Customer Reviews

Clever Gretchen and Other Forgotten Folktales

5 star:		(2)
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Really- it sounds like a plain boring book- but it's not! No, From original stories like Clever Gretchen to Twisted ones like the sleeping prince or Mollie Whippie- it had all that and a bag of potatoes. My favourite was Kate Crackernuts. Then came the Sleeping Prince, next Manka and the Judge.
All of the tales are of strong women who outwit, set straight, and save the "Man's" world from GIANTS,bugurlers,enchanted sleeps (what did you think the sleeping prince was about?) and other horrible creatures.
THis book is a must- but you might understand the wording a little better if you're a pre-teen or teenager.Enjoy it, I did!

I still have this book, a Christmas present from 25 years ago. Not only did this slim little book tell interesting stories, it told them *well*. So many well-meaning authors talked down to the reader or simply retold hero stories with a girl in the traditional masculine role. These stories have the weight of the oral tradition behind them-- they did spring out of real cultures, not just second wave feminist minds-- and the women in them save the day in many ways, from swords to smarts to stubborn determination to hold on no matter what. Another aspect I love is that these women are brave for themselves as well as for families, for lovers-- and, in Kate Crackernuts' tale (one of my favorites)--for step-sisters. It's easy to say "sisterhood is powerful", but it's special to find a story where it really is. I hope this book gets republished, it really is a lovely collection.