The Penguin Book of English Folktales

by Neil Philip

With more than 100 memorable tales, this extensive collection brings together stirring stories from all parts of Scotland--from the vibrant Gaelic traditional Highlands and Islands to the enduring legends handed down by the Lowland Scots.

Genres: Mythology, Fantasy, Fiction, Short Stories

419 pages, Paperback

First published July 6, 1993

About the author

Neil Philip is a writer, folklorist and poet. He is married to the artist Emma Bradford, and lives in the Cotswolds, England. Neil loves words, poetry, and the art of storytelling in all its forms. Among his many books are A Fine Anger, Victorian Village Life, The Cinderella Story, The Penguin Book of English Folktales, Mythology (with Philip Wilkinson), The Great Mystery, War and the Pity of War, The New Oxford Book of Childrens Verse, The Tale of Sir Gawain, Horse Hooves & Chicken Feet, and The Adventures of Odysseus. Neil has contributed to numerous journals, including The Times, and Signal: Approaches to Childrens Books, and has also written for stage, screen, and radio. His work has won numerous awards and honours, including the Aesop Award of the American Folklore Society and the Literary Criticism Book Award of the Childrens Literature Association. Outside of the storied world, Neil is passionate about cats, art, music, France, food & wine, and friendship.

Reviews

[Kari · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting collection of English folktales. Philip gives notes after many of them discussing the source and the variations in the tales that are found in different regions. I got this book after Neil Gaiman mentioned it as being inspiration for one of his short stories in his book Smoke and Mirrors. I'm surprised considering this is where I found out about it that there aren't more who did the same and this is the first review! Some of the tales are difficult to read as they are written in order to capture the oral style it was told in and therefore are written in strong accents making some words hard to work out! This does not detract from the book, it just means you need a bit more patience with some parts. For anyone interested in folklore it is a worthwhile read and shows the rich English tradition that was alive and passed down through the generations. Most people tend to think only of the Grimms' collection but England produced many of their own clever tales and spooky stories!

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took me long enough,but I've finished it. I loved it. It was a particularly interesting collection of folk and fairy tales, which contained a lot of historical facts and linguistic treats that kept me entertained as well as scholarly curious.

[Velma]

In the introduction to his collection of short stories entitled Smoke and Mirrors, Neil Gaiman references this book as an inspiration for The White Road, included in the anthology.