Jacqueline SimpsonIcelandic Folktales and Legends (Revealing History (Paperback))

Quick, easy read. I'm a history major who has recently been very into Icelandic Norse history and this is a lovely diversion from heavier history volumes. All of the stories are no longer than a couple pages so there are lots of good stopping points. It reminded me a lot of the Poetic Edda in terms of style and composition. The chapters are divided into type of subject (such as Mermaids, Elves, or Black Magic) which makes for an interesting progression. Simpson said she pulled a lot of these stories from earlier anthologies but her writing while being concise and easy to read, really maintains the flavor, cadence, and spirit of myths and folktales of the period.

This is a book I do not tire of reading. Every winter or so I'll pick it up and read it. These are the types of stories that have spanned generations, unlike this weeks blockbuster hit in the theater. This book tells about the Hidden People, Trolls, Ghosts, and Black Magic. It is a very interesting topic to read about especially if you like to read folklore from other regions of Europe.The translation in this book is excellent. The stories are not particularly long which makes it a convenient read if you do not have a lot of time to devote to reading, and don't mind carrying a book. Good for reading in transit or before bed. Five star.

This is a collection largely of material collected by Jon Arnason in the 19th century. The book focuses on four a few basic areas of folk stories generally believed to be true. These involve elves, trolls, ghosts, black magic, water spirits, and the like.The translations are crisp and clear, and there is a general sense of the folk tale that comes across in Ms Simpson's masterful translation. Each story is further cited as to its origin, and sometimes additional notes are provided for comparative purposes. These notes are often quite helpful for more advanced students, and they are well enough marked that those who are not interested in this level of detail can ignore them.For advanced students of Scandinavian studies, and the like, this work makes it possible to construct a more holistic worldview in which to place the Sagas, magical traditions, etc. For those who are not, the stories stand well on their own. Highly recommended.

This is a great book and an easy read. The concept of elves is so different than the fantasy Hollywood version. And I was surprised to learn how complicated Trolls are.

The stories are interesting. Helped to understand in depth the beliefs and stories I heard during my visit in Iceland.

My daughter loved it. Very good for literature students that want to learn Icelandic language, nice quality. Good to know another culture

I love this book, having read the icelandic version this is very well translated and I enjoyed the stories just as much as the original ones written in icelandic. Definitely recommended.

Christmas present. Well received.

Exactly what I was looking for. Simple but awesome stories.Never having been to Iceland, and really having no way to hear these stories, this book does an awesome job. I’ve learned a lot about the legends of Iceland. (Like ghosts repeating things when their intentions are evil)Also love the small excerpts that explain where the stories originated.

The book is delightful, but there is a problem with the broché edition. The Icelandic letter "ð" is transcribed as ">", a greater-than sign or angle bracket. very odd. It doesn't matter, though in the stories where the author replaces it by an English "d" anyway.

Sehr unterhaltsame Erzählungen. EInige sind echt verrückt aber absolut lesenswert.