Mermaids (Magical Beings) (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "A supernatural sea-dwelling female of general European maritime folklore: German Meerfrau, Danish maremind, Cheremissian wut-ian uder..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The mermaid is appealing both as a near-human and as a mystery. She looks up at our world, frequently falling in love with a human, tragically yearning for a world she cannot have. We are drawn to mermaids because they, who are in so many ways like us, inhabit that vast kingdom beneath the sea which is both attractive and dangerous.

Our volume is a compilation of succinct and insightful extracts from the literature of mermaids, and also some of our favorite pictures of mermaids. The pictures are by a variety of painters (including Waterhouse, Bocklin, and Burne-Jones) and book illustrators (including Arthur Rackham, Edmund Dulac, and W. Heath Robinson).

From the Inside Flap

This is a book created to be given. At its center is a peom bt Charles Snell which was written for, and Published in, 1914 as a small gift book. In it the giver, in a series of concrete images, extends the recipient many good wishes.

In our volume, Snell's words are presented within borders made by Daniel Maclise for a book entitles Moore's Irish Melodies, published in 1846.

We have selected images to accompany each wish. These are made by a great variety of painters and illustrators, and range over more than 150 years.

This Is My Wish for You is in the tradition of ancient blessings, in which one tries, through the power of language, to throw a mantle of protection and beneficence over the receiver.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 56 pages
• Publisher: Laughing Elephant (October 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 188321114X
• ISBN-13: 978-1883211141
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 7.7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #308,293 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If You're Looking for Facts, Check the Britannica, November 28, 2001

By	Terrie (Little Chute, WI USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

This slim, beautiful little volume is very satisfying if you are looking to enjoy the beauty of mermaids. It does not have a lot of "facts" but why would you be searching for facts about mermaids when they inhabit the nebulous realm of magic? This book contains 49 full color illustrations of mermaids, some of the more famous ones like Waterhouse's and Pyle's are included, but so are many that you probably will not have seen before. Ratisseau is a brilliant compiler and she has outdone herself here with super research and a flair for the subject. The text consists of many wonderful quotes, again, some famous and some obscure. The page lay-outs are tasty and most of the illustrations have a luminous sea-blue border around them, all printed on quality paper and perfect for gift-giving or for treating yourself.

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful book, July 31, 2000

By	Sea Air - See all my reviews

This has to be one the most drop-dead-gorgeous books I've seen. The pages have a luxuriant blue luster, and the illustrations--many of which I had not seen before--have been remarkably chosen. The literary excerpts, including words of Shakespeare, Wilde, Yeats, are the sort that you would underline while reading those works, for their sheer beauty. Note that this is not a scholarly work and teaches nothing of the history of mermaids. However, it gives an impression, overall, of the sadness and beauty of the mermaid experience.

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars wonderful collaberation of mermaid pictures, September 28, 2002

By	Vivian (DE, United States) - See all my reviews

I was so pleased when I looked inside this book. This book includes beautiful pictures of mermaids as well as interesting sayings, information, and poems about mermaids. The pictures weren't just cute drawings but paintings, excerpts from magazines, pictures from storybooks, and medieval drawings of mermaids. I am a mermaid lover and only like the best of mermaid books. This is book is one of the best. I recommend this book to anyone who loves mermaids.