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178th out of 398 books
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762 voters
The Red Fairy Book (Coloured Fairy Books)
by
Andrew Lang
The famed folklorist collects 37 tales of enchantment, ranging from the familiar ("Rapunzel," "Jack and the Beanstalk," and "The Golden Goose") to lesser-known stories ("The Voice of Death," "The Enchanted Pig," and "The Master Thief"). Sources include French, Russian, Danish, and Romanian tales as well as Norse mythology. 97 illustrations.
Paperback, 367 pages
Published
June 1st 1966
by Dover Publications
(first published 1890)
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I read several of Lang's Fairy Books when I was little, and I can remember seeing a whole set of the various colored books on a bookstore shelf, and wishing that I could have them all. Buying them all was expensive, and I never remembered to try the library and look them up. However now all of them are free ebooks. Handy thing, that. [Free Gutenberg ebook link for this one.]
One thing I've always loved about fairy tales is that, when an odd being comes to you repeatedly in a dream, it's perfectly...more
One thing I've always loved about fairy tales is that, when an odd being comes to you repeatedly in a dream, it's perfectly...more
Feb 22, 2010
Alice
added it
This was a "suggested reading" book for the Charlotte Mason curriculum we are using. It is a collection of fairy tales and there are other books by the same author such as "The Blue Fairy Book". What I liked: there were many fairy tales that I had never heard of and it was fun to read the new stories. Another element that I liked was that it didn't "dumb down" the stories for children or take out the sad or scary parts. I don't like the disney type stories that infantilize children by always cre...more
Jack and the Beanstalk: In this version, the giant's castle, harp, and money all belonged to Jack's father. The giant came and killed Jack's father and Jack's siblings. Jack and his mother the queen escaped. The queen pretended to be a peasant to hide Jack from the giant. The man who sold Jack the beans was really a fairy in disguise who wanted to test Jack and see if he would make a good king. Jack defeats the giant and reclaims his kingdom.
Mother Holle: Two sisters: one good, one lazy. When sh...more
Mother Holle: Two sisters: one good, one lazy. When sh...more
Anyone acquainted with The Complete Grimm's Fairy Tales will find this book familier going, although somewhat lighter fare. I also realized as I began that I should have started with The Blue Fairy Book, something I intend to rectify soon.
I don't know if it's a good idea to plow through this all at once, but if you do, you'll quickly notice and perhaps even grow troubled by the repetitive nature of the tales, since many are, after all, but regional variations on the other. At the same time, it c...more
I don't know if it's a good idea to plow through this all at once, but if you do, you'll quickly notice and perhaps even grow troubled by the repetitive nature of the tales, since many are, after all, but regional variations on the other. At the same time, it c...more
Red Fairy Book Mixtape:
1. Summer Nights - Marianne Faithful
2. The Trouble I've Been Looking For - Magnetic Fields
3. Satin in a Coffin - Modest Mouse
4. Swinging London - Magnetic Fields
5. Don't Deconstruct - Rilo Kiley
6. Piano Fire - Sparklehorse
7. The Sun Goes Down and the World Goes Dancing - Magnetic Fields
8. Empassant - The Black Lips
9. Suit Yourself - Shout Out Louds
10. Bones of a Man - Chad Van Gaalen
11. Don't Take My Sunshine Away - Sparklehorse
12. Fill Your Heart - David Bowie
13. The Wait...more
1. Summer Nights - Marianne Faithful
2. The Trouble I've Been Looking For - Magnetic Fields
3. Satin in a Coffin - Modest Mouse
4. Swinging London - Magnetic Fields
5. Don't Deconstruct - Rilo Kiley
6. Piano Fire - Sparklehorse
7. The Sun Goes Down and the World Goes Dancing - Magnetic Fields
8. Empassant - The Black Lips
9. Suit Yourself - Shout Out Louds
10. Bones of a Man - Chad Van Gaalen
11. Don't Take My Sunshine Away - Sparklehorse
12. Fill Your Heart - David Bowie
13. The Wait...more
3 likes · like · see review
This is one of the most comprehensive collections of Western fairy tales I've found. Definitely better for the stouter of heart: "the Bull ... rushed at the Troll, and gored out his eyes, and drove his horns right through him so that his entrails gushed out..." (198). So, kinda rated R for violence. Somehow, my 7 year old daughter still insists that we start our day with one of these stories, though. The bold and the beautiful are always rewarded. It's fun to find similarities in these stories w...more
I am now an avid Andrew Lang reader! I grew up loving the Red Fairy book, but not being able to fully appreciate it as much as all of the creative efforts that went into writing it. I feel that now that I was able to read this whole book as well as the Violet Fairy Book, I am also eager to read the other famous Fairy Books (all of which, I now own!, except the Rose book). I believe they are written and compiled more for adults than for anything. But it is really this class, that got me to love...more
‘Mirror, mirror, hanging there, Who in all the land’s most fair?’
‘You are most fair, my Lady Queen, None fairer in the land, I ween.’
Then she was quite happy, for she knew the mirror always spoke the truth.
But Snowdrop was growing prettier and prettier every day, and when she was seven years old she was as beautiful as she could be, and fairer even than the Queen herself. One day when the latter asked her mirror the usual question, it replied:
‘My Lady Queen, you are fair, ’tis true, But Snowdro...more
‘You are most fair, my Lady Queen, None fairer in the land, I ween.’
Then she was quite happy, for she knew the mirror always spoke the truth.
But Snowdrop was growing prettier and prettier every day, and when she was seven years old she was as beautiful as she could be, and fairer even than the Queen herself. One day when the latter asked her mirror the usual question, it replied:
‘My Lady Queen, you are fair, ’tis true, But Snowdro...more
This is a great compilation of old short stories to read to your kids before bed! Because these are the actual old stories, not modernized versions, the English is much more sophisticated than more recent stories and there are very few pictures. Personally, I see this as a bonus...but I am probably in a minority on that opinion.
I read the first of the "rainbow" Fairy Books in 1958 when I was in 3rd grade. I tore through them in rapid succession and was so disappointed when I finished the last of them. Another disappointment was that I could not get my daughter or granddaughter interested in them.
If you like fairy tales get all of these books. Yellow and Red being my favorite. If you are reading this aloud be prepared for names and places that can be hard to pronounce. My suggestion, change the name on the fly.
Fairy tales were not always made to have happy endings. Now out of print I have this and the yellow Fairy book on my bookshelf. I grew up reading these. I can only wish every child gets to read these.
More collected fairy tales in this 2nd volume of the color fairy books.
(General update: I've been reading through all of H.P. Lovecraft's works:
http://www.delphiclassics.com/?produc...)
That's why I am 7 books behind. yow! I wish I could get credit for all the short stories in it, but it is not possible here. Ah well. I'll catch up!)
(General update: I've been reading through all of H.P. Lovecraft's works:
http://www.delphiclassics.com/?produc...)
That's why I am 7 books behind. yow! I wish I could get credit for all the short stories in it, but it is not possible here. Ah well. I'll catch up!)
Never too old to enjoy reading fairy tales :> Lang's are among the best, in the telling and in their variety. The woodcut illustrations are impressive for their detail.
I dearly love short stories mostly because they do not have time for a lot of weeping and angst like so many series today. This book did not disappoint, I could stop reading at any time and not have to worry about whether the main character was going to end up with her soulmate or die alone and unloved. And while I did not love all of the stories, it contained very few that I did not like in some way. Can't wait to read the rest of the Fairy books!
Interesting collection- harder to read older English and the print is not easy on the eyes, but it was great to get all the actual (and mostly evil) 'true' stories
We all love them . Had to change some of the real drama in this for David though . My other child had the library rewrite version .
I first heard of this book when I was doing an Author Study on J.R.R. Tolkien. It was one of the books he read when he was younger that influenced him. The other day I was in the back of our school library when the title caught my attention. Since I love Tolkien and fairy tales so much I asked the librarian if I could check them out, but they were discards so she let me take them home! I absolutely love the collection of fairy tales. It really is a shame parents don't read more of the older tale...more
When I was a kid, I loved this book of fairy tales so much I wanted to steal it out of the library.
Another book of folk/fairy tales. I intend to slowly work my way through the entire series.
Read this as a child, and loved it. Read all of the color fairy books, in fact.
If you like fairy tales its a good book. Along with all the other fairy books.
Reading old fairy tales is fun but it's gets a little repetitive! Still, it's interesting reading the original stories!
Great fairy tales. You can see where all your favorites came from originally!
Loved the last two stories read with a Scottish accent
princess stories on a different light! =D
A collection of fairy stories.
bunch of fairy-tales, very good.
Feb 05, 2013
Janai A
added it
it was nice
Apr 21, 2009
Hannah
added it
Very formative.
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Andrew Gabriel Lang was a prolific Scots man of letters. He was a poet, novelist, and literary critic, and a contributor to anthropology. He now is best known as a collector of folk and fairy tales.
The Andrew Lang Lectures at St. Andrews University are named for him. He also rewrote the famous The 12 Dancing Princesses, originally done by the Grimm Brothers. Andrew Lang did the French version.
More about Andrew Lang...
The Andrew Lang Lectures at St. Andrews University are named for him. He also rewrote the famous The 12 Dancing Princesses, originally done by the Grimm Brothers. Andrew Lang did the French version.
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“...remember that the danger that is most to be feared is never the danger we are most afraid of.”
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“Why should I laugh?' asked the old man. 'Madness in youth is true wisdom. Go, young man, follow your dream, and if you do not find the happiness that you seek, at any rate you will have had the happiness of seeking it.”
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23 fév. 08:09
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updated 23 fév. 11:24