Florida Folktales

by J. Russell Reaver, J. Russell Reaver

"A splendid collection from one of the nation's richest and most diverse traditional cultures. . . . Florida Folktales will appeal not only to scholars and lovers of folklore, but to anyone interested in the wellsprings of American storytelling and literature.”—Charles Wolfe, editor, Tennessee Folklore Society Bulletin

196 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1987

Reviews

[Mikayla · Rating 2 out of 5]

You could tell the guy did his research and I applaud him for that, but there is a way to format and present these stories that would make a reader much more interested. I get wanting to stay true to the original vocalization but a lot of these 'stories' are not framed like stories at all, more like vague snippets of a dream someone's recalling after they've been awake for a half hour. With some weeding and a bit more description, this could've been a decent work on Floridian folktales.

[Victoria · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was looking foreword to reading this so I was excited when it finally came in at the library.

The beginning stories are of Brer Rabbit which seem antiquated now. Mr Reaver even writes in the Southern African American dialect which for some would make it difficult to read. Being from the south I understood them perfectly.

Also most of the stories come from the Tallahassee region. Only one story from my city Tampa and one other from St. Petersburg as I recall.

Half of the book are the stories them selves and the 2nd part is notes, bibliography, an index of motifs, and index of tale types.