Wednesday, March 16, 2011

The Folktale Cat (Frank de Caro, editor)

The Folktale Cat
Frank de Caro, editor
Barnes & Noble Books
Nonfiction, Cats/Folklore
*** (Okay)

DESCRIPTION: Since the earliest tales were told, cats have featured in many popular stories from around the world in a variety of roles. The editor compiles several tales, from fanciful fairy tales of transformed princesses to dark legends of demon cats.

REVIEW: A discounted wonder, I read it mostly as research for a story I'm trying to finish. The tales included are similar to those in other cat folklore anthologies, with only a few new-to-me tales. The afterword's brief annotations on the stories offered little in the way of spectacular insights, though the editor does at least credit where each tale came from (at least, the version included; almost every one has numerous variants.) It was reasonably adequate, from both a reader-interest standpoint and a research standpoint, but I was hoping for a little better.

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