English Fairy Tales (Everyman's Library Children's Classics) [Hardcover]

Joseph Jacobs (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0679428097 | ISBN-13: 978-0679428091 | Publication Date: November 2, 1993 | Edition: F

A collection of 87 classic English fairy tales, with black-and-white illustrations throughout by John Batten.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Born in Australia in 1854, Joseph Jacobs spent most of his adult life in England where he became, with Andrew Lang, a prominent member of the English Folk Lore Society founded in 1878. He spent ten years collecting from storytellers or printed sources the fairy tales that were first published in two volumes in 1890 and 1894 and now appear here in one Everyman’s Library volume. Jacobs was a cheerful man, with a down-to-earth attitude towards fairy tales, which he regarded as “essentially colloquial” rather than romantic. Though his approach to collecting and recording material was scholarly, his telling of the tales was deliberately directed at young listeners, and he tried them out on his own three children. He died in 1916.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 428 pages
• Publisher: Everyman's Library; F edition (November 2, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679428097
• ISBN-13: 978-0679428091
• Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 1.1 x 8.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #380,271 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars What fairy tales are meant to be!, August 30, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: English Fairy Tales (Everyman's Library Children's Classics) (Hardcover)

Okay, it's not totally 'PC', but this book is true to the spirit of childrens stories. Along with the classics (e.g. Jack the Giant Killer and Tom Thumb) there are lesser-known tales full of real suspense, action, ghosts, magic, realy wicked stepmothers, love lost, imps, and fairies. And no guns. It provides the little stressors that Disney doesn't, so that the effect is genuine - real anxiety, and real relief at the point of resolution. You can never be sure that there will be a wedding at the end of any story.

The book has beautiful word-play and rhythm, along with classic sketched illustrations - A keeper for all time.

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Two Classics from Joseph Jacobs, April 4, 2000

By 

Heidi Anne Heiner (SurLaLune Fairy Tales.com) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: English Fairy Tales (Everyman's Library Children's Classics) (Hardcover)

I'll let you in on a little secret. This is actually two of Jacobs' books published together in a nice hardbound edition from the Everyman Library. This edition includes both "English Fairy Tales" and "More English Fairy Tales." Over a century ago, Jacobs collected and adapted many tales in his lifetime and made contributions to the field of fairy tale studies. This is one of the most popular of his collections. Early variations of well-known and lesser known tales are included such as Cinderella, Three Little Pigs, Three Bears, and Tom Tit Tot (similar to Rumpelstiltskin). There are plenty more that you may have never read, too. John Batten's black and white illustrations from the original edition of the book are included.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My daughter loves this book!, September 15, 2008

By 

Shauna (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: English Fairy Tales (Dover Children's Classics) (Paperback)

I bought this book for our homeschooling curriculum. My daughter is 6 and loves the stories so much that after we use it for our literature lessons she also wants me to read it for her bedtime story as well. These are real fairy tales and not watered down tales with a happy ending. I am very happy that I purchased this book.