East of the Sun and West of the Moon - Old Tales From the North #219724

East of the Sun and West of the Moon is a charming fairy tale collection brought together by the Scandinavian Brothers Grimm, Asbjornsen and Moe. The deep love of the authors for folklore and fairy stories, particularly as a part of the formation of culture, flows through the book. <br>Asbjornsen in his own words described fairy tales as ‘The romances of the childhood of Nations, they are the never-failing springs of sentiment, of sensation, of heroic example from which primeval peoples drank their fill at will’. <br>For an English language audience, this book is particularly precious, as it presents not only captivating stories that remind us of those we know, but entirely different slants on the social roles, customs and supernatural belief. <br>In these pages a young girl from a poor family journeys to save a beautiful young prince from a marriage to a troll. A troll plotting against a dashing young boy is bravely opposed and lions come to the rescue. There are even hybrid tales from the Christian era of Scandinavia. <br>Like any authentic fairy tale compendium from the past there are darker moments, but in true folklore style these are situated within a scheme of characters receiving their just desserts. <br>Not to be missed are the gorgeous illustrations by Kay Nielsen which would be worthy of attention alone and give the stories such rich background. <br>This book is recommended for parents wishing to give an authentic sense of folklore or anyone with the smallest soft spot for a fairy tale.