The Orange Fairy Book

· Courier Corporation
Ebook
384
Pages
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About this ebook

It is almost impossible to envision what childhood would be like without the enchanting world of fairyland. Old witches in cloaks of gold, giants that turn into dwarfs, tears that become birds, monsters and magicians, ogres and fairies — these are the companions who thrill boys and girls of all lands and times, as Andrew Lang’s phenomenally successful collections of stories have proved. From the day they were first printed, the Lang fairy tale books of many colors have entertained thousands of youngsters, as they have also brought pleasure to parents who have read these classics to their children.
The Orange Fairy Book delves into the oral traditions of Rhodesia, Uganda, and Native Americans; the traditions of the Punjab and of Jutland; and such European sources as Hans Christian Andersen (“The Ugly Duckling”) and Madame d’Aulnoy (“The White Doe”) for its 33 stories. The events are favorites with children the world over.
All the tales are narrated in clear, lively prose. Not only are Lang’s collections generally considered to contain the best English versions of the standard fairy tales; they are also the richest and widest in range. His position as one of England’s foremost folklorists, as well as a first-rate editor, make his collections unmatchable in the English language.
"Admirable series of photographic reprints of the first editions. Altogether very good value." — New York Review of Books.

 

About the author

Andrew Lang was born at Selkirk in Scotland on March 31, 1844. He was a historian, poet, novelist, journalist, translator, and anthropologist, in connection with his work on literary texts. He was educated at Edinburgh Academy, St. Andrews University, and Balliol College, Oxford University, becoming a fellow at Merton College. His poetry includes Ballads and Lyrics of Old France (1872), Ballades in Blue China (1880--81), and Grass of Parnassus (1888--92). His anthropology and his defense of the value of folklore as the basis of religion is expressed in his works Custom and Myth (1884), Myth, Ritual and Religion (1887), and The Making of Religion (1898). He also translated Homer and critiqued James G. Frazer's views of mythology as expressed in The Golden Bough. He was considered a good historian, with a readable narrative style and knowledge of the original sources including his works A History of Scotland (1900-7), James VI and the Gowrie Mystery (1902), and Sir George Mackenzie (1909). He was one of the most important collectors of folk and fairy tales. His collections of Fairy books, including The Blue Fairy Book, preserved and handed down many of the better-known folk tales from the time. He died of angina pectoris on July 20, 1912.

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