities to ritual art and artistry to Neo-Pagan shopping habits to identity construction and cultural borrowing, and more.

Like the Neo-Pagan bricoleurs she discusses, she takes advantage of theories and insights borrowed from a number of disciplines and discourses, putting the mix to good, understanding use.

Magliocco considers Neo-Pagan culture to be oppositional to dominant culture, postmodern in its world view at a time when the dominant modern culture offers little beyond materiality, consumerism, alienation, oppression, and spiritual--
if not economic--impoverishment. She traces some roots of this oppositionality to sources in the Romantic and European nationalist movements. And provides a good account of Neo-Paganism's cultural creativity in shaping magical ritual, even
political action, from these sources, among others.

Her approach to the creative and enculturating role that song plays in today's Neo-Paganism alone makes the book worthwhile.

Witching Culture is a *Must Have, Double Bag!* book that all of us should be proud to add to our libraries.

Note: I am Sabina's friend, and the *Pitch* in the book. All I can assure you is--as an old-school comic guy--if the book sucked, I'd say so. Far from it--Witching Culture shines bright!

Sabina Magliocco's "Witching Culture" is quite possibly the most significant volume on Contemporary Pagan Culture to have been written in several years. Magliocco, author of an earlier volume on Neo-Pagan Art and Altars, has filled in several gaps left by Ronald Hutton and Sarah Pike, authors of important recent works in their own right.

The real strength of Magliocco's approach lies in her combined historical and folkloric approaches to cultural formation. Nods to other theoretical approaches are made, especially in her discussion of Paganism as a culturally oppositional discourse (James Scott, Todorov, Gramsci) but for the most part her own theoretical approaches are interwoven with her content so as to produce a seamless integration.

As I noted, her attention to the categories of the Other, both as conceived from Christian heritage and the Enlightenment's 'God of Reason,' are set up as the early framework of the book, along with valuable summations of early Hermeticism, medieval ritual magic, Renaissance Humanism, and 19th C. Romanticism to show the contributions of each era to contemporary Paganism. In this she avoids Hutton's obsession with the British 19th century and yet misses much of Hutton's focus on cunning-folk and those more vernacular traditions. Magliocco's work is more concerned with those who wrote on those traditions, and how those writings (Leland, Murray, Gardner) were used as a crucible to create contemporary Paganism.

Excellent portions of the book also focus on energy, magic, naming and ritual, as well as the historical and folkloric contributions to the formations of these much-used categories by contemporary Pagans. In addition, this is the first volume I am aware of to treat music and song in such depth. Two main aspects of song are treated--ritual uses (echoing her earlier scholarly articles on the subject with Holly Tannen) and educational uses--that is, teaching modes of thought and interpretation common to Pagans. While these are not the only important functions of Pagan song, these are the most important aspects for her work, for she concentrates on community identity and maintenance. Partly because of her concern with boundary formation and maintenance, her work engages little with New Age religiosity, and instead concentrates on flash points such as cultural appropriation issues with indigenous peoples, especially Amerindians. Again, given the existing literature, this is a plus, rather than a minus.

If there are drawbacks to her work, they are similar to other important works in the field. Most of the book concentrates on Wicca, witchcraft, Feri, Reclaiming and New Reformed Orthodox Order of the Golden Dawn (NROOGD), all closely connected with dominant structures in the Eastern part of the U.S. Other facets of contemporary Paganism, such as Druidry, Pagan Vodoun, Church of All Worlds, and Asatru/Vanatru, draw significantly less attention. But as these are numerically proportionately less of the wider community, their comparative marginalization is understandable in a study like this.

This is an excellent examination and introduction to the study of the Wicccan culture. Combining personal tales with more traditional folklore techniques and commentary she crafts a compelling exploration of many of the questions that those who are not primarily interested in belief systems per se are interested in. If you want to have insight into what Wiccans are interested in and how they relate this is the book.

If I have any criticism it is that she tends to narrow her focus to a few specific traditions. I was left wondering the changes that might be seen as the population of Wiccans changes from a tradition or coven centered to that of the more eclectic solitary population, and how are the "traditionalists" reacting to the changes.

This however is an easily overlooked concern as she covers the her topic well and with obvious relish as well as with the eye of the trained observer.

Very Well Done.

this was the very first book i came across dealing with the enchanted world series. Every story in here is very good, not to mention some pretty good artwork to go with. my favorite story portion was the tale of the old wizard faustus who made a deal with the devil. next favorite story is baba yaga, a witch folklore tale in russia. this book is well worth your time to purchase if you like the enchanted world series.

This is truly a magnificent volume, the illustrations are like medieval illumination, they jump off the page like jewels. It's not really a history book, there isn't really any history involved. Instead, its a collection of folklore, mostly from northern Europe and the British Isles. If you're looking for a history of wizardry and witchcraft, try something else. But if you're interested in the stories our ancestors told around the hearth, this is the book.

This is really a beautiful, well-designed book. The cover is blood red with gold lettering- with a insert of a classical wizard. The full color illustrations from a variety of artists and sources are especially fine. This volume even has marbled end papers! In my opinion it would make a marvelous gift for anyone, young or old, with an interest in the legends of wizards and of magic. It certainly held my interest.

The first part of the book (Singers at the World's Dawn) deals with the greatest of the archetypal wizards from the dawn of time: Vainamoinen, Math, Manannan, Taliesin, Merlin, Volga Vseslavich, etc.

The second part (Masters of the Forbidden Arts) deals with more recent historical practioners: Roger Bacon, Nostadamus, Faust, Albertus Magnus, Michael Scot, Etc.

The third part (The Shadowy Sisterhood) is a general and mostly anonomous history of witchcraft- black and white.

There are even introductory sections on the tarot, astronomy, and magical creatures included.

This book is one in Time Life Books' The Enchanted World series. Each of these books covers a different aspect of folklore and mythology, and they are an excellent set. They tell stories in a similar format and complement each other well without repeating the content. Each is about 140 pages.

This is a beautifully illustrated well printed volume. Artists include James C Christensen, John Jude Palencar, Kinyuko Y Craft and Alicia Austin. Older depictions of wizards and witches are mixed in for history. These include work by Arthur Rackham, John Waterhouse, Gallen-Kallela, Sidney Lanier, Mel Odom, M L Breton, Harry Clarke, Ivan Bilibin and Judy King-Rieniets.

Stories are retold in a style that makes for a good read. These stories come from all over the world. Often there will be smaller illustrations and captions in the margins to the main story. These tell variations of the story and related stories from other cultures.

This is a beautifully bound and printed book. The binding is just cloth to collectors, but it is printed to look like a wizard's book. The cover shows a dragon holding a picture of a wizard complete with staff and crystal ball. I think it was the cover that got me reading this when I was child (this would be for older children because of the spooky nature).

Chapters include:
Singers at the World's Dawn: The Welsh Enchanter's Fosterling
Masters of the Forbidden Arts: Tidings of the Heavens
The Shadowy Sisterhood: Haunter of the birch forest

This is a well researched nicely produced series. For me one book in the series (I think it was Fairies and Elves) had me hooked. If you are interested in mythology and all things magic then it is definitely worth trying out the series. High school and middle school libraries should consider the series. Some books might cause issues since they are about the occult, but some like The Legend of Camelot book will be completely Kosher.

I wrote this as part of a blog post and didn't want to see it go to waste. I'm 41 years old, and my mother can still quote large sections of the book from memory because I begged her to read it to me so many times! I believe that this story has really helped to shape my life for the better, even though I would grow up to fall for the deception of a wolf that had all the appearances of being safe. I'm so glad that I had this story so deeply engrained in me when I did.

"The Wolf and the Seven Kids" was about an evil wolf that, despite the mother goat's wise instruction about how to spot wolves, deceived her seven baby goat "kids" while she was away. That wolf uses some very clever, deceptive tricks to break into the home and devour all but one of the kids. With the wolf asleep in the backyard of mother goat's house, the one little survivor who had hidden in the base of a grandfather clock told his mother what had happened. Mother goat goes into the yard, cuts open the belly of the (apparently very profoundly tired wolf), liberates her children who were saved from being swallowed whole. The kids find six rocks to replace in the void of the wolf's stomach, and the mom sews the wolf shut (before he wakes up) with the sewing kit that the kid who hid in the clock brought to her. The wolf awakens saying "What is this that knocks against my poor bones? I thought it was kids, but it feels more like stones!" He thirstily hobbles over to a well to draw out some water and falls in - to his death - instead. Mother goat and her baby kids join hands and dance around that well, rejoicing that their foe had been conquered, all resulting from the effects of his own actions."

If they're are any Christians out there, you are welcome to come and read my blog post about the book. Some of the elements don't relate to the book, but I do talk of the impact of the moral message on my life.

http://undermuchgrace.blogspot.com/2007/12/christmas-monikers-and-cat-in-box-for.html

This is one of the great books I've grew up with and during these days it's hard to find any good books to read for children that actually have a moral point. This story teaches your kids the dangers of talking to a stranger. Although it's a bit scary, it's a good story for kids out there to alert them the dangers of the world involving strangers. The illustrations are beautiful and enjoyable for kids

It features a goat with seven kids (like the title suggested), warning them of not opening the door to anyone but her, because a wolf is looking any ways to gobble them up, by hook or by crook, while she's going away for a while into the forest to look for for food. As expected the wolf came and tried so many ways to tricked the kids to open the door. When he finally complished this, he gobbled them all up, except for the youngest kid, who managed to hide itself somewhere. Both of them found the wolf and a graphic scene of the mother goat cutting the wolf up to save her kids and replacing them with rocks before she sew it back up.

The Wolf and the Seven Kids is an excellent story to use for children when teaching them about the dangers of talking to strangers. The illustrations in this story are vibrant and grab the readers attention. Even though there is a graphic scene where the wolf eats six of the seven kids the mother saves her children by cutting them out of the wolf's stomach with a pair of scissors and then fills his stomach with rocks and sews him up. This shows the mother as the hero because she saves her children. This is an excellent story but I would be careful about reading it to younger children because they may get scared when the wolf eats the kids.

Ann Blades' version of this familiar Grimm tale is delightful. It took me back to my childhood, when I spent many happy hours studying my books of Grimm's fairy tales. The soft-edged, colorful drawings are appealing and playful. I consider this a very nice book, and have ordered several as gifts.

I began looking for this book in early 2002 when I saw the movie Brotherhood Of The Wolf and wanted to know more about Gevaudan. The long title intrigued me when I first discovered it online. But the price tag was too high and getting higher! Over $700 for goodness sake! Moreover, it was sooo hard to find since it was printed in 1992 and now completely out of print. Years later (2007) as a lark I tried to order it thru Borders since I knew the individual who could place the order. She told me not to hold my breath. Lo and behold, 8 days later I get a call that my book is in. I race to the store and sure enough, there in shrink wrap was my book, brand spanking new! And for only $119 compared to the $700 and near $2,000 that I saw thru Google! "thud" After picking myself off the floor and reattaching my jaw I forsook a full gas tank and bought it on the spot. While outwardly it looks like a library book with no dust jacket, I read the book like a sponge and finished it in about 3 days. It is a terrific read and incredibly well researched. What is depressing is that it's the ONLY book in english (that I'm aware of) that deals with the Beast of Gevaudan. While a few illustrations would have been helpful (some modern renderings of the beast based on historical accounts for example), all in all this is an amazing book. I was surprised at how much research Thompson did for the book and especially how incredibly detailed it was. Even though it does go on a bit about the location, fauna and the political climate of the Gevaudan region for that time period, it's all worth it. I have re-read it two more times since then. It holds a place of reverance in my library and my son (who is 12) already wants to read it himself. I encourage all who want to know more about the Beast of Gevaudan to get this book or at least try to find it at a library. Hopefully it won't be stolen. I have no idea how hard it is to find nowadays and since I think the Borders incident was simply an incredibly lucky fluke, I think it will turn into a vendetta. But in my opinion, the journey is worth taking. It's a helluva book to have and I even impressed a few coworkers who were also searching for it. I really am curious as to how many were actually printed as a whole. I won't spoil the end or the Beasts identity (according to Thompson) but the final chapter does leave one wondering about a few things. So to all those who take up the challenge, good luck! It's well worth it!

This is a very informative, very well written, and very well researched book on the beast. But the current price ~ $750 is outrageously expensive. The other reviewers who say it is worth the price must have based their statements on the earlier, cheaper price of $125. I got access to it through an inter-library loan. If you can't afford the book and are interested in the story of the beast, try to get your local library to arrange an inter-library loan for you. This is a very factual, informative book on the subject. While it may not be worth the current $700 asking price, it is worth the time and effort to find and read a library edition.

I stumbled across this book looking for anything I could find on the Beast of the Gevaudan after seeing the movie The Brotherhood of the Wolf. I was very interested to find out that this movie was based loosely on a real French legend.
Though the author tends to stray from the point sometimes this book has some INCREDIBLE facts about this true story. This alone for me made the book worth the price. The author goes through and accounts for all of the reported attacks that are documented. The accounts are very detailed and truly scary. Also he does a great job of telling how the Beast was finally killed.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in finding out about the The Beast of the Gevaudan.

Ever since encountering the story of the Beast of the Gevaudan in Montague Summers' The Werewolf in my younger years (2 decades ago), I have searched for a fuller account. Mr. Thompson's work far exceeded my expectations when I chanced upon it - he covers in great detail all the victims and traces the full drama of 1764 to 1767 as the Beast is hunted by Duhamel, Denneval, Antoine de Beauterne, and finally killed by Jean Chastel. After a death tally of 100+, just what was it? A wolf? Crossbred monster? Was there only one? Or two?

Thompson's scholarship is impeccable, and includes a bibliographic appendix listing all known records and studies of the Beast up until 1991 (when this tome was published). Although somewhat costly, I concur with the previous review - it is well worth the price if you want to know about the Beast. I have re-read this work three times to digest all the detail. Finally, scholarship doesn't have to be boring - Thompson has written in a style that strikes one as almost a novel. Before you know it, 50 pages have passed and you find a need to pause to catch your breath.

I give this one my highest recommendation - grab it before it goes out of print.

In the spring of 1851 Hawthorne wrote to his publisher, James Fields (of the renowned Ticknor and Fields), proposing a children's book retelling six well-known stories from Greek mythology. He planned to adopt "a tone in some degree Gothic or romantic." In addition, he wanted to make the fables suitable for young Christian children: "of course, I shall purge all the old heathen wickedness, and put in a moral wherever practicable."

I am usually not a fan of sanitized tales--even when written by someone the status of Nathaniel Hawthorne. But, in spite of their overt preachiness and their occasional preciousness, there's something charming and original about these adaptations. Even adults might enjoy these six tales: Perseus's slaughter of Medusa, Midas and his golden touch, Pandora's box (stripped of Prometheus's role), the apples of the Hesperides (or Hercules's Eleventh Labor), Baucis and Philemon and the magic pitcher (which, in my opinion, is the best of the lot), and Bellerophon and Pegasus's battle with the monster Chimaera.

Threading these stories together is Eustace Bright, Hawthorne's college-age narrator, who relates his versions to a gaggle of local children (a couple of whom taunt him for his bumptiousness). Hawthorne uses this framing device to insert himself as his own critic. Overhearing one of the stories, the father of one of the children is not amused, finding Eustace's taste "altogether Gothic" and advising him "never more to meddle with a classical myth." To this critique, Eustace petulantly responds that "an old Greek had no more right to them, than a modern Yankee has," and he accuses classical writers of forming these tales "into shapes of indestructible beauty, indeed, but cold and heartless." If anything, Hawthorne has certainly brought warmth to these old stories.

Still, the reading level might be a tall order for many children under 8 (although an adult can adapt them for reading out loud). Hawthorne sprinkles his prose with salutatory references to his real-life neighbors in the Berkshires (there's even a line about Melville writing "Moby Dick") and with puns and quips that have lost their context. And he gets carried away with his descriptions of the countryside. Hawthorne's evocative passages will surely strike modern readers as hopelessly old-fashioned, although the author realized that he was trying the patience of children even from his own day. After three florid and nearly insufferable paragraphs describing a meadow, for example, Hawthorne apologetically interrupts himself that "we must not waste our valuable pages with any more talk about the spring-time and the wild flowers. There is something, we hope, more interesting to be talked about."

What's more interesting, of course, are the stories of Greek gods and monsters and flying horses. Fortunately for readers young and old, Hawthorne mostly stays away from the scenery and sticks to the legends.

Once upon a time (I was about 8), a family friend handed down his Collier's Junior Classic series to me - each volume is a glorious hodgepodge of short stories from here, there, and everywhere. I got to be very fond of Greek mythology, especially "The Chimaera" and "The Miraculous Pitcher", since the Collier retellings of their respective legends were much more lively than the ordinary.

Alas, I forgot the name of the author of "The Chimaera", and even that my favourite versions of the myths were all written by the same person. Some talented guy writing for the series, no doubt, I would have said, if I'd thought about it. A couple of years ago, I started browsing through an impressive-looking illustrated volume of mythology in a bookstore (which you now see before you). Whoa. "Scarlet Letter" Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote *THESE*?

His retellings of Greek myths were originally spread over 2 volumes (the other being _Tanglewood Tales_), but they can be obtained in a single volume these days. I can personally do without the gang of Tanglewood kids providing the official audience for the stories-within-a-story, or the defense against critics put into the mouth of the storyteller Eustace Bright, but then I want more space for more myths. :) Each myth in _A Wonder Book_ has an Introductory and After the Story section where the storyteller leads up to the tale, then fends off any awkward questions from his young audience.

"The Gorgon's Head" - The story of Perseus, from his infancy through the quest for Medusa's head. Hawthorne skates delicately past the question of who put Perseus and his mother, Danae, in a chest and abandoned them on the sea, let alone why (toned down for kids, and all that), and of course doesn't go into detail about what mischief Polydectes might intend if Perseus can be got out of the way.

Hawthorne is otherwise thorough about details: he even includes the Three Gray Women, who share the use of a single eye, who had to be persuaded to reveal the location of the monsters whose gaze turns living creatures to stone.

"The Golden Touch" - The Midas legend, of how a king, blinded by a love of gold, foolishly asked Apollo that he be given the gift of turning things into gold with a touch. Be careful what you ask for...

"The Paradise of Children" - The story of Pandora's box. Hawthorne's version, much as I like his other mythological tales, has been prettified a little too much: everyone in the world was a child who never grew up, before the box arrived.

"The Three Golden Apples" - The 11th labour of Hercules, wherein the king sent him to fetch the apples of the Hesperides. The tale begins with Hercules meeting a band of nymphs, who hear his account (only briefly summarized, alas) of his preceding labours before directing him to the one person who can direct him to the garden: the Old Man of the Sea...

"The Miraculous Pitcher" - Philemon and his wife Bauchis have grown old together - the only kindly folk living for a good way around a prosperous village, whose inhabitants delight in tormenting vagabonds (although they'll fawn on wealthy-looking strangers). Then one day a ragged youth called Quicksilver and a taciturn man with an appearance of great wisdom are driven out of the village...

"The Chimaera" - Bellerophon's pursuit of Pegasus, whom he seeks because only in the air does he have a chance of killing the monstrous chimaera. Bellerophon's long wait beside the fountain of Pirene, where Pegasus descends to drink, is enlivened by several characters living round about: an old man who can't even remember his glory days, an overly timid maiden who'd run from anything unusual, a yokel who only appreciates plowhorses, and a little boy (the only one who really believes in Pegasus).

Hawthorne's gentle, charming collection of classic myths retold for the children of his day is a neglected classic. Addressing the reader in personable Victorian fashion, his prose is clear and beautiful. Consider this sample:

"Within the verge of the wood there were columbines, looking more pale than red, because they were so modest, and had thought proper to seclude themselves too anxiously from the sun. There were wild geraniums, too, and a thousand white blossoms of the strawberry. The trailing arbutus was not yet quite out of bloom; but it hid its precious flowers under the last year's withered forest-leaves, as carefully as a mother-bird hides its little young ones."

But Hawthorne is also equal to the task of less genteel, more vigorous images:

"At this sound the three heads reared themselves erect, and belched out great flashes of flame. Before Bellerophon had time to consider what to do next, the monster flung itself out of the cavern and sprung straight toward him, with its immense claws extended, and its snaky tail twisting itself venomously behind."

Adding to the pleasure of these retold tales is the gorgeous art of Arthur Rackham, both in black-and-white drawings and full-color plates, which captures the unearthly beauty and the unexpectedly surprising humor of Hawthorne's work. Highly recommended!

One day last week, I could not, even after hours of deliberation (the snow had made engagements scarce), decide what book to read next. I finally came upon this little volume on the end of my parent's bookshelf and decided to give it try. How could I have known what charms were in store? I felt like a little girl again, and as Eustace Bright, the ambitious college student who narrates these tales, held his little auditors in awe, my eyes, too, were wide with wonder. It truly is a "wonder book," full of high fantasy, thrilling action, and the inimitable imagery of a master. Though geared towards "boys and girls," Hawthorne explains in his introduction that "children possess an unestimated sensibility to whatever is deep or high, in imagination or feeling, so long as it is simple . . . It is only the artificial and complex that bewilder them." Indeed; the book hardly condescends, and so will gently stretch the middle-grader's vocabulary. But readers -- or listeners -- of all ages will delight in this collection of tales, for I was equally, if not more, entertained by the introductories and postludes to each story, which relate the antics and dialogue of Eustace and the little children he entertains. These interludes also expand the stories by slipping in commentary and interpretation.

Don't pass this one by; it will truly win your heart, whoever you may be!

Lyman Frank Baum (1856-1919) is best known today as the author of "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz," a children's story written in 1900. But following the success of that book, Baum wrote thirteen other Oz stories before his death from a stroke in 1919. Moreover, Baum wrote dozens of other children's tales, plays, and general stories. He was extraordinarily prolific, churning out five books in the year 1907 alone. In addition to this immense body of work, Baum worked as a journalist, a printer, a chicken breeder, an actor, a theater manager, an oil salesman, a playwright, and many other equally esoteric occupations. Despite this litany of accomplishments, it is that one little story about a Kansas girl and her dog that people remember, and even that is due to the 1939 film adaptation with Judy Garland as Dorothy. This Penguin Classics volume compiles three of Baum's Oz stories, "The Wizard of Oz," "The Emerald City of Oz," and "Glinda of Oz." With a dandy introduction by Jack Zipes, a bibliography of pertinent literature about Baum, and explanatory endnotes, this is an excellent introduction to a marvelous trio of stories written by an enormously talented individual.

The introduction outlines the highpoints of Baum's life as well as academic analyses on his Oz stories. According to Zipes, these stories reflect personal aspects of the author's life as well as social aspects of American society. Zipes's own analysis is that Oz represents a matriarchal utopia based on socialist principles. In Oz, women rule as witches and princesses while magic and good deeds serve the denizens without relying on capitalistic tendencies of competition and money. The introduction also refers to academics that saw "The Wizard of Oz" as a thinly veiled allegory concerning the Populist movement of the late 19th century, which was the reason I decided to read the stories. Regardless of academic analysis or cultural insights, these stories turned out to be a fascinating and entertaining read, full of puns, irony, and wacky creatures. I had fun reading these stories.

The first story in the collection, "The Wizard of Oz," should be instantly recognizable to most people. It differs considerably from the film version, however. Dorothy and Toto do meet the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion just as they do in the movie, but there are more adventures in the book version. There are differences too: in the story, the winged monkeys only obey the wicked witch because she can summon them with a magic cap. The witch also holds Dorothy and the Cowardly Lion in bondage for a period of time. I understand why the movie made several changes in the tale, but reading the story is as much if not more fun than seeing the film.

"The Emerald City of Oz," published in 1910, recounts several more adventures of Dorothy in the Land of Oz. Baum used this story to expand this mysterious realm by having Dorothy bring Uncle Henry and Aunt Em to live in Oz permanently after the bank forecloses on the Kansas farm. Young Dorothy then acts as a tour guide for her family, setting out on an exploration of unknown regions of Oz. The author throws in some great puns in this installment, little jokes that surprisingly made me laugh out loud. For example, Dorothy's adventure in Utensia (where she stands trial in a dwelling full of animated cutlery, pots and pans, and utensils), her trip to Bunbury (a town inhabited by living pastries, buns, breads, and rolls), and her meeting with the Fuddles (people who literally fall to pieces when surprised by outsiders; Dorothy and her companions have to put them back together like a puzzle) are amusing to read. The best scene in the story has to be the Flutterbudgets, a town full of people who worry incessantly about nonexistent dangers. All of these explorations take place against the backdrop of an invasion of Oz by the evil Nome King and his evil allies the Growleywogs, the Whimsies, and the Phanfasms. This Oz story is quite amusing and tremendously clever.

"Glinda of Oz," released to the public in 1920 a year after Baum's death reunites nearly every character from the other Oz stories. Dorothy, now a princess of Oz, sets out with her friend and monarch Ozma to stop a war between the Flatheads and the Skeezers. When Dorothy and Ozma get trapped in the fighting, Glinda the Sorceress leads a ragtag group of characters to rescue the two. Along for the trip are the Wizard of Oz, who returned to Oz after the first book and is learning magic, the Tin Man, the Scarecrow, and the funniest character, Button Bright, a boy whose sole attribute is his ability to constantly get lost. Glinda and company step into the situation and bring it to a resolution. Arguably the most interesting theme in "Glinda of Oz" is the limitations Baum places on the uses of magic in Oz. There are different types of magic and no one character (The Wizard, Glinda, Ozma) has a grasp on infinite stores of magic. Moreover, magic can only be used to assist people, not to harm them. Ozma and Glinda punish anyone who uses magic as a weapon.

These are great stories whether you pay attention to the social and cultural subtexts or not. Fans of the MGM extravaganza will find much here to expand on their knowledge of Dorothy, Tin Man, Scarecrow, Lion, and Glinda. Moreover, the addition of scads of other characters adds a richness and depth to the fantasy world of Oz beyond the scope of the film. I enjoyed these three stories so much I am considering reading a few of the other Oz stories, and hopefully you will too.

Penguin Twentieth-Century Classics presents a nice selection of L. Frank Baum's Oz books with The Wizard of Oz, The Emerald City of Oz, and Glinda of Oz. It is a nice way to visit Oz beginning with the excellent essay, notes and bibliography by Jack Zipes to set the reader on the right foot along the Yellow Brick Road. After that the stories themselves will delight the reader in their own way with the versatile imagination of the author and will hopefully lead the unintiated to read more about Oz and to the more seasoned explorers it will bring back the joy felt when first going to this wonderful, wonderful land. A nice package.

Anything by L. Frank Baum is going to be a good book for a person of any age to read. Oz is a fairy land that is full of imagination for any girl or boy. This is one of the best Oz books I've seen.

These stories are sheer genuis and a blessed light in our sometimes dark world. I read them to my children, ages 4 and 6, and we all are transported to a place over the rainbow, where things somehow turn out wonderfully happy. In the Emerald City and Glinda, we enjoyed hearing more adventures of Dorothy's friends. Ozma is indeed a great heroine for her people and for my two bright-eyed children. I could just picture where each land was that Dorothy visited with her aunt and uncle in the Emerald City book. And the eccentric rules each place had were enchanting.