Discovered this book by Haining while preparing a blogpost
about scarecrows and had to have it. Here the great scavenger brings together a
marvelous collection of scarecrows in history, literature, poetry, movies,
cartoons and on farms, looking at scarecrow lore and its place in the modern
world, including scarecrow building competitions in rural areas and its use as
a metaphor. A great little book, just right for my tastes.
Ranking: Essential.
File Code: Folklore. Literature. Hardback.
The History of the Snowman, by Bob Eckstein.
A light-hearted look at snowmen (and not the Abominable one),
abounding with illustrations from Christmas cards, cartoons, advertisements,
and even a 13th Century illumination. Tracks down references to whatever
figures were built of snow, from Renaissance sculptors’ efforts to Frosty the
Snowman. Thankfully, this book was written before “Frozen”.
Ranking: Keeper.
File Code: Folklore. Humor. Hardback.
Secret Gardens: The Golden Age of Children’s Literature, by
Humphrey Carpenter.
“From ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’ to
‘Winnie-the-Pooh’”, Carpenter explores the ‘secret gardens’ of literature where
childhood could hide and, like Peter Pan, never grow up. I read this book first
in college, and it not only provided insights into books I was quite familiar
with but also provided an introduction, a way in, to books I had passed by
before with a cold shoulder. Includes a look at the post-WWII era of children’s
books where the focus of stories turned from creating timeless magic circles to
transitioning, via adventures in enchanted lands, into maturity, to help young
readers to grow up, in effect to ‘give up magic’. Carpenter has an amazing talent
in analyzing a theme, in picking out echoes from book to book, and examining
the quite grown-up concerns that led these authors to create these children’s
classics.
Ranking: Essential.
File Code: Children’s Literature. Criticism. Softcover.
Curious Myths of the Middle Ages, by Sabine Baring-Gould.
A Dover book. “One of the most brilliant, eclectic thinkers
in Victorian England, the Reverend Sabine Baring-Gould (1834–1924) was
intrigued by the grotesque and often savage history of the Middle Ages. The
noted author and folklorist’s fascination with the period resulted in this
absorbing compilation of vintage tales surrounding such figures as William Tell
and the Man in the Moon. Twenty-four legendary figures — among others, Saint
Patrick, the Pied Piper, knights of the Holy Grail, and St. George — are
rejuvenated in this collection for a new audience. In addition to outlines of
the myths, the author provides an objective analysis of their origins,
relevance, and the extent of their basis in fact. Fascinating sources include
Christian adaptations of prehistoric legends, misinterpretations of actual
events, and outright fabrications. Accompanying illustrations provide a visual
appreciation for these timeless classics. A marvelous introduction to age-old
stories, this oft-cited work will be of value and interest to students,
scholars, and other readers.” – Amazon.
Ranking: Essential.
File Code: Myths. Folklore. Softcover.
Phantasmagoria: Spirit Visions, Metaphors and Media into the
Twenty-First Century, by Marina Warner.
“With over thirty illustrations in color and black and
white, Phantasmagoria takes readers on an intellectually
exhilarating tour of ideas of spirit and soul in the modern world, illuminating
key questions of imagination and cognition. Warner tells the unexpected and
often disturbing story about shifts in thought about consciousness and the
individual person, from the first public waxworks portraits at the end of the eighteenth
century to stories of hauntings, possession, and loss of self in modern times.
She probes the perceived distinctions between fantasy and deception and
uncovers a host of spirit forms--angels, ghosts, fairies, revenants, and
zombies--that are still actively present in contemporary culture.” – Amazon.
Ranking: Keeper.
File Code: Cultural History. Softcover.
The Book of Imaginary Beings, by Jorge Luis Borges.
Illustrated by Peter Sis and Translated by Andrew Hurley.
“This volume blends twenty illustrations by Peter Sís with
Jorge Luis Borges's 1957 compilation of 116 "strange creatures conceived
through time and space by the human imagination," from dragons and
centaurs to Lewis Carroll's Cheshire Cat and the Morlocks of H. G.
Wells's The Time Machine. A lavish feast of exotica brought vividly
to life with art commissioned specifically for this volume, The Book of
Imaginary Beings will delight readers of classic fantasy as well as
Borges's many admirers.” – Amazon.
Ranking: Keeper.
File Code: Fantasy. Reference. Hardback.
