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The Penguin Book of Mermaids
*Includes "The Little Mermaid," now a major motion picture from Disney starring Halle Bailey and directed by Rob Marshall*
Dive into centuries of mermaid lore with these captivating tales from around the world.
A Penguin Classic
Among the oldest and most popular mythical beings, mermaids and other merfolk have captured the imagination since long before Ariel sold her voice to a sea witch in the beloved Disney film adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's "The Little Mermaid." As far back as the eighth century B.C., sailors in Homer's Odyssey stuffed wax in their ears to resist the Sirens, who lured men to their watery deaths with song. More than two thousand years later, the gullible New York public lined up to witness a mummified "mermaid" specimen that the enterprising showman P. T. Barnum swore was real.
The Penguin Book of Mermaids is a treasury of such tales about merfolk and water spirits from different cultures, ranging from Scottish selkies to Hindu water-serpents to Chilean sea fairies. A third of the selections are published here in English for the first time, and all are accompanied by commentary that explores their undercurrents, showing us how public perceptions of this popular mythical hybrid--at once a human and a fish--illuminate issues of gender, spirituality, ecology, and sexuality.
For more than seventy-five years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 2,000 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
Dive into centuries of mermaid lore with these captivating tales from around the world.
A Penguin Classic
Among the oldest and most popular mythical beings, mermaids and other merfolk have captured the imagination since long before Ariel sold her voice to a sea witch in the beloved Disney film adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's "The Little Mermaid." As far back as the eighth century B.C., sailors in Homer's Odyssey stuffed wax in their ears to resist the Sirens, who lured men to their watery deaths with song. More than two thousand years later, the gullible New York public lined up to witness a mummified "mermaid" specimen that the enterprising showman P. T. Barnum swore was real.
The Penguin Book of Mermaids is a treasury of such tales about merfolk and water spirits from different cultures, ranging from Scottish selkies to Hindu water-serpents to Chilean sea fairies. A third of the selections are published here in English for the first time, and all are accompanied by commentary that explores their undercurrents, showing us how public perceptions of this popular mythical hybrid--at once a human and a fish--illuminate issues of gender, spirituality, ecology, and sexuality.
For more than seventy-five years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 2,000 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
368 pages, Paperback
Published October 8, 2019
72 people are currently reading
1717 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
August 1, 2019
This is the perfect gift for the mermaid lover in your life
December 11, 2019
I love the variety of mermaid stories and the breadth of cultures this collection draws upon, but I wish it had been a less overtly scholarly work. That is, I appreciated the efforts to contextualize these tales within their communities of origin; I didn't appreciate when the editors attempted to assert a specific meaning for a tale. Perhaps scholars of folklore do indeed abide by a rigid lexicon of symbolic interpretation—alas for that dismal reality, if so—but I find most of my enjoyment in stories like these arises from discovering my own interpretations, lessons, and truths.
June 1, 2020
This is a gorgeous and endlessly fascinating exploration of the stories of water spirits from across the world; beautifully intersecting myth, fairytale and history - lush, lyrical, so vibrant.
August 23, 2023
I'm getting really into these little books that look at stories, legends, myths and folklore from around the world. I have done the undead before and now it's mermaid time. And I do think that is how you have to approach a book like this, it's less about the quality of each of these tales but about what they tell you as a whole and the interconnections that become visible.
Singularly, a lot of these stories don't hold up that well. While every reader likes of course different things, I still think for many these stories taken on their own merit would lack in depth and character and sometimes even in logic. They often contain outdated messages (here we reencounter the "don't marry outside your group/ tribe" philosophy and older sexist views on marriage) and they don't really have a solid story arc. But culturally it can be fascinating. This collection even includes some "eye witness stories" and news articles which underline how prominent the mermaid myth has been throughout space and time. I always find that concept fascinating, that even in different parts of the world we come up with similar tales to help explain the world around us, make sense of the unknown and put a bit of magic out there.
And sometimes it was nonetheless wild fun to read these fairy tales and myths, I mean for real, people used to put the craziest stuff into their stories. The one that holds up the most as a story in its own right was unsurprisingly Andersen's "The Little Mermaid" but I enjoyed myself with a few of these. Some even freaked me out a bit, there were some stories with more serpent like fishfolk (Trinidad & Tobago as well as some of the North American Native stories) and somehow that concept got to me a little bit. Didn't see that coming.
I highly recommend this book if you would like a deep dive into the mermaid myth. Yes, some stories here will read a bit clunky (keep in mind, a lot were orally passed along and never meant as a story, then there is the factor that translation might have been awkward in some cases). There is a lot on gender, sexuality, believes and morals to be found in here. And it's just so fascinating to see where some of our modern myths about mermaids started, how they evolved, shifted and reshaped themselves.
Singularly, a lot of these stories don't hold up that well. While every reader likes of course different things, I still think for many these stories taken on their own merit would lack in depth and character and sometimes even in logic. They often contain outdated messages (here we reencounter the "don't marry outside your group/ tribe" philosophy and older sexist views on marriage) and they don't really have a solid story arc. But culturally it can be fascinating. This collection even includes some "eye witness stories" and news articles which underline how prominent the mermaid myth has been throughout space and time. I always find that concept fascinating, that even in different parts of the world we come up with similar tales to help explain the world around us, make sense of the unknown and put a bit of magic out there.
And sometimes it was nonetheless wild fun to read these fairy tales and myths, I mean for real, people used to put the craziest stuff into their stories. The one that holds up the most as a story in its own right was unsurprisingly Andersen's "The Little Mermaid" but I enjoyed myself with a few of these. Some even freaked me out a bit, there were some stories with more serpent like fishfolk (Trinidad & Tobago as well as some of the North American Native stories) and somehow that concept got to me a little bit. Didn't see that coming.
I highly recommend this book if you would like a deep dive into the mermaid myth. Yes, some stories here will read a bit clunky (keep in mind, a lot were orally passed along and never meant as a story, then there is the factor that translation might have been awkward in some cases). There is a lot on gender, sexuality, believes and morals to be found in here. And it's just so fascinating to see where some of our modern myths about mermaids started, how they evolved, shifted and reshaped themselves.
May 20, 2020
4 stars!
I would highly recommend this to anyone like me who is fascinated with the topic of mermaids or sea folk in general. Cristina Bacchilega provides us with an informative and diverse collection of legends and literary tales that span the continents, proving how universal this famous creature is.
While it is custom for certain stories to feel repetitive considering that certain stories are passed from one place to another due to cultural exchange there is something inherently fascinating with many of them. I much prefer this collection compared to the Beauty and the Beast: Animal Bride tales ones. While the stories in The Penguin Book of Mermaids do feel repetitive at times I can't help but sense this somber and mysterious aura in a lot of them. I remember the animal brides stories feeling very "matter of fact" or explained in a sterile manner. In many of these stories I can pick up an emotion in the voice of the narrator, whether its worry or longing. I also have to applaud the translation, very well done.
In conclusion I felt invested in the stories and was appreciative of the additional information that was provided as it made understanding certain stories much more possible. I'm happy to have not only revisit some old favorite mermaid stories but also happy to discover some new gems.
Favorite Stories
The Nixie in the Pond (Grimms Fairytales)
The Day After the Wedding, from Undine
The Little Mermaid (Hans Christian Andersen)
Abyssus Abyssum Invocat (Genevieve Valentine)
Honorable Mentions
A Mermaid's Tears (Kurahashi Yumiko)
The American and the Sirena of Amburayan
The Mermaid, Child 289B
Odysseus and the Sirens (The Odyssey)
"And the little mermaid lifted her brightening eyes to the sun, and for the first time she felt them filled with tears."
I would highly recommend this to anyone like me who is fascinated with the topic of mermaids or sea folk in general. Cristina Bacchilega provides us with an informative and diverse collection of legends and literary tales that span the continents, proving how universal this famous creature is.
While it is custom for certain stories to feel repetitive considering that certain stories are passed from one place to another due to cultural exchange there is something inherently fascinating with many of them. I much prefer this collection compared to the Beauty and the Beast: Animal Bride tales ones. While the stories in The Penguin Book of Mermaids do feel repetitive at times I can't help but sense this somber and mysterious aura in a lot of them. I remember the animal brides stories feeling very "matter of fact" or explained in a sterile manner. In many of these stories I can pick up an emotion in the voice of the narrator, whether its worry or longing. I also have to applaud the translation, very well done.
In conclusion I felt invested in the stories and was appreciative of the additional information that was provided as it made understanding certain stories much more possible. I'm happy to have not only revisit some old favorite mermaid stories but also happy to discover some new gems.
Favorite Stories
The Nixie in the Pond (Grimms Fairytales)
The Day After the Wedding, from Undine
The Little Mermaid (Hans Christian Andersen)
Abyssus Abyssum Invocat (Genevieve Valentine)
Honorable Mentions
A Mermaid's Tears (Kurahashi Yumiko)
The American and the Sirena of Amburayan
The Mermaid, Child 289B
Odysseus and the Sirens (The Odyssey)
"And the little mermaid lifted her brightening eyes to the sun, and for the first time she felt them filled with tears."
May 11, 2020
It was definitely really interesting to read all these mermaid fairytales and stories from countries all over the world. But when I was almost at the end, they started to all feel the same and maybe there were a bit to many stories in here, since most of them only were two pages long, and the themes were all kind of the same. Though I can’t blame the editors of the book for this because they didn’t wrote these stories.
August 24, 2025
Great for anyone interested in mermaid folklore outside of modern stories. Definitely great for people interested in culture, but the focus is a scholarly take on the stories which results in the explanation of the story being longer than the actual folklore being described.
Want to read
December 17, 2023baby eva is screaming
May 31, 2025
I’ve always adored mermaids my whole life and i absolutely loved this book!! It was so much fun to read all the different stories from around the world! Mermaid lore is incredible!
November 14, 2019
Disclaimer: I received the Kindle copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My opinions remain respectfully my own. Huge thanks to Penguin Classics for approving this book even when it was requested a month past the publication date.
----My Thoughts----
The book is packed with legends, folktales, fairytales, etc. about the mermaid and other water creatures. Not a lengthy volume and can be easily finished in a few hours for the typical book enthusiast.
Some of the fairytales are dark in nature, portraying the mermaid as a symbol of great beauty and misfortune.
Tales were collected from all around the globe and there were many that I hadn’t heard of.
The Little Mermaid’s tale by Andersen was perhaps one of the most tragic, heavily intermixed with Christianity.
Some fairytales spoke of hungering sea creatures that were dramatically different from the innocent portrayal we are used to.
A little background information is given in regards to the legend or anecdote along with what to expect from it, what version was chosen, etc.
Kurahashi’s parodic rewriting of the Little Mermaid wasn’t one I was particularly familiar with but it was certainly a bizarre read.
Specially eerie were some oral tales where the narrator chose to omit names such as the village where it originated as well as the water deity involved.
“Abyssus Abyssum Invocat.” was a story that was downright chilling with modern elements mixed in. The mermaid is portrayed as a strange but alluring creature capable of feats of deadly seduction.
This book gets a 4.5/5 from me. I expected a book about mermaids, water deities and monsters either by a collection of legends, myths, folktales, etc. and this book met all my expectations. It left me fulfilled but with a subtle craving of wishing it was a longer read.
-----
Who would enjoy this book?
I would recommend this book to someone who enjoys reading about water deities, monsters and mermaids. It would also suit the folklore and legends enthusiast or someone seeking a change from their typical nonfiction literature.
----My Thoughts----
The book is packed with legends, folktales, fairytales, etc. about the mermaid and other water creatures. Not a lengthy volume and can be easily finished in a few hours for the typical book enthusiast.
Some of the fairytales are dark in nature, portraying the mermaid as a symbol of great beauty and misfortune.
Tales were collected from all around the globe and there were many that I hadn’t heard of.
The Little Mermaid’s tale by Andersen was perhaps one of the most tragic, heavily intermixed with Christianity.
Some fairytales spoke of hungering sea creatures that were dramatically different from the innocent portrayal we are used to.
A little background information is given in regards to the legend or anecdote along with what to expect from it, what version was chosen, etc.
Kurahashi’s parodic rewriting of the Little Mermaid wasn’t one I was particularly familiar with but it was certainly a bizarre read.
Specially eerie were some oral tales where the narrator chose to omit names such as the village where it originated as well as the water deity involved.
“Abyssus Abyssum Invocat.” was a story that was downright chilling with modern elements mixed in. The mermaid is portrayed as a strange but alluring creature capable of feats of deadly seduction.
This book gets a 4.5/5 from me. I expected a book about mermaids, water deities and monsters either by a collection of legends, myths, folktales, etc. and this book met all my expectations. It left me fulfilled but with a subtle craving of wishing it was a longer read.
-----
Who would enjoy this book?
I would recommend this book to someone who enjoys reading about water deities, monsters and mermaids. It would also suit the folklore and legends enthusiast or someone seeking a change from their typical nonfiction literature.
February 4, 2020
This book intrigued me when I pulled it off the new book shelf at our local library. I have to admit, I don't think I would have looked at it if it didn't have the black Penguin Classics spine.
It is a bit like reading Bulfinch's Mythology for Mermaids. It is interesting and I was surprised at how prevalent mermaid (and merman) tales are from ancient times to the present day (see Disney's Little Mermaid). Also, mermaid folklore, myth and legend is multi-cultural and can be found in the traditions of native peoples of all continents.
One that caught my eye was the Chines folktale of the Hai nü or sea women. In China these are creatures of folklore but the same word, borrowed into Korean became the name for the women divers of Jeju Island in South Korea, called the Hae Nyo (해녀).
This would have been a good resource for a paper in a Folklore & Mythology 101 course in college. An interesting read and I learned a few things along the way.
It is a bit like reading Bulfinch's Mythology for Mermaids. It is interesting and I was surprised at how prevalent mermaid (and merman) tales are from ancient times to the present day (see Disney's Little Mermaid). Also, mermaid folklore, myth and legend is multi-cultural and can be found in the traditions of native peoples of all continents.
One that caught my eye was the Chines folktale of the Hai nü or sea women. In China these are creatures of folklore but the same word, borrowed into Korean became the name for the women divers of Jeju Island in South Korea, called the Hae Nyo (해녀).
This would have been a good resource for a paper in a Folklore & Mythology 101 course in college. An interesting read and I learned a few things along the way.
February 13, 2020
I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher through NetGalley.
I was really excited for this book when I originally discovered it, but I ended up being very underwhelmed. But that probably was due more to my expectations than the actual content.
I was thinking more actual mermaids and probably retellings. However, it was more of a history lesson on the evolution of mermaids in culture. It was an interesting read, but I don't think I'll be going back to it again and again, like I had anticipated.
I was really excited for this book when I originally discovered it, but I ended up being very underwhelmed. But that probably was due more to my expectations than the actual content.
I was thinking more actual mermaids and probably retellings. However, it was more of a history lesson on the evolution of mermaids in culture. It was an interesting read, but I don't think I'll be going back to it again and again, like I had anticipated.
November 15, 2020
Yet another "skip around" book for me. I really enjoyed the introduction to each section, which were informative and well-written research papers on the type of aquatic/human hybrid from a certain part of the world or upon a certain theme that would follow. I read them all and would have gladly read a longer book written on the topic. The stories themselves, alas, were of varying qualities. Some were only a couple of paragraphs. So I ended up reading the introductions and just one or two tales in each section.
May 31, 2020
You can't go wrong with a Penguin Classics collection! This volume includes tales and legends from around the world and through the centuries of not just mermaids, but other watery creatures as well. There is so much more here than what you'll expect to find, and it's fascinating to see how the stories change from culture to culture, and how they stay the same. Definitely entertaining and recommended!
#ThePenguinBookOfMermaids #NetGalley
#ThePenguinBookOfMermaids #NetGalley
December 28, 2019
I loved this collection of mermaid tales across different cultures, and enjoyed all the discussion about their origins and transformations over the years. This text has been invaluable to my studies, but it's also just a well written collection of stories. Definitely recommend for anyone who loves mermaids and mythology.
February 5, 2020
Do you want to know about mermaids from all over the world? Then get this book! Yay Penguin for translating some materials previously unavailable in English! If you do not like mermaids: kindly reexamine your life and your priorities. The mermaids were here first. The mermaids know the secret depths of the oceans and of your heart. The mermaids deserve your respect and your fear.
April 19, 2020
I've read many traditional mer-collections, but I started to lose interest a little more than half way through the book. Some of the stories, although they are old and I respect them, are very strange and have unsatisfying endings.
This is a great collection to have for reference if you're a writer of fantasy!
See more mermaid reviews on my profile/website!
-Sirenita
This is a great collection to have for reference if you're a writer of fantasy!
See more mermaid reviews on my profile/website!
-Sirenita
December 17, 2019
The Penguin Book of Mermaids is a collection of Mermaid stories from various cultures. I loved reading this one and cannot wait to own a copy of my own. I had no idea that there were so many cultures with Mermaid Lore.
August 2, 2019
An excellent survey of the mythologies of merpeople from a variety of world cultures, including tales from both literary and (until now) oral sources.
May 14, 2020
Decent collection of mermaid tales from around the world. Appreciated the commentary on some of the pieces.
August 28, 2020
This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 3.5 of 5
If you are like me, when someone says "mermaid" images of Ariel from Disney's The Littlest Mermaid film, or Daryl Hannah from the film Splash come to mind. Though lately the other image might be a creature looking half human, half fish, with piranha-like teeth - from Mira Grant's excellent book Into the Drowning Deep. But if you are expecting a collection of these sorts of mermaids, you will be sadly disappointed.
Editors Cristina Bacchilega and Marie Alohalani Brown have gathered mermaid stories and legends from all over the world. The term 'mermaid,' however, is quite loosely defined for the purposes of gathering the stories for this book. Any human-like creature that lives primarily in the water is acceptable here.
It did take me awhile to get used to this concept that the idea of a 'mermaid' could be so drastically different from culture to culture. For instance, this book contains a tale from the Passamaquoddy tradition, here titled "Of the Woman Who Loved a Serpent Who Lived in a Lake" in which the 'mermaid' is more snake than fish, and male. It's an odd tale as the woman who interacts with the serpent/mer-being is a vessel for the serpent's poison, transferring it to her husband's (multiple, as they die shortly after being with her). My note from the reading is simply: "Mermaid?"
I enjoyed this collection quite a bit, and I enjoyed expanding my knowledge of the mermaid concept, but at the same time, I can't say that this was overwhelmingly 'good.' Only one story/legend stood out for me: "Julnar the Mermaid and Her Son Badar Basim of Persia." Wait ... does this sound familiar? It should ... it's more commonly known as "Julnar the Sea-Born and Her Son Kind Badr Basim of Persia" and it's the 23rd chapter from Tales from the Arabian Nights.
This is actually one of the things I really appreciated about this book ... the research of so many different sources for mermaid/sea-creature stories. I also learned a few things ("Ningyo, the Japanese word for mermaid, has no gender.") and it did occur to me that the purpose to read a collection like this is not so much for 'pleasure' but for knowledge or perspective or cultural significance or social significance (which is not to say some of us don't take great pleasure in expanding our knowledge or perspective or ...).
Looking for a good book? If you are willing to expand your horizons and your concept of what a mermaid is, you should give The Penguin Book of Mermaids (edited by Cristina Bacchilega and Marie Alohalani Brown) a read. But don't expect too many stories that project a Daryl Hannah style creature.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
If you are like me, when someone says "mermaid" images of Ariel from Disney's The Littlest Mermaid film, or Daryl Hannah from the film Splash come to mind. Though lately the other image might be a creature looking half human, half fish, with piranha-like teeth - from Mira Grant's excellent book Into the Drowning Deep. But if you are expecting a collection of these sorts of mermaids, you will be sadly disappointed.
Editors Cristina Bacchilega and Marie Alohalani Brown have gathered mermaid stories and legends from all over the world. The term 'mermaid,' however, is quite loosely defined for the purposes of gathering the stories for this book. Any human-like creature that lives primarily in the water is acceptable here.
It did take me awhile to get used to this concept that the idea of a 'mermaid' could be so drastically different from culture to culture. For instance, this book contains a tale from the Passamaquoddy tradition, here titled "Of the Woman Who Loved a Serpent Who Lived in a Lake" in which the 'mermaid' is more snake than fish, and male. It's an odd tale as the woman who interacts with the serpent/mer-being is a vessel for the serpent's poison, transferring it to her husband's (multiple, as they die shortly after being with her). My note from the reading is simply: "Mermaid?"
I enjoyed this collection quite a bit, and I enjoyed expanding my knowledge of the mermaid concept, but at the same time, I can't say that this was overwhelmingly 'good.' Only one story/legend stood out for me: "Julnar the Mermaid and Her Son Badar Basim of Persia." Wait ... does this sound familiar? It should ... it's more commonly known as "Julnar the Sea-Born and Her Son Kind Badr Basim of Persia" and it's the 23rd chapter from Tales from the Arabian Nights.
This is actually one of the things I really appreciated about this book ... the research of so many different sources for mermaid/sea-creature stories. I also learned a few things ("Ningyo, the Japanese word for mermaid, has no gender.") and it did occur to me that the purpose to read a collection like this is not so much for 'pleasure' but for knowledge or perspective or cultural significance or social significance (which is not to say some of us don't take great pleasure in expanding our knowledge or perspective or ...).
Looking for a good book? If you are willing to expand your horizons and your concept of what a mermaid is, you should give The Penguin Book of Mermaids (edited by Cristina Bacchilega and Marie Alohalani Brown) a read. But don't expect too many stories that project a Daryl Hannah style creature.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
August 15, 2025
Decisamente non un libro per giovani lettori (non sognatevi neanche per scherzo di regalarlo alla ragazzina che è entrata in fissa con La Sirenetta) e, oserei dire, nemmeno per lettori che sono alla ricerca di una antologia di racconti su sirene che siano *godibili* e *narrativamente incalzanti*. Questa è una selezione di racconti di folklore così come sono stati raccolti dai folkloristi attraverso i secoli: alcuni sono molto antichi e di matrice letteraria (es. tratti dai classici greci), altre sono testimonianze raccolte in giro per il mondo nella seconda metà del '900, ma il filo conduttore è sempre quello - testi selezionati con l'intenzione di dar conto dell'evoluzione della figura della sirena attraverso i secoli (in Occidente) e di tracciare parallelismi con le figure analoghe provenienti dalle altre culture in giro per il mondo.
Se interessa questo approccio, è un libro bellissimo come tutti i "The Penguin Book of" dedicati al folklore. Se si è alla ricerca di una antologia di racconti di sirene piacevoli da leggere, molti dei testi proposti qui risulteranno probabilmente noiosi e scarni, e talvolta ripetitivi.
Poiché a me interessava l'approccio storico-folkloristico, ottimo libro che valuto con sole tre stelline perché avrei gradito un apparato critico un po' più approfondito e dettagliato rispetto a quello che ho trovato a presentare le varie storie. Che comunque c'è e non è male, eh.
Se interessa questo approccio, è un libro bellissimo come tutti i "The Penguin Book of" dedicati al folklore. Se si è alla ricerca di una antologia di racconti di sirene piacevoli da leggere, molti dei testi proposti qui risulteranno probabilmente noiosi e scarni, e talvolta ripetitivi.
Poiché a me interessava l'approccio storico-folkloristico, ottimo libro che valuto con sole tre stelline perché avrei gradito un apparato critico un po' più approfondito e dettagliato rispetto a quello che ho trovato a presentare le varie storie. Che comunque c'è e non è male, eh.
January 29, 2022
A great varied collection of Mermaid type tales. From poetry to 1 page stories, to full-length stories of 30+ pages. It was great to see tales from all over the globe from Japan to India to Europe. It was fascinating to see similar tales from dozens of different cultures. But like all anthologies, not all stories are created equal with some notable standouts being Ti Jeanne from the Caribbean. The Litao and Serena from the Philippines, The Mermaid's Tears from Japan, and obviously the most well-known the Little Mermaid from Hans Christian Andersen. I loved the different tones, from seduction to love, from sacrifice to horror. It was amazing to see what was similar from culture to culture and what was different. Overall it is a great condensed history of Mermaids in literature, and you could really use it as a starting point to further research. This anthology is definitely a book that is better as a whole than the sum of its parts.
January 11, 2023
A solid collection of modern and ancient literary selections, as well as a variety of folklore. To those used to reading short stories, or looking for short stories, please be aware that in folklore studies, stories are collected verbatim from a source, and then archived. They're not tidied up or rewritten for style or coherency, they're presented as told for the purpose of preservation. Think of it like interviewing someone for a historical record--therefore, some of the "stories" may seem choppy or uninteresting beyond the premise, or not "well written," but that's because they're recorded folklore from the oral tradition.
An excellent collection for those with an academic or personal interest in maritime folklore, or mermaid tales in general.
Please be aware that there is some graphic material in this, and it's not a children's book.
An excellent collection for those with an academic or personal interest in maritime folklore, or mermaid tales in general.
Please be aware that there is some graphic material in this, and it's not a children's book.
December 30, 2022
While I found this book interesting from a research perspective it was not very entertaining. If you want an understanding of what mermaids symbolise in folklore (which is the reason I read this book) then you will definitely find what you are looking for. However a lot of the stories are repetitive and other don’t read well. It’s great as a resource but if you are looking to be entertained with mermaid stories than look elsewhere. That said the book was insightful and I enjoyed learning about mermaid folklore from across the world.
July 9, 2024
There were certainly some moments when I was like... why is this section even here? But for the MOST part: I had a phenomenal time! I realized I have much more interest in Mermaids, sirens, and mer-life in general than I expected because this was extremely interesting!
A warning though that this isn't just about Mermaids. There are all sorts of stories about Mermen, Mer-creatures, water spirits, etc. But they do stick to the general topic of magical sea creatures (most with half-human qualities)
A warning though that this isn't just about Mermaids. There are all sorts of stories about Mermen, Mer-creatures, water spirits, etc. But they do stick to the general topic of magical sea creatures (most with half-human qualities)
October 22, 2019
This is a collection of short myths, legends, fairytales and folktales from around the world that involve merfolk. The stories and their origins are interesting and entertaining. The book would make a nice addition to collections that contain fairytales by the Grimm Brothers, Hans Christian Andersen and Charles Perrault.
NOTE: There are no illustrations in the book. It is not a little children's book.
NOTE: There are no illustrations in the book. It is not a little children's book.
June 27, 2022
I enjoyed how diverse this selection of stories. It should be noted that although being called The Penguin Book of Mermaids, it's less about mermaids in particular and more about water-dwelling human-animal hybrids. Some texts are extracted from longer works, usually for understandable reasons (length, topicality), though some were less so. I think I would have enjoyed more focus on literary mermaids though it's likely copyright meant it was limited.
April 21, 2024
The Book of Mermaids is now a reference book for the current book I am writing. It is extremely informative and cross-cultural. The mermaid stories are from so many countries and all are entertaining. The magical and mystical qualities are intrinsic in all of them. The influence of the patriarchy is, of course, present, yet some are told with the mermaids being victorious over those who would hurt them. Well done.
August 16, 2022
Really interesting! Loved all the intros to the different stories to set the cultural tone and provide some background info. Was cool to see mermaid stories from different parts of the world. I particularly liked the story about the schoolteacher, it was very different from the rest, not very Little Mermaid, very unique.
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