Life Is Like a Chicken Coop Ladder: A Study of German National Character Through Folklore [Paperback]

Alan Dundes (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1989

A study of scatology in German folklore and its contribution to an understanding of national character.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

"Life Is Like a Chicken Coop Ladder" was first published in 1984 and from the outset inspired a wide variety of reactions ranging from high praise to utter disgust. Alan Dundes' theses identifies a strong anal erotic element in German national character, citing numerous examples of scatological data from authentic compilations of German folklore. The examination of this single trait of German character is used to demonstrate that national character exists and that its existence is unambiguously documented by the folklore of a nation. Dundes is of the opinion that the use of folkloristic data minimizes subjective bias in the study of national character, since unedited or uncensored, it constitutes a unique way of looking at a culture from the inside-out rather than from the outside-in, the more typical situation of an outside observer trying to understand a foreign culture.

Product Details

• Paperback: 188 pages
• Publisher: Wayne State Univ Pr (July 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0814320384
• ISBN-13: 978-0814320389
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #303,592 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Colloquial German, not folklore, March 7, 2006

By 

Johnny O. - See all my reviews

This review is from: Life Is Like a Chicken Coop Ladder: A Study of German National Character Through Folklore (Paperback)

I first saw this book while living in southwest Germany five years ago. Its less about German folklore than it is about colloquial German. As a linguist, this is a fantastic volume. German language, when compared to English, is remarkably limited in its ability to throw out four-letter words. So the Germanic peoples developed some pretty entertaining idioms over time. If you speak any German, this is a must for understanding colloquial speech and command of the only original swear word in the language. Its insightful but certainly not 'folklore' in the American sense.

2.0 out of 5 stars Do not wastte your time, December 27, 2011

By 

Drc - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Life Is Like a Chicken Coop Ladder: A Study of German National Character Through Folklore (Paperback)

Some humor like Larry the cable guy,but not the basics of Germanism. author with an agenda? Naw, but this is not schoalarship

7 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars All you ever wanted to know about Germans and poop, October 10, 2005

By 

Aziliz (Victoria, Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Life Is Like a Chicken Coop Ladder: A Study of German National Character Through Folklore (Paperback)

I got this book because I am interested in folklore and expected this to be a general book about German Folklore. If you expect this then you will be disappointed.

What the book is about is German folklore in relationship to manure, defaecating, toilet habits, etcetera, all along those lines. If that's what you are after then it is actually a good read. I gave it three stars because I was annoyed at its misleading subtitle but if faeces is your interest then it gets five stars as it is well written, well researched and given the subject matter surprisingly interesting.