Customer Reviews

Legendary Connecticut: Traditional Tales from the Nutmeg State

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Fun to browse collection of the unusual, spooky, eccentric, amazing, and incredible people and events that helped shape the state of CT. From Lorenzo Dow, fire and brimstone preacher from my own home town who "raised the devil", to the Moodus Noises, to the cursed and haunted village of Dudleytown, there is plenty here to satisfy the curiosity of lovers of folklore, history, ghost stories, and tall tales. This book is easy to pick up and peruse for short chunks of time, as every chapter is self-contained and unrelated in the narrative sense. Most enjoyable.

As a native Connecticut resident, I found this collection of tales especially interesting since I've encountered many of the places featured. The author, a former professor at Eastern Connecticut University, complied this book with the help of students from his folklore class. Since folklore is passed down orally, some of the tales read unevenly in textual format, and I think would have came across better had I heard them from an actual storyteller. However, I liked how there was a variety of tales, from stories of famous Connecticut residents, to supernatural stories, to explanations on how towns, lakes, and other landmarks got their unusual names. Overall, a pretty good collection that spans the state.

This is a really well written, entertaining anthology of folk tales and legends from Connecticut. This is, of course, particularly interesting for those of us who live here, but anybody could enjoy these. I was sad to read that the author died about a decade ago -- I bet a great audiobook could have been made of this, with him reading these stories. Maybe someone else will take on the task...

"The book...is full of tales of extraordinary people, events and places that make up Connecticut's surprisingly rich tradition."
--The New York Times

"Nutmeggers are fortunate to have nuggets of Connecticut's rich New England lore preserved and artfully served up by a master storyteller, David Philips." --The Hartford Courant

"LEGENDARY CONNECTICUT is lovely, and it is loving. Philips has a way with words, and he likes to tell a story. It's evident, and his appreciation for history is strong. Any Connecticut resident, ardent New Englander, sometime-weekender, history buff, or folklore buff will appreciate Philips effort." --The Lakeville Journal

"The book...is full of tales of extraordinary people, events and places that make up Connecticut's surprisingly rich tradition."
--The New York Times

"Nutmeggers are fortunate to have nuggets of Connecticut's rich New England lore preserved and artfully served up by a master storyteller, David Philips." --The Hartford Courant

"LEGENDARY CONNECTICUT is lovely, and it is loving. Philips has a way with words, and he likes to tell a story. It's evident, and his appreciation for history is strong. Any Connecticut resident, ardent New Englander, sometime-weekender, history buff, or folklore buff will appreciate Philips effort." --The Lakeville Journal