The Fairy Books, or "Coloured" Fairy Books is a collection of fairy tales divided into twelve books, each associated with a different colour. Collected together by Andrew Land they are sourced from a number of different countries and were translated by Lang's wife and other translators who also retold many of the tales. The collection has been incalculably important and, although he did not source the stories himself direct from the oral tradition he can make claim to the first English translation of many. First published ...
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The Fairy Books, or "Coloured" Fairy Books is a collection of fairy tales divided into twelve books, each associated with a different colour. Collected together by Andrew Land they are sourced from a number of different countries and were translated by Lang's wife and other translators who also retold many of the tales. The collection has been incalculably important and, although he did not source the stories himself direct from the oral tradition he can make claim to the first English translation of many. First published in 1892, The Green Fairy Book is the 3rd volume in this series.
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For those not yet familiar with Andrew Lang's series the "(color of your choice) Fairy Book(s)," this is a huge compendium of folklore, fable, and fairy tales translated from many different national & ethnic traditions, both east & west. In addition to the stories, I particularly like the black & white illustrations that look like etchings in a 19th century gothic style. In addition to The Green Fairy Book, you can run a search using just about any color: I seem to remember red, yellow, blue, purple, lavendar, etc. I honestly don't know how many there are. Of course these would be ideal to read to children, but I also think many adults would enjoy these stories, which lack the "cuteness" that Hollywood gave some of them during the 20th century. Indeed, some of these tales are surprisingly dark, but I think we have a tendancy to underestimate what children are capable of comprehending when we edit out details that we think might be too disturbing.
