Best Fairy Tales, Folk Tales, Legends & Mythology Literary Criticism Books

Here you will get Best Fairy Tales, Folk Tales, Legends & Mythology Literary Criticism Books For you.This is an up-to-date list of recommended books.

1. Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes, 75th Anniversary Illustrated Edition (BLACK DOG & LEV)

Author: by Edith Hamilton

0316438529
Black Dog & Leventhal
English

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This 75th anniversary edition of a classic bestseller is stunningly illustrated and designed to enchant fans of Greek, Roman, and Norse mythology at all ages. Since its original publication by Little, Brown and Company in 1942, Edith Hamilton’s Mythology has sold millions of copies throughout the world and established itself as a perennial bestseller.

For more than seven decades readers have chosen this book above all others to discover the enchanting world of mythology – from Odysseus’s adventure-filled journey to the Norse god Odin’s effort to postpone the final day of doom. This deluxe, hardcover edition is fully-illustrated throughout with all-new, specially commissioned art, making it a true collector’s item.


2. Greek Mythology: The Gods, Goddesses, and Heroes Handbook: From Aphrodite to Zeus, a Profile of Who's Who in Greek Mythology

Author: by Liv Albert
English
240 pages
1507215495

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Finally sort out who’s who in Greek mythologyfrom gods, goddesses, heroes, monsters, and everyone in between! Greek mythology continues to appear in popular movies and books today but have you ever wondered about where these characters started out? Discover the origins of your favorite characters from Greek mythology with this collection of profiles to tell you who’s who in classical lore!

In Greek Mythology, you will discover the backstories of the heroes, villains, gods, and goddesses that enjoy popularity in today’s shows and films. With comprehensive entries that outline each character’s name, roles, related symbols, and foundational myths, you can get to know the roots of these personas and better understand the stories they inspire today.

With this character-focused, handy reference, you will never be confused about Ancient Greece!


3. Shadow and Evil in Fairy Tales: Revised Edition (C. G. Jung Foundation Books Series Book 1)

Author: by Marie-Louise von Franz
B01MU44VTN
Shambhala
June 13, 2017

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A renowned psychologist examines fairy tales through a Jungian lens, revealing what they can teach us about the darkest sides of human behaviorFairy tales seem to be innocent stories, yet they contain profound lessons for those who would dive deep into their waters of meaning.

In this book, Marie-Louise von Franz uncovers some of the important lessons concealed in tales from around the world, drawing on the wealth of her knowledge of folklore, her experience as a psychoanalyst and a collaborator with Jung, and her great personal wisdom.

Among the many topics discussed in relation to the dark side of life and human psychology, both individual and collective, are: How different aspects of the “shadow”all the affects and attitudes that are unconscious to the ego personalityare personified in the giants and monsters, ghosts, and demons, evil kings, and wicked witches of fairy tales How problems of the shadow manifest differently in men and women What fairy tales say about the kinds of behavior and attitudes that invite evil How Jung’s technique of Active imagination can be used to overcome overwhelming negative emotions How ghost stories and superstitions reflect the psychology of grieving What fairy tales advise us about whether to struggle against evil or turn the other cheekDr. von Franz concludes that every rule of behavior that we can learn from the unconscious through fairy tales and dreams is usually a paradox: sometimes there must be a physical struggle against evil and sometimes a contest of wits, sometimes a display of strength or magic and sometimes a retreat.


4. Women Who Run With the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype

Author: by Clarissa Pinkola Estes
B01N7YOGAD
February 1, 2017
English

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“Within every woman there is a wild and natural creature, a powerful force, filled with good instincts, passionate creativity, and ageless knowing. Her name is Wild Woman, but she is an endangered species. Though the gifts of wildish nature come to us at birth, society’s attempt to ‘civilize’ us into rigid roles has plundered this treasure, and muffled deep, life-giving messages of our own souls.

Without Wild Woman, we become overdomesticated, fearful, uncreative, trapped.”In her now-classic book that spent 144 weeks on the New York Times hardcover bestseller list, and is translated into 35 languages, Clarissa Pinkola Ests, Ph.D., shows how woman’s vitality can be restored through what she calls “psychic archaeological digs” into the ruins of the female unconscious.

Dr. Ests uses her families’ ethnic tales, washed and rinsed in the blood of wars and survival, multicultural myths, her own lyric writing of those fairy tales, folk tales, and stories chosen from her life witness, and also research ongoing for twenty years that help women reconnect with the healthy, instinctual, visionary attributes of the Wild Woman archetype.


5. The Power of Myth

Author: by Joseph Campbell
Anchor (June 1, 1991)
English
293 pages

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The national bestseller, now available in a non-illustrated, standard format paperback edition The Power of Myth launched an extraordinary resurgence of interest in Joseph Campbell and his work. A preeminent scholar, writer, and teacher, he has had a profound influence on millions of people-including Star Wars creator George Lucas.

To Campbell, mythology was the song of the universe, the music of the spheres. With Bill Moyers, one of America’s most prominent journalists, as his thoughtful and engaging interviewer, The Power of Myth touches on subjects from modern marriage to virgin births, from Jesus to John Lennon, offering a brilliant combination of intelligence and wit.

This extraordinary book reveals how the themes and symbols of ancient narratives continue to bring meaning to birth, death, love, and war. From stories of the gods and goddesses of ancient Greece and Rome to traditions of Buddhism, Hinduism and Christianity, a broad array of themes are considered that together identify the universality of human experience across time and culture.


6. The Book of Yokai: Mysterious Creatures of Japanese Folklore

Author: by Michael Dylan Foster
English
336 pages
0520271025

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A lively excursion into Japanese folklore and its ever-expanding influence on global popular culture through the concept of yokai. Monsters, ghosts, fantastic beings, and supernatural phenomena of all sorts haunt the folklore and popular culture of Japan. Broadly labeled yokai, these creatures come in infinite shapes and sizes, from tengu mountain goblins and kappa water spirits to shape-shifting foxes and long-tongued ceiling-lickers.

Currently popular in anime, manga, film, and computer games, many yokai originated in local legends, folktales, and regional ghost stories. Drawing on years of research in Japan, Michael Dylan Foster unpacks the history and cultural context of yokai, tracing their roots, interpreting their meanings, and introducing people who have hunted them through the ages.

In this delightful and accessible narrative, readers will explore the roles played by these mysterious beings within Japanese culture and will also learn of their abundance and variety through detailed entries, some with original illustrations, on more than fifty individual creatures.


7. Alice in Wonderland: The Original 1865 Edition With Complete Illustrations By Sir John Tenniel (A Classic Novel of Lewis Carroll)

Author: by Lewis Carroll
B0948LPG76
English
101 pages

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And what is the use of a book,” thought Alice, “without pictures or conversation? Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in WonderlandThis Beautiful edition contains complete original black and white illustrations by Sir John Tenniel. Alice in Wonderland is an 1865 novel by English author Lewis Carroll.

It tells of a young girl named Alice, who falls through a rabbit hole into a subterranean fantasy world populated by peculiar, anthropomorphic creatures. It is considered to be one of the best examples of the literary nonsense genre. The tale plays with logic, giving the story lasting popularity with adults as well as with children.

One of the best-known and most popular works of English-language fiction, its narrative, structure, characters and imagery have been enormously influential in popular culture and literature, especially in the fantasy genre. The work has never been out of print and has been translated into at least 97 languages.

Its ongoing legacy encompasses many adaptations for stage, screen, radio, art, ballet, theme parks, board games and video games. A True Classic that Belongs on Every Bookshelf!


8. Troy: The Greek Myths Reimagined

Author: by Stephen Fry

11 hours and 1 minute

Stephen Fry

June 22, 2021

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In this brilliant conclusion to his best-selling Mythos trilogy, legendary author and actor Stephen Fry retells the tale of the Trojan War. Full of tragic heroes, intoxicating love stories, and the unstoppable force of fate, there is no conflict more iconic than the Trojan War.

Troy is the story of the epic battle retold by Fry with drama, humor, and vivid emotion. Achilles, Hector, Odysseus, Helen, their lovers, and their mortal enemies all burn bright in Fry’s compelling prose. This volume invites you to explore a captivating world with a brilliant storyteller as your guide.

Beloved author: Stephen Fry is an icon whose signature wit and mellifluous style makes this retelling utterly unique. Fans will love hearing his interpretation, whether they are familiar with the original Greek myths or not. Timeless Stories: For fans of Neil Gaiman’s Norse Mythology, Madeline Miller’s Circe or Song of Achilles, or Pat Barker’s The Silence of the Girls, this is the perfect next great book.


9. Beneath the Moon: Fairy Tales, Myths, and Divine Stories from Around the World

Author: by Yoshi Yoshitani
Ten Speed Press
English
176 pages

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Powerful and universal retellings of seventy-eight divine stories, legends, and myths from around the world, each accompanied by a gorgeous illustration from acclaimed artist Yoshi Yoshitani. Many of the lessons we learn are shared stories passed among cultures and generations.

In this riveting collection of fables and folktales from cultures across the globe, characters from beloved fairytales, cultural fables, ancient mythologies, and inspirational deities are brought to life, including Sleeping Beauty (Italy), Rapunzel (Germany), Jack and the Beanstalk (England), Our Lady of Guadalupe (Mexico), Sun God Ra (Egypt), the Crane Wife (Japan), and dozens more.

Lesser-known stories introduce characters such as the volcano goddess Pele from Hawaii; Mwindo, the wise and powerful king of the Nyanga people; and the strong and resilient Yennenga, mother of the Mossi people in Burkina Faso. The recurring themes of conquering evil, overcoming adversity, and finding love and companionship are woven throughout this collection.

10. Aphrodite Made Me Do It

Author: by Trista Mateer
Central Avenue Publishing
English
192 pages

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Voted one of the best poetry collections of 2019 by readers on Goodreads! Bestselling and Goodreads Choice Award winning poet Trista Mateer takes a magical approach to self-care with her new collection, Aphrodite Made Me Do It. In this empowering and feminist retelling, Mateer transforms the mythology of the goddess into 224 pages of modern poetry and full-color artwork.

Broken into sections alternating between the perspective of The Poet and Aphrodite herself, the work within tackles the timeless topic of love-romantic, platonic, and self-love.”In Troy they fought over Helen like children but Achilles mourned Patroclus the way a soul mourns a body.”The collection addresses issues like heartbreak, sexuality, womanhood, trauma, and the restorative power in taking control of your own lore, speaking your truths, and rewriting your origin story.

“If you were only made to be beautiful, we wouldn’t have put you down here in the dirt.”Similar to the witch doesn’t burn in this one by amanda lovelace and You’ll Come Back to Yourself by Michaela Angemeer, this collection of short powerful poems from Instagram and TikTok poet Trista Mateer will have you believing in the possibility of your own healing.

11. The Road to Wigan Pier

Author: by George Orwell
0156767503
English
256 pages

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In the 1930s Orwell was sent by a socialist book club to investigate the appalling mass unemployment in the industrial north of England. He went beyond his assignment to investigate the employed as well-to see the most typical section of the English working class.

Foreword by Victor Gollancz.

12. The Hermetica: The Lost Wisdom of the Pharaohs

Author: by Timothy Freke
TarcherPerigee
English
145 pages

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The first easily accessible translation of the esoteric writings that inspired some of the world’s greatest artists, scientists, and philosophers. Here is an essential digest of the Greco-Egyptian writings attributed to the legendary sage-god Hermes Trismegistus (Greek for thrice-greatest Hermes), a combination of the Egyptian Thoth and the Greek Hermes.

The figure of Hermes was venerated as a great and mythical teacher in the ancient world and was rediscovered by the finest minds of the Renaissance. The writings attributed to his hand are a time capsule of Egyptian and Greek esoteric philosophy and have influenced figures including Blake, Newton, Milton, Shelley, Shakespeare, Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, and Jung.

Providing a fascinating introduction to the intersection of the Egyptian and Hellenic cultures and the magico-religious ideas of the antique world, The Hermetica is a marvelous volume for anyone interested in understanding the West’s roots in mystical thought.

13. The Modern Myths: Adventures in the Machinery of the Popular Imagination

Author: by Philip Ball
English
368 pages
022671926X

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“Impressive….Rich in cultural history and imagination…. To Ball, mythic writing is where the conditions of irrationality, superstition, and enchantment persist: forms of wonder that depend on the disconnect between what we know for sure and what we simply believe.

New York Times Book Review Myths are usually seen as stories from the depths of timefun and fantastical, but no longer believed by anyone. Yet, as Philip Ball shows, we are still writing themand still living themtoday. From Robinson Crusoe and Frankenstein to Batman, many stories written in the past few centuries are commonly, perhaps glibly, called modern myths.

But Ball argues that we should take that idea seriously. Our stories of Dracula, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Sherlock Holmes are doing the kind of cultural work that the ancient myths once did. Through the medium of narratives that all of us know in their basic outline and which have no clear moral or resolution, these modern myths explore some of our deepest fears, dreams, and anxieties.

14. Great Goddesses: Life Lessons From Myths and Monsters

Author: by Nikita Gill
G.P. Putnam's Sons
English
256 pages

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Bestselling poet, writer, and Instagram sensation Nikita Gill returns with a collection of poetry and prose retelling the legends of the Goddesses, both great and small, in their own words. With lyrical prose and striking verse, beloved poet Nikita Gill (Fierce Fairytales, Wild Embers) uses the history of Ancient Greece and beyond to explore and share the stories of the mothers, warriors, creators, survivors, and destroyers who shook the world.

In pieces that burn with empathy and admiration for these women, Gill unearths the power and glory of the very foundations of mythology and culture that have been too-often ignored or pushed aside. Complete with beautiful hand-drawn illustrations, Gill’s poetry and stories weave old and forgotten tales of might and love into an empowering collection for the modern woman.

15. The Classic Fairy Tales (Norton Critical Editions)

Author: by Maria Tatar
0393602974
English
544 pages

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“This is a superb anthology of fairy tales and criticism that is perfect for classroom use. It provides an excellent selection of primary and secondary texts, organized to permit a wide variety of approaches to teaching the fairy tale. Tatar’s introductions to each section are balanced, up-to-date, and provocative.”-Donald Haase, Wayne State University”Wonderful, comprehensive book!” Hope L.

Russell, SUNY Buffalo”I have used this textbook for four courses on children’s literature with enrollments of over ninety students. It is without doubt the most well organized selection of literary fairy tales and critical commentaries currently available. Students love it.” Lita Barrie, California State University, Los Angeles This Norton Critical Edition includes: Seven different tale types: “Little Red Riding Hood,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Snow White,” “Sleeping Beauty,” “Cinderella,” “Bluebeard,” and “Tricksters.” These groupings include multicultural versions, literary rescriptings, and introductions and annotations by Maria Tatar.

16. Fingerprints of the Gods: The Quest Continues

Author: by Graham Hancock

18 hours and 31 minutes

Graham Hancock

Ready

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Fingerprints of the Gods is the revolutionary rewrite of history that has persuaded millions of listeners throughout the world to change their preconceptions about the history behind modern society. An intellectual detective story, this unique history audiobook directs probing questions at orthodox history, presenting disturbing new evidence that historians have tried – but failed – to explain.