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The Blue Fairy Book [with Biographical Introduction] Kindle Edition

4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 1,360 ratings

"The Blue Fairy Book" is Andrew Lang's classic selection of popular fairy tales. Contained in this work you will find the following tales: The Bronze Ring, Prince Hyacinth and the Dear Little Princess, East of the Sun and West of the Moon, The Yellow Dwarf, Little Red Riding-Hood, The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood, Cinderella; or, the Little Glass Slipper, Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp, The Tale of a Youth Who Set Out to Learn What Fear Was, Rumpelstiltzkin, Beauty and the Beast, The Master-Maid, Why the Sea is Salt, The Master Cat; or, Puss in Boots, Felicia and the Pot of Pinks, The White Cat, The Water-Lily. The Gold-Spinners, The Terrible Head, The Story of Pretty Goldilocks, The History of Whittington, The Wonderful Sheep, Little Thumb, The Forty Thieves, Hansel and Grettel, Snow-White and Rose-Red, The Goose-Girl, Toads and Diamonds, Prince Darling, Blue Beard, Trusty John, The Brave Little Tailor, A Voyage to Lilliput, The Princess on the Glass Hill, The Story of Prince Ahmed and the Fairy Paribanou, The History of Jack the Giant-Killer, The Black Bull of Norroway, and The Red Etin. About the Author Andrew Lang was one of the most famous literary critics around 1900. He also edited a series of children's fable books that preserved and illustrated a host of tales which are still used extensively today. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B000FC1DTK
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Digireads.com (March 31, 2004)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 31, 2004
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 870 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 200 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 153001493X
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 1,360 ratings

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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
1,360 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the stories engaging and entertaining, with a humorous edge. They find the book worth the price and consider it a great download. However, opinions differ on the illustrations, language, and print size. Some find the illustrations beautiful and woodcuts great, while others say they're not the best. The text is described as rich and easy to read, while others find it hard to read or poorly written. There are mixed opinions on the age range, with some finding them suitable for adults and children, while others mention that the books are too young for their tastes.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

119 customers mention "Story quality"105 positive14 negative

Customers enjoy the book's stories. They find them captivating and fun, both for adults and children. The book includes all the stories and illustrations, making it interesting to read in this way. Readers also mention that the storyteller is talented and the stories are intricate.

"...you start with the blue book, because it has most of the best known stories, for example, Aladdin, Sleeping Beauty, Little Red Riding Hood,..." Read more

"...She's thrilled it has pictures, I'm thrilled with the variety of stories provided...." Read more

"...These are rich stories collected from the world over and recorded before the concerns about political correctness watered down the morals and..." Read more

"...of the writing is pour and hard to read but a majority of the book is written well. Yes; there is some racist themes in the book...." Read more

11 customers mention "Entertainment value"8 positive3 negative

Customers enjoy the book's entertainment value. They find the stories humorous and engaging, with a dark humor edge. The language is complex and immersive, making it great for bedtime reading.

"...& I love this book, but more because they are older and it is for satirical & dark comedy reasons...." Read more

"...included are wonderful, the language is complex, immersive, and engaging. This collection includes the original images as well...." Read more

"...It's extremely boring walls of text, and I anticipate it will be tiring to the eyes...." Read more

"The Blue Fairy Book is a wonderful, ridiculous, amazing collection of fairy tales, a classic of its kind and totally deserving of five stars...." Read more

11 customers mention "Value for money"11 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's value for money. They find it worth the price, say it's worth owning, and appreciate that it's free.

"...- our three year old is learning to sit through them - but it is totally worth it. Our seven and four year olds just LOVE these stories...." Read more

"...It was fun reading new things for a change.You'll like that it's for free and because we all don't like paying bills right?And because it's free you..." Read more

"...Worth the price for sure!" Read more

"...The story detail is fantastic. This is worth the download! Awesome book!" Read more

27 customers mention "Illustrations"18 positive9 negative

Customers have different views on the illustrations in the book. Some appreciate the beautiful woodcuts and colorful images included. Others find the pictures black and white, somewhat detailed, or lacking.

"...She's thrilled it has pictures, I'm thrilled with the variety of stories provided...." Read more

"...But it’s ugly, a huge book, the text is ugly and extra large and there are zero pictures. No table of contents, not even any page numbers...." Read more

"...This collection includes the original images as well...." Read more

"...This paperback book arrived quickly and all the illustrations are so beautifully detailed. Most importantly, all the stories are included!..." Read more

21 customers mention "Language"8 positive13 negative

Customers have different views on the book's language. Some find it easy to read and enjoyable, with a good size for kids. Others find the text small and hard to understand, making it difficult for young children to follow and understand. The language may be difficult for them to read aloud.

"...Some of the writing is pour and hard to read but a majority of the book is written well. Yes; there is some racist themes in the book...." Read more

"...(very detailed and look like woodcuts)..." Read more

"...But it’s ugly, a huge book, the text is ugly and extra large and there are zero pictures. No table of contents, not even any page numbers...." Read more

"...But this book is misleading. No where does it say that it is a "selection" of tales...." Read more

14 customers mention "Print size"6 positive8 negative

Customers have different views on the print size. Some find it delightful with fun old-fashioned fonts and woodcut illustrations, reminiscent of Old World evenings in front of the fireplace. Others mention the text is too small or large, making the book difficult to read in one sitting.

"...But it’s ugly, a huge book, the text is ugly and extra large and there are zero pictures. No table of contents, not even any page numbers...." Read more

"...I highly recommend the Dover edition which has pictures and good size print. These pictures are black and white drawings...." Read more

"...With all that aside, this is a large book and better to be read in spurts rather than all at once, as well as being only the first volume of tales..." Read more

"...works of darker, maturer tone, to exotic tapestries that portray unfamiliar cultures, exotic places, and fascinating persons...." Read more

10 customers mention "Ages"6 positive4 negative

Customers have different views on the book's ages. Some find it suitable for adults and children, while others say it's not suitable for young children.

"...bits here & there jump out of nowhere & it offers a good discussion point for older children, but it could plant seeds of rotten fruit into younger..." Read more

"...But seriously, these books are captivating, both for adults and children, and I'd recommend them to anyone." Read more

"not appropriate for children..." Read more

"These are fairy tales but geared toward adults. I enjoyed most of them and have some of the other Fairy books to read also...." Read more

7 customers mention "Color"4 positive3 negative

Customers have different views on the color of the fairy tale books. Some find them colorful with exotic tapestries, while others find the illustrations black and white. The book comes in a plain blue hardback that doesn't render the 8 plates in color.

"...youngest children, to subtler works of darker, maturer tone, to exotic tapestries that portray unfamiliar cultures, exotic places, and fascinating..." Read more

"...to me, a minor one, is that this particular printing does not render the 8 plates in color but in (very clear) black and white...." Read more

"The whole series of colorfully titled Fairy Books is entertaining and reminiscent of Old World evenings in front of the fireplace with someone who..." Read more

"...Pictures aren't the best as they are black and white, somewhat detailed, and in older fashion, but we enjoyed them all the same...." Read more

It gets the job done, but not the nicest version
3 out of 5 stars
It gets the job done, but not the nicest version
The content of the book is what I expected, but it wasn't until I bought this book that I realized not all printing styles are equal. It's extremely boring walls of text, and I anticipate it will be tiring to the eyes. Look for a nicer version elsewhere, but this will get the job done.Edited to add: this version has no page numbers, and there is no table of contents. So you'll just be flipping through the book to find whichever story you're looking for. Very annoying.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on April 22, 2009
    If you are new to Lang, it started in 1889 with the blue fairy book, and then a series developed, yellow, crimson, orange, red, and so forth.

    The fact that this series has endured to now is a testament to its quality.

    As you read, you will discover fairy tales and myths from all over the world, including the well known writers such as Grimm, Andersen, Perrault, and Mme D'Aulnoy.

    These are not the politically correct stories you might expect, and I believe you will find them useful whether it's for your own reading pleasure, of for passing on stories to children.

    In fact, if you look beyond the surface of the story, there is a cautionary aspect for children who might get lost, and the evil characters they might meet like the wolf in sheep's clothing, or the boy who cried wolf, or the nice person who offers a gift, but is really a wicked queen in disguise.

    There may be a young prince who helps a hairy man escape, and the king embarrassed and enraged orders the child to be killed. Naturally the woodsman slaughters an animal instead, and returns those to the king instead as evidence of performance of the deed.

    There are stories of boys becoming men, being tested by the princess, and doing great deeds to prove their worth. Some characters are wicked and evil, and so the protagonist has to develop resources of their own to defeat the deceit, trickery, jealousy, ambition, and wickedness of the people they encounter.

    I recommend you start with the blue book, because it has most of the best known stories, for example, Aladdin, Sleeping Beauty, Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Bluebeard, Puss in Boots. You can check the contents of each book at mythfolklore, and even read the stories online.

    If you are buying Lang, you need to know which publisher, because there are many editions through different publishers, some are good with nice print and pictures, others have small print and no pictures.

    I highly recommend the Dover edition which has pictures and good size print. These pictures are black and white drawings. The Boomer books edition has good size print. If you want a durable hardcover library style book with a red string bookmark, I recommend the D N Goodchild books. Avoid the compilation book, and buy them individually.

    One of my favorite stories not in this edition is The wooing of Olwen. It's unusually cruel and bloodthirsty from Wales and King Arthur's court.

    I know you will enjoy these wonderful stories, and I hope this review was helpful.
    503 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on September 5, 2024
    Bought this as recommended additional reading for 4th grader who needs more to read outside of class. She's thrilled it has pictures, I'm thrilled with the variety of stories provided. Seems to be a good printing, will hopefully enjoy from cover to cover.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on July 16, 2015
    My kids & I love this book, but more because they are older and it is for satirical & dark comedy reasons. The stories are often non-nonsensical and have the strangest little rabbit trails in the stories. The author collected these from all different countries and had them transcribed to English in the late 1890s. He was an author & critic, but ironically is best known for these collections of tales he edited.
    Be warned that the absurdities aside, you should either edit out or discuss with your children the bigotry much more accepted in the 1890s. Little bits here & there jump out of nowhere & it offers a good discussion point for older children, but it could plant seeds of rotten fruit into younger minds.
    Here are some of the more absurd or unacceptable lessons gleaned from this book:
    1. Beautiful = Good & Ugly = Evil (unless the person was enchanted to look that way, then go by their original looks.)
    2. If a polar bear knocks at your door, answer it and if he asks, give him your youngest daughter for financial rewards
    3. Sometimes animals surprise characters by being able to talk... even surprising other talking animals.
    4. A dwarf (I.e. little person) always is evil & ugly
    5. Good can do anything ethically questionable as long as it is to a bad person (i.e. ugly or dwarf). In today's lingo it would be called "Beauty's privilege"
    6. A good prince will still be sad at the death of his mother even if she is an ogres your father married for money & after failing to cook up your wife (sleeping beauty) & 2 children, dies in a cauldron of poisonous reptiles & amphibians you just stopped her from throwing said wife & children along with the cook & his family into.
    7. You will be rewarded for shooting an eagle
    8. The safest place to store jewelry while sleeping is in your mouth, unless you snore (which means you're also ugly & bad)
    9. Get your own princess by chopping off a cat's head.
    10. Children are disposable. If you run short on money, abandon your children in the woods & make sure they can't find their way back. When they eventually do, they'll bring you tons of riches while you sat on your bum & did nothing.
    11. People can still overhear you even if you climb inside an oven to tell it your secrets.
    12. If someone tells you to avoid something like open a door or closet, be sure to do that exact thing. You'll end up beautiful, wealthy, & married to someone also beautiful.
    13. If you fail by trying the same approach two times and you only have one chance left, try exactly the same thing again.
    14. Even if an ogres insists on eating a human, just substitute a farm animal and she can't tell the difference.
    15. Every female protagonist worth a fairy tale must be "the most beautiful creature on the earth".
    16. Being black decreases your value as a person
    ... It's a little raw, but I could go on.
    Some favorite stories:
    "The Tale of a Youth Who Set Out to Find What Fear Was"
    "The Bronze Ring" <=self-edit black sailors being inferior to white
    "The White Cat"
    "The Wonderful Sheep" & "The Yellow Dwarf" just for their suddenly tragic endings
    "East of the Sun and West of the Moon" is best played for friends as it tragically repeats the same lines over & over again until you want to explode. Nothing makes you feel better than having other people suffer the same way.
    So why do I give it 4 of 5 stars?
    1. The stories often lack a coherent storyline or are the concatenation of several story-lines in a mash-up. It's an MST3K sort of thing.
    2. It is pretty black & white how absurd its biases are and therefore is easier to discuss with children that are old enough. It is tougher to discuss the way Disney & other children's media will display the same messages, but more subtly:
    - Focus on beauty & the distortion of it... particularly in women
    - Discounting intelligence in women or other races white males
    - The degrading of other cultures or peoples by playing up stereotypes or placing characters in subservient positions
    - The laziness of dealing with good & evil by killing off the antagonists
    - Rationalizing doing wrong: break your marriage vows & have your spouse tortured, maimed, & killed so you can marry the pretty one
    - Children know better than parents / parents are clueless fools
    3. The stories often surprised me with the cleverness or just the sudden turns the plot would take.
    4. Sudden "God in the machine" endings: hmmm, let's suddenly declare a character is an ogre or ogres to tie up loose ends (like disposing a spouse when you want to marry someone else)
    5. The round-about way people go about things and the effects because they don't actually communicate: the "Three's Company" debacles.
    6. I'm attracted to dark humor / satire... even more so if it wasn't intended.
    30 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on August 17, 2010
    ... it's not hardcover!

    I am seriously considering having this book custom bound - maybe after we purchase the others in the collection, we'll look for a bulk binding discount.

    This introduction to the (colorName) Fairy series is simply fantastic - in every sense of the word. The stories included are wonderful, the language is complex, immersive, and engaging. This collection includes the original images as well.

    These are rich stories collected from the world over and recorded before the concerns about political correctness watered down the morals and consequences for bad behavior. These stories enthrall our children and teach - in very memorable ways - that there is a price associated with the choices we make.

    The stories are a little long for VERY small children - our three year old is learning to sit through them - but it is totally worth it. Our seven and four year olds just LOVE these stories.

    I can give this collection the highest of recommendations and without hesitation recommend this to anyone who appreciates great storytelling.
    7 people found this helpful
    Report

Top reviews from other countries

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  • Anon
    5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful book
    Reviewed in Canada on June 8, 2024
    A gorgeous book, lovely illustrations and has everything I remember from my mom's copy. One thing I'm not keen on is my copy had a few pages that were cut folded, so they unfold out in a strange shape that sticks out from the other pages. I keep them folded. Looks great in the bookshelf or on a nightstand.
  • Kelviany Freitas
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fofíssimo
    Reviewed in Brazil on May 21, 2020
    Saiba que essa edição é uma daquelas pequenas da Barnes and Noble e não do tamanho tradicional. Eu não me atentei as dimensões descritas aqui na Amazon e acabei me decepcionando um pouco quando o livro chegou.

    O livro é excelente no que se refere à estética. Possui mais de 3 ilustrações para cada um das 29 fábulas e, em algumas, também oferece "plates" (ilustrações que ocupam uma página inteira).
    O tamanho da fonte é confortável e possui diversos detalhes estéticos impagáveis. Uma edição que dá orgulho de ter na estante.

    No que se refere as fábulas propriamente ditas, possuem escrita clara e simples, mas utiliza-se de uma vasta variedade quanto ao vocabulário. É um ótimo livro para quem está estudando inglês, uma vez que é muito útil (possui diversidade de palavras que não se vê em outros gêneros da literatura, principalmente quando se fala de objetos e situações da vida cotidiana).
    Customer image
    Kelviany Freitas
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fofíssimo
    Reviewed in Brazil on May 21, 2020
    Saiba que essa edição é uma daquelas pequenas da Barnes and Noble e não do tamanho tradicional. Eu não me atentei as dimensões descritas aqui na Amazon e acabei me decepcionando um pouco quando o livro chegou.

    O livro é excelente no que se refere à estética. Possui mais de 3 ilustrações para cada um das 29 fábulas e, em algumas, também oferece "plates" (ilustrações que ocupam uma página inteira).
    O tamanho da fonte é confortável e possui diversos detalhes estéticos impagáveis. Uma edição que dá orgulho de ter na estante.

    No que se refere as fábulas propriamente ditas, possuem escrita clara e simples, mas utiliza-se de uma vasta variedade quanto ao vocabulário. É um ótimo livro para quem está estudando inglês, uma vez que é muito útil (possui diversidade de palavras que não se vê em outros gêneros da literatura, principalmente quando se fala de objetos e situações da vida cotidiana).
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  • Cliente Amazon
    5.0 out of 5 stars Uno de los libros más bonitos que he comprado
    Reviewed in Spain on July 29, 2020
    He adquirido muchos libros a lo largo de mi vida, pero este se lleva el crédito de estar en el top de los diez primeros sin lugar a dudas. No lo compraría para ningún niño a menos que sepas que lo cuidaría como oro en paño, lo catalogo como un libro para coleccionistas y bibliófilos.
  • Lori the Bookworm
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
    Reviewed in Italy on June 30, 2020
    The BN collectible editions are superb. The details are amazing.
  • Dr. Ivan Rocha
    5.0 out of 5 stars Lovely mix of old tales!
    Reviewed in India on August 21, 2019
    Fantastic read. Well translated/abridged. Tales from Grimm/Arabian nights etc.

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