The Real World of Fairies: A First-Person Account [Paperback]

Dora van Gelder Kunz (Author), Caitlin Matthews (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 25, 1999

The Real World of Fairies is a privileged glimpse into a joyous, animated universe. Dora's enchanting vision of her encounters with the fairy realm delights the child in us, while it excites our grown-up imagination, rekindles our creative energy, and deepens our sense of connection with nature. This new edition features a foreword by Celtic folk expert Caitlin Matthews. Caitlin's personal experiences and deep knowledge of the fairy world resonate brilliantly with Dora's, adding a fresh perspective for contemporary readers.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Less than a century ago, particularly in Celtic countries, fairies were not dismissed so much as superstition but rather as a force to be reckoned with. It's curious that activities now attributed to aliens, such as crop circles and abductions, were once considered the ken of fairies; fairies today are merely woodland nymphs of yore by another name.

Author and former president of the Theosophical Society Dora Van Gelder was born 95 years ago and saw these little creatures as a child in the northern California redwood forests and woodlands of the Pacific Northwest. One has to wonder at how much change Van Gelder has seen, especially how dreadfully our relationship to the natural world (of which fairies are so much a part) has changed in the second half of the 20th century. At the very least, Van Gelder's matter-of-fact descriptions of the various types of fairies and tree spirits will charm you. And maybe the book will help you to see through the blinders of modern life and into mystical realms. As an added bonus, this second edition of the 1977 classic has a new introduction by Celtic folk expert Caitlín Matthews, which places belief in the fairy realm into fascinating historical perspective. --Randall Cohan

Product Details

• Paperback: 204 pages
• Publisher: Quest Books; Second Edition edition (May 25, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0835607798
• ISBN-13: 978-0835607797
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 4.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #750,322 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful book, January 6, 2001

By 

J. French "93 93/93" (Oakland, California United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Real World of Fairies: A First-Person Account (Paperback)

Dora Von Gelder Kunz here presents her experience of the world of fairy. In almost anthropological detail she describes different kinds of fairies and the angels that guide them. All the descriptions contain personal anecdotes of the author's own contact with the realm that lies just in the corner of our eyes. Now, of course Von Gelder could be making all this up. If she is, then this work is a startling work of detailed imagination. If she's not, then we would do well to heed her words. Either way, this book is a delightful way to awaken one's wonder of the natural world. Forget "science" for a moment, and open your heart.

29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars There is a real world of fairies. What a great book!, March 6, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Real World of Fairies: A First-Person Account (Paperback)

I bought this book (original version)in a New Age store over 10 years ago. I was searching for something I had lost many years ago. As a child, I played daily with garden fairies and tree sprites (I called them). I believe that Dora had a different name for them. I have always known that there are other worlds or dimensions that exist with ours. I believe that people are really capable of multi-dimensional sight over 3-D, but only a very few have crossed over to experience it. I no longer see fairies. I wish I still did. I know they are there.

Reading Dora's book gave me a wonderful feeling of knowing that there were others that feel the same way. She has explained this unexplainable world in such a talented manor. Her clarivoyance is a rare and beautiful gift. I would love to have known her and spent time with her.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Its true, and its wonderful!, August 20, 2000

By 

Dr Geo - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Real World of Fairies: A First-Person Account (Paperback)

A friend loaned me this book as I mentioned I had seen nature spirits as a child. I'm buying it now. The moment I started reading I realised this lady had seen what I had seen. As children these things are so precious and its so sad that they are turned into myths as we grow up. I am especially in tune with the author's descriptions of tree spirits, as I have experienced many things she did. I am really inspired by this book. The author writes in such a natural and matter-of-fact way about things that many folks find hard to accept or believe.