Reviews

Actual rating: 1.43 stars averaged.

I think we have to call it here, folks. Fairytales just aren’t for me. This is my second, possibly my third, set of fairytales I’ve read as an adult and I don’t like them. I think I rated this collection very slightly lower than the collection of Grimm’s Fairytales I read about a year and a half ago. But given the sheer volume of Grimm’s Fairytales I’m not surprised. This was only 15 stories that were published in 1845. Or at least that’s the earliest date I can find for them. I had heard someone say that the East of the Sun, West of the Moon fairytale was inspiration for the original Beauty and the Beast at someone point which I don't think is right. Feel free to correct me. From what I’ve seen, the East of the Sun, West of the Moon story came out in 1845 while the original Beauty and the Beast Story came out in 1740. But that’s all GoodReads and Wikipedia research so let me know if you know differently. All that to say that me hearing that comment is what led to me reading these stories. I like Beauty and the Beast and I found a gorgeous Minalima edition at the New York Public Library so why not read the story and then Beauty and the Beast?

Turns out, this is why. I found the stories were either way too short or way too long. I struggled to get through the longer ones. The shorter ones felt like a waste of time. My favorite story was in fact East of the Sun, West of the Moon which I rated 3 stars. My most popular (and lowest rating) was 1 star. I’m excited to read the Minalima edition of Beauty and the Beast, but otherwise I’m staying far away from anything that could possibly be called a fairytale.

thedrearfort's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

using this to review the actual folktale itself, which is one of my all time favorites

theswordandthesea's review against another edition

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3.0

I’d love to give this collection more stars but the stories are repetitive and the translations pretty strange. Interesting reads but three stars. The illustrations, however, are easily worth five stars. They are beautiful and Kay Nielsen is a master. This book is worth checking out for the illustrations alone (as well as the glimpse into Nordic fairy tales).

eshink117's review against another edition

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3.0

"The real showcase of the book is Nielsen’s art, which gives an ethereal quality to the thin characters. They bend and wind, just like the world around them, in a way that seems both natural and fantastic. I happened upon this book in a local bookstore and knew that I needed to get it. The tales are short and entertaining, though the repetition does wear on a bit when reading stories back to back, but it was overall a great purchase and one that I am glad to add to my little collection of mythology and folklore." - https://thepastduereview.com/2018/08/22/east-of-sun-west-of-moon-review/

gigantor's review against another edition

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fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Tricky to rate - my enjoyment was definitely increased by being closer to the original stories & language and having heard variations of several of them as a kid, but I wouldn't recommend this in its entirety to anyone who lacks those bits.

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