Customer Reviews

Essential Russian Mythology: Stories That Changed the World (Stories That Change the World)

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Simonov's collection of Russian myths is extensive, covering several topics. The stories are written in an interesting, entertaining way, easy to read aloud if desired. Some Russian myths are very confusing, though, for those who are used to the coherence of Grimm's fairy tales. In my opinion, the best part of the book aren't the fairy tales themselves, but the informational paragraphs that precede them. Most stories have some explanatory introduction, teaching readers about such things as house spirits called the Domovoi, and the ways that the spirits of girls who died young have of tormenting the living. Overall, this book gives a wonderful look at Russian folktales and mythology.

This book is a fairly good introduction to Russian folk belief and folktales. While it is not a large book, nor a very detailed one, it covers the basic topics succinctly, and clearly. The tales included are classic Russian stories, and provide a good starting point for folklore mavens looking for an introduction to the Russian culture in that area. It's a bit simplistic for anything more than an introductory work, however.