London Folk Tales

by Helen East

London is a world unto itself; an outrageous, quirky and diverse microcosm where all walks of life cross paths, their languages jostling and mingling – and there are tales whichever way you turn. Now thirty of the best, drawn from oral history and newly recorded local reminiscence, as well as folk sources and written texts, have been brought to life by a mistress of storytelling. Here you will find Dick Whittington alongside the patron saint of cobblers, a royal rat rubbing shoulders with the Maid Uncumber, and fish that decide destinies. Revisit old friends and discover new ones in this wonderful selection of London folk tales – as light and dark, and as full of unexpected twists, as the streets of London itself.

Genres: London, History, Folklore, Travel, British Literature, Ebooks, Research

192 pages, Paperback

First published November 30, 2011

Reviews

[Lisachan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Alcune storie erano del tutto inconcludenti e prive di una ragion d'essere, va detto, ma la maggior parte era molto carina. La raccolta si legge molto velocemente, è leggera e simpatica, composta anche con un certo senso cronologico e scritta, questo sì, in modo delizioso: lo stile con cui la East butta giù i racconti è molto scanzonato, quasi "da filastrocca", e l'abbondanza di assonanze, quando non proprio rime, che si ripetono in narrazione, specie in alcuni punti, è quasi ipnotico.
Insomma, niente di che, ma mi ha intrattenuta piacevolmente per qualche giorno. Per averlo ricevuto gratis, insomma, poco male.

[Jorgon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, it's London, innit? Seriously, the first few tales (Alba, Brutus, Gog/Magog, Bran, Boadicea) are well-known to anyone with any interest in English history and are not really that London-specific, so can be skipped. But after that, and especially when we get to post-Norman periods, the stories just keep on being consistently awesome, all the way up to and including modern folklore. And, of course, recognizing some of one's favourite places (and pubs) while reading these adds to the pleasure. One of my favourite entries in the series so far.

[Jodie Portugal · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvtxQ...

My honest review

[Lizixer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highly enjoyable collection of tales from the capital beginning with the birth of Albion and the establishment of the mythical city of New Troy. The stories are told with wit and authority. Lessons about the abiding character of London and Londoners are subtly drawn from the tales, some as familiar as Dick Whittington, others such as the Blind Beggar less well-known. The voice of the storyteller is an entertaining one and there's plenty of nods to modern life even in her tales of the lost London when history and myth sat easier together.
Highly recommended for lovers of fairy and ghost stories and/or those who never tire of London and its diversity.

[Tina Rath · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very nice collection of folk tales, including one, here called 'Witch Well', the Essex version of 'Mother Holle' which I have been looking for for years, ever since hearing my mother's memory of it - which was nothing but the ominous scraps of verse repeated by the runaway 'Hide me apple tree, hide me, for fear the old witch should find me, for if she do she'll break my bones and bury me under the marble stones.'

[Cameron · Rating 4 out of 5]

I borrowed this from my sister while visiting her in London.

I enjoyed the tales in this book as they overlapped with the site seeing we did. I liked the style of older stories (genuine folklore) but found the modern stories to be cheesy ghost stories or a bit pointless. The "london Bridge is falling down", "Gog / Magog" and "Dick Whittington" were of personal interest to me.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Initially this book was excellent with colourful retellings of some wonderful folktales and myths tinged with historical references, but as it progressed it became more focused on common urban legends and first person ghost story accounts by the author.
Started of promising but finished disappointing.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wesentlich besser als Dublin Folk Tales aus der selben Reihe. Chronologisch geordnet, besser geschrieben und allgemein bessere Stories. Daumen hoch!

[Dev S · Rating 3 out of 5]

a good collection of stories with a rather odd sing song narrative that sometimes worked but often grated