The World of Fairies [Hardcover]

Gossamer Penwyche (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 30, 2001

Mercurial, indulgent, and fickle, fairies dwell in an otherworld that appears to us occasionally...if we are lucky. Gossamer Penwych has seen and heard them, calling out to her--and so, on these pages she can bring them vividly to life. Through the magic of folk and fairy tales, stories of the author's own invention based on traditional lore, and lavish illustrations, we can enter their mysterious universe. Each legend reveals something special about fairy habits and behaviors, and about different types, from bestial in-your-face beings to ethereal, formless spirits. All contain a little lesson learned by mortals who have come in contact with these fantastic creatures. Encounter Star Maidens from the Native American culture; Asrai, nocturnal water spirits from Scotland; changelings, ailing fairy children left in place of stolen human babies; pixies, mischief-makers found mostly in southwestern England; and many others. Every one will charm and enchant you. A Selection of One Spirit Book Club.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

GOSSAMER PENWYCHE IS A CANADIAN WHO HAS ALWAYS BEEN DEEPLY INVOLVED IN THE ARTS AND PARTICULARLY THEATRE AS A DIRECTOR, WRITER AND TEACHER. SHE HAS FACILITATED WORKSHOPS ON CREATIVE EXPRESSION AND HAS AN ONGOING ROLE AS A STORYTELLER OF BOTH TRADITIONAL AND ORIGINAL TALES. SHE HAS WRITTEN A NUMBER OF ESSAYS WHICH HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED OR BROADCAST ON RADIO INCLUDING 'FAIRIES - A SUPERNATURAL WONDER' (1998) AND 'FEMME FATAL' (1999). SHE ESTABLISHED GREEN MAIDEN ENTERPRISE, WHICH SPECIALISES IN FAIRY FRIENDLY PRODUCTS AND SERVICE, IN TORONTO IN 1998. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Sterling (June 30, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0806960132
• ISBN-13: 978-0806960135
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 8.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,587,468 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Faeries, also for Adults, August 2, 2001

By 

Calvin Patience (Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The World of Fairies (Hardcover)

Gossamer Penwych has created a beautiful and thoroughly researched work. The illustrations are fabulous. Her ideas, like her name, are wonderfully evocative. She is original in her sensitive retellings of old classics with thought provoking contemporary sensibilities. These retellings are no mere fairy tales. They are lyrical and sensitive. They re-introduce the readers to wellknown fairies like the Changeling, the Pixie, the Leprechaun, and several lesser known spirits from North America, The Star Maiden representing Grace, and from the Far East, the Hu Hsien also known as fox fairies, the spirit of Guile. The reading makes for a fabulous voyage through Otherworld. One finds sage advice and ancient wisdom recalling the Tarot, through this thoroughly entertaining and accessible journey into the world of faeries.

"Following the way of the fay is not simple-minded escape from reality. It is a means of exploring another reality."

Ms Penwych succeeds admirably in creating a thread, a web, which ties together all stories through the lessons learned during an encounter with Otherworld spirits.

I would highly recommend this book even and especially for adults who appreciate and love flying on the wings of wyrd.There are shades of a tacit, yet palpable eroticism.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Otherworldly!!, December 1, 2001

By 

Gordon Monahan (Berlin, Germany) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The World of Fairies (Hardcover)

The World of Fairies by Gossamer Penwyche is a fantastic, magical
journey through the Otherworld. Penwyche has cleverly arranged
twenty-nine fairies, selected from a variety of cultures and traditions, to illustrate important lessons to be learned from encountering these magical beings. Not all the fairies are benign, but all of them leave the reader wiser in the ways of the world. It's fun to just open the book anywhere and find out what lesson the fairies have in store for you today! Penwyche's insights into the fairy realm suggest that she must have spent a fair bit of time in the Otherworld herself.

The illustrations are fabulous and bring Penwyche's words and stories to life. There is a feeling in the pictures that fairies are 'out there' almost all the time, maybe even disguised as the strange lady next door.

There are a lot of beautiful books about fairies on the market these days, so it's great to find one that has something new and insightful to say.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fairy Tales, November 17, 2001

By 

Marie Kikauka (Meaford, Ontario) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The World of Fairies (Hardcover)

"The World of Fairies" is a delightfully well written book revealing the interconnectedness of the tangible and the invisible. The thoroughly researched selection of fairies represents human virtues and follies, fate and will. A great source of wisdom for all ages.