A Guide to Folktales in the English Language: Based on the Aarne-Thompson Classification System (Bibliographies and Indexes in World Literature) (Hardcover)

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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Students of folklore and storytellers will find this new guide useful. Ashliman has followed the Aarne-Thompson classification system fairly closely in his geographical classification and his tale type headings. To improve it he has `revised Thompson's verbal descriptions to the types ... to better describe the variants that are currently available in English,' has incorporated several new numbers proposed by other scholars and collectors for the Aarne-Thompson system, and has included two bibliographies, one of books about folklore and folktales, the other an up-to-date list of folktale collections. Ashliman's main aim is to `help readers find reliable texts of any given folktale, not only in its best-known version, but also in less familiar variants.' There are cross-references from one tale type to another, a complete listing of Grimm's 200 tales with type classifications as an appendix, and an index of best-known titles and key words from typical plots.... For libraries, even those that own Antti Aarne's The Types of the Folktale”–Choice

Product Description

"Students of folklore and storytellers will find this new guide useful. Ashliman has followed the Aarne-Thompson classification system fairly closely in his geographical classification and his tale type headings. . . . Ashliman's main aim is to `help readers find reliable texts of any given folktale, not only in its best-known version, but also in less familiar variants.' There are cross-references from one tale type to another, a complete listing of Grimm's 200 tales with type classifications as an appendix, and an index of best-known titles and key words from typical plots." Choice

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Greenwood Press (September 22, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0313259615
• ISBN-13: 978-0313259616
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,692,898 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great resource that should be in most reference collections, March 31, 2000

By	Heidi Anne Heiner (SurLaLune Fairy Tales.com) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

In his book, Ashliman has collected lists of the variants of tales available in respected English language collections of fairy tales. This is an excellent resource for anyone wanting to find variations from different cultures of tales such as Sleeping Beauty and Beauty and the Beast. Since all of the collections are in English, the book is greatly abbreviated and easier to use than the Stith-Thompson set, although it conveniently uses the same classification system. I often have people asking for the types of lists Ashliman has thoughtfully combined in this one volume. I am always disappointed when it is not available in the reference section of a library I am using or visiting.