The Collected Works of Rudyard Kipling: Puck of Pook's Hill Rewards and Fairies

Book Description

1905. Two books in one. Kipling, English short-story writer, novelist and poet, who celebrated the heroism of British colonial soldiers in India and Burma, was the first Englishman to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1907. Puck of Pook's Hill is a loosely linked collection of stories featuring two children, Dan and Una, who meet Puck in a meadow near their home in Sussex. Puck then arranges for a series of historical people to come and tell them stories of important historical events. Rewards and Fairies presents eleven more stories told to Dan and Una by Puck's characters, some of which also appeared in the earlier stories. The two books also contain a number of poems that are associated with the themes of the stories. See other titles by this author available from Kessinger Publishing.

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The children were at the Theatre, acting to Three Cows as much as they could remember of Midsummer Night's Dream. Their father had made them a small play out of the big Shakespeare one, and they had rehearsed it with him and with their mother till they could say it by heart. They began when Nick Bottom the weaver comes out of the bushes with a donkey's head on his shoulders, and finds Titania, Queen of the Fairies, asleep.

Customer Reviews:

Read it anyway, but don't give it to the kids without a warning........2007-02-26

Most of this book is worth reading as fantasy fiction, and all of it is worth studying as an example of late Victorian attitudes. Kipling didn't handle the transitions between "fantasy" and "reality" as well as modern writers who specialize in this sort of thing, but he did pretty well. However ... every time I read this to enjoy the adventures of Dan and Una, I trip up on the character of the medieval Jew who has an inborn, racial "talent for gold." While I don't usually think books should be updated or abridged for modern readers, I would consider excising just a few sentences of this one before letting a child read it.

I recall the comments of a Chinese-American reader who discovered that the beloved Louisa May Alcott used some demeaning stereotypes of Chinese people: Suddenly, one is cast out of the category of "reader" into the category of "other," and one never quite comes back.

To be read over and over.......2006-06-16

It seems to be fashionable, in this politically correct time, to find fault with Rudyard Kipling. But Kipling was a great writer with big ideas and a big heart. He wrote "Puck of Pook's Hill" and "Rewards and Fairies" to share his love of his mother country with young readers. These books are a great introduction to English history. I find it hard to imagine a reader not falling in love with the land and people of this great country after reading "Puck of Pook's Hill". The curious reader will seek out more information on what happened during their favorite characters' times, possibly leading to a lifelong love of history and the inclination to explore the world through reading.

Not for the History Challenged.......2005-08-04

I will not recommend this book to people who are not familiar with English history. I found myself stopping in the middle to research the characters because you cannot truly appreciate the book otherwise. This took away from the book's appeal. Someone who doesn't have an idea of who the characters are and what role they played during the period will undoubtedly be completely lost, because you cannot really glean all this from the book alone. Otherwise the book was well written, as Kipling always is. It is, however not a book everyone would enjoy.

An Excellent Work of Children's Fantasy.......2000-10-28

As I am very interested in the historical and mythological nature of Puck (aka Robin Goodfellow), best known for his role as the mischief-making fairy in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, I found these works by Kipling to be invaluable. These two novels are not only an excellent presentation of Puck, but an insight to British history. While considered children's books, I would recommend them to any adult in search of light reading. Truly two wonderful works of literature.

Face to face with English gods, ghosts, trees and history.......2000-10-05

Kipling's prose has a very special quality - quintissentially English, proud and very robust.

I asked a scholar of English and a Buddhist meditation teacher to recommend a good book for me and she thought briefly before mentioning this.

The poems in it are sometimes dated - the one about queen and country but this is a warm and pleasant read containing many important and esoteric aspects that few care to appreciate.

Ideal to communicate something about being a whole human being and this earthy realm with some of its hidden and ancient forces.

"References," "cross-references," and notions of history in Kipling's Puck of Pook's Hill and Rewards and Fairies.(Rudyard Kipling): An article from: English Literature in Transition 1880-1920

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"References," "cross-references," and notions of history in Kipling's Puck of Pook's Hill and Rewards and Fairies.(Rudyard Kipling): An article from: English Literature in Transition 1880-1920
Lisa A.F. Lewis
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Book Description

This digital document is an article from English Literature in Transition 1880-1920, published by Thomson Gale on March 22, 2007. The length of the article is 7824 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: "References," "cross-references," and notions of history in Kipling's Puck of Pook's Hill and Rewards and Fairies.(Rudyard Kipling)
Author: Lisa A.F. Lewis
Publication: English Literature in Transition 1880-1920 (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 22, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 50 Issue: 2 Page: 192(18)

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Puck of Pook's Hill 1905-1906 Rewards and Fairies (Doubleday Page & Co.)

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Puck of Pook's Hill 1905-1906 Rewards and Fairies (Doubleday Page & Co.)
Rudyard Kipling
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Product Description

Many children's stories in one very old book.

Puck of Pook's Hill, 1905-1906 ; [and,] Rewards and fairies (The Mandalay edition of the works of Rudyard Kipling)

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Puck of Pook's Hill, 1905-1906 ; [and,] Rewards and fairies (The Mandalay edition of the works of Rudyard Kipling)
Rudyard Kipling
Manufacturer: Doubleday, Page
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Book Description

Six legends of Greek mythology, retold for children by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Included are The Gorgon’s Head, The Golden Touch, The Paradise of Children, The Three Golden Apples, The Miraculous Pitcher, and The Chimaera. In 1838, Hawthorne suggested to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow that they collaborate on a story for children based on the legend of the Pandora’s Box, but this never materialized. He wrote A Wonder Book between April and July 1851, adapting six legends most freely from Charles Anton’s A Classical Dictionary (1842). He set out deliberately to “modernize” the stories, freeing them from what he called “cold moonshine” and using a romantic, readable style that was criticized by adults but proved universally popular with children. With full-color illustrations throughout by Arthur Rackham.

Customer Reviews:

Even purged of their "heathern wickedness," these tales are a delight.......2005-09-11

In the spring of 1851 Hawthorne wrote to his publisher, James Fields (of the renowned Ticknor and Fields), proposing a children's book retelling six well-known stories from Greek mythology. He planned to adopt "a tone in some degree Gothic or romantic." In addition, he wanted to make the fables suitable for young Christian children: "of course, I shall purge all the old heathen wickedness, and put in a moral wherever practicable."

I am usually not a fan of sanitized tales--even when written by someone the status of Nathaniel Hawthorne. But, in spite of their overt preachiness and their occasional preciousness, there's something charming and original about these adaptations. Even adults might enjoy these six tales: Perseus's slaughter of Medusa, Midas and his golden touch, Pandora's box (stripped of Prometheus's role), the apples of the Hesperides (or Hercules's Eleventh Labor), Baucis and Philemon and the magic pitcher (which, in my opinion, is the best of the lot), and Bellerophon and Pegasus's battle with the monster Chimaera.

Threading these stories together is Eustace Bright, Hawthorne's college-age narrator, who relates his versions to a gaggle of local children (a couple of whom taunt him for his bumptiousness). Hawthorne uses this framing device to insert himself as his own critic. Overhearing one of the stories, the father of one of the children is not amused, finding Eustace's taste "altogether Gothic" and advising him "never more to meddle with a classical myth." To this critique, Eustace petulantly responds that "an old Greek had no more right to them, than a modern Yankee has," and he accuses classical writers of forming these tales "into shapes of indestructible beauty, indeed, but cold and heartless." If anything, Hawthorne has certainly brought warmth to these old stories.

Still, the reading level might be a tall order for many children under 8 (although an adult can adapt them for reading out loud). Hawthorne sprinkles his prose with salutatory references to his real-life neighbors in the Berkshires (there's even a line about Melville writing "Moby Dick") and with puns and quips that have lost their context. And he gets carried away with his descriptions of the countryside. Hawthorne's evocative passages will surely strike modern readers as hopelessly old-fashioned, although the author realized that he was trying the patience of children even from his own day. After three florid and nearly insufferable paragraphs describing a meadow, for example, Hawthorne apologetically interrupts himself that "we must not waste our valuable pages with any more talk about the spring-time and the wild flowers. There is something, we hope, more interesting to be talked about."

What's more interesting, of course, are the stories of Greek gods and monsters and flying horses. Fortunately for readers young and old, Hawthorne mostly stays away from the scenery and sticks to the legends.

Excellent retellings of Greek myths.......2002-04-24

Once upon a time (I was about 8), a family friend handed down his Collier's Junior Classic series to me - each volume is a glorious hodgepodge of short stories from here, there, and everywhere. I got to be very fond of Greek mythology, especially "The Chimaera" and "The Miraculous Pitcher", since the Collier retellings of their respective legends were much more lively than the ordinary.

Alas, I forgot the name of the author of "The Chimaera", and even that my favourite versions of the myths were all written by the same person. Some talented guy writing for the series, no doubt, I would have said, if I'd thought about it. A couple of years ago, I started browsing through an impressive-looking illustrated volume of mythology in a bookstore (which you now see before you). Whoa. "Scarlet Letter" Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote *THESE*?

His retellings of Greek myths were originally spread over 2 volumes (the other being _Tanglewood Tales_), but they can be obtained in a single volume these days. I can personally do without the gang of Tanglewood kids providing the official audience for the stories-within-a-story, or the defense against critics put into the mouth of the storyteller Eustace Bright, but then I want more space for more myths. :) Each myth in _A Wonder Book_ has an Introductory and After the Story section where the storyteller leads up to the tale, then fends off any awkward questions from his young audience.

"The Gorgon's Head" - The story of Perseus, from his infancy through the quest for Medusa's head. Hawthorne skates delicately past the question of who put Perseus and his mother, Danae, in a chest and abandoned them on the sea, let alone why (toned down for kids, and all that), and of course doesn't go into detail about what mischief Polydectes might intend if Perseus can be got out of the way.

Hawthorne is otherwise thorough about details: he even includes the Three Gray Women, who share the use of a single eye, who had to be persuaded to reveal the location of the monsters whose gaze turns living creatures to stone.

"The Golden Touch" - The Midas legend, of how a king, blinded by a love of gold, foolishly asked Apollo that he be given the gift of turning things into gold with a touch. Be careful what you ask for...

"The Paradise of Children" - The story of Pandora's box. Hawthorne's version, much as I like his other mythological tales, has been prettified a little too much: everyone in the world was a child who never grew up, before the box arrived.

"The Three Golden Apples" - The 11th labour of Hercules, wherein the king sent him to fetch the apples of the Hesperides. The tale begins with Hercules meeting a band of nymphs, who hear his account (only briefly summarized, alas) of his preceding labours before directing him to the one person who can direct him to the garden: the Old Man of the Sea...

"The Miraculous Pitcher" - Philemon and his wife Bauchis have grown old together - the only kindly folk living for a good way around a prosperous village, whose inhabitants delight in tormenting vagabonds (although they'll fawn on wealthy-looking strangers). Then one day a ragged youth called Quicksilver and a taciturn man with an appearance of great wisdom are driven out of the village...

"The Chimaera" - Bellerophon's pursuit of Pegasus, whom he seeks because only in the air does he have a chance of killing the monstrous chimaera. Bellerophon's long wait beside the fountain of Pirene, where Pegasus descends to drink, is enlivened by several characters living round about: an old man who can't even remember his glory days, an overly timid maiden who'd run from anything unusual, a yokel who only appreciates plowhorses, and a little boy (the only one who really believes in Pegasus).

A little-known gem of thrills for all ages.......2002-01-18

One day last week, I could not, even after hours of deliberation (the snow had made engagements scarce), decide what book to read next. I finally came upon this little volume on the end of my parent's bookshelf and decided to give it try. How could I have known what charms were in store? I felt like a little girl again, and as Eustace Bright, the ambitious college student who narrates these tales, held his little auditors in awe, my eyes, too, were wide with wonder. It truly is a "wonder book," full of high fantasy, thrilling action, and the inimitable imagery of a master. Though geared towards "boys and girls," Hawthorne explains in his introduction that "children possess an unestimated sensibility to whatever is deep or high, in imagination or feeling, so long as it is simple . . . It is only the artificial and complex that bewilder them." Indeed; the book hardly condescends, and so will gently stretch the middle-grader's vocabulary. But readers -- or listeners -- of all ages will delight in this collection of tales, for I was equally, if not more, entertained by the introductories and postludes to each story, which relate the antics and dialogue of Eustace and the little children he entertains. These interludes also expand the stories by slipping in commentary and interpretation.

Don't pass this one by; it will truly win your heart, whoever you may be!

"...it had the effect of a vision." - from the Introductory.......2000-12-22

Hawthorne's gentle, charming collection of classic myths retold for the children of his day is a neglected classic. Addressing the reader in personable Victorian fashion, his prose is clear and beautiful. Consider this sample:

"Within the verge of the wood there were columbines, looking more pale than red, because they were so modest, and had thought proper to seclude themselves too anxiously from the sun. There were wild geraniums, too, and a thousand white blossoms of the strawberry. The trailing arbutus was not yet quite out of bloom; but it hid its precious flowers under the last year's withered forest-leaves, as carefully as a mother-bird hides its little young ones."

But Hawthorne is also equal to the task of less genteel, more vigorous images:

"At this sound the three heads reared themselves erect, and belched out great flashes of flame. Before Bellerophon had time to consider what to do next, the monster flung itself out of the cavern and sprung straight toward him, with its immense claws extended, and its snaky tail twisting itself venomously behind."

Book Description

Here are the stories of King Midas, Pandora, Medusa, Hercules, and the other inhabitants of Mount Olympus told by one of America's greatest writers. Written in 1851 as a money-maker for the struggling Hawthorne, A Wonder Book has become a favorite for generations of children everywhere. Hawthorne's mastery of adventure and his command of narrative and character open a child's mind to the wondrous landscapes of ancient mythology in stories such as "The Gorgon's Head" and "The Three Golden Apples." Oxford has created a beautiful and memorable edition of this classic children's text with illustrations by famed book artist Walter Crane, whose full-color plates and decorative art originally accompanied the text in the late 1800s. An introduction by Ola d'Aulaire, son of the creators of D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths, sets the stage for the young reader, and an afterword for adults by Hawthorne scholar Joel Pfister places A Wonder Book in Hawthorne's body of work and in historical context, conveying the strength of its romantic imagination in the face of the encroaching Industrial Revolution. Adults and collectors will find this major new edition a treasure and their children will happily enter a world of magic and imagination, led by one of the greatest American storytellers.

Customer Reviews:

A Wonder Book.......2005-01-25

This book belongs to the genre category of myths and legends. Out of a possible five stars I would rate this book a four because the content is very dense, and at times a bit hard to understand. But still, the book was very gripping. The author's vocabulary is vast, and some of the words he used I had never heard. Some of the sentences are phrased abnormally too. The sentences are considerably lengthy.

This book is full of tales such as "The Golden Touch," "Three Golden Apples," "The Paradise of Children," "The Gorgon's Head," and others. Since the stories were written in the 1800's the writing style is much different than the current modern day style.

The storyteller, Eustace Bright, is in the town of Tangle Wood with all of his nieces and nephews, at their family house. The kids always request a story from their uncle Eustace, and then he would proceed to tell a wonderful story filled with fantasy characters, and of course; there was always an obvious moral to each tale.

I enjoyed this book, and each story within it. The characters in the stories had great personalities, which made the book a thrill to read. It's full of imaginary settings, and magical things.

Eustace Bright told many stories of heroes such as Hercules, on quests. Along the way, they would meet up with all sorts of creatures. For instance in the tale, "The Three Golden Apples" Hercules comes across a man, who has the burden of holding the sky upon his shoulders.

Over all I would recommend this book. Especially to those who enjoy fairytales and fantasy stories. However, like I said, the book can be a quite hard to understand at times. This is a miraculous book, filled with extraordinary characters.

A Vibrant Treasure.......2002-02-01

This affordably priced quality paperback edition of familiar tales from Greek mythology is truly a treasure and a wonderful way to enjoy these timeless stories or to introduce them to young people. One of America's greatest writers, Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote these versions of stories about Pandora, Medusa, Hercules, King Midas and the host of gods and goddesses that make up the Greek pantheon. The language is evocative and colorful yet easily understandable. You needn't worry if your high school teacher's assigned reading of "The Scarlet Letter" bored you to tears, as this collection of stories is filled with exciting adventures and vivid characters. I love the beautiful illustrations in this book. They were done by Walter Crane, one of the most popular illustrators of children's books in the late 19th century. The paintings are in the Pre-Raphaelite style in full color. The decorations at the beginning of each chapter are filled with Victorian charm and make this new editon seem like a well-loved antique. There are many excellent anthologies of the Greek myths on the market but rarely will you find one that utilizes such substantial talents as those employed by Hawthorne and Crane or that so thoroughly draw the reader in to the romantic and turbulent world of heroes, maidens and the capricious deities who stir their fates. I highly recommend this book. It is a classic that will enrich the mind and heart of a young reader and open the way for further discovery.

A Beautiful Book!.......2001-01-13

This is a remarkable book, with rich detail in both illustration and prose. Particularly wonderful for reading aloud together, my sons enjoyed this book through several years, and asked for the stories often.

Tanglewood Tales: A Wonder-Book for Girls and Boys

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Tanglewood Tales: A Wonder-Book for Girls and Boys
Nathaniel Hawthorne
Manufacturer: Adamant Media Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

ASIN: 1402166516
Release Date: 2001-07-17

Book Description

1853. Hawthorne wrote these stories for children based on Greek myth and legend. They are incomparable retellings of themes which the Greek dramatists used in creating their immortal plays and literature. Contents: The Gorgon's Head; The Golden Touch; The Paradise of Children; The Three Golden Apples; The Miraculous Pitcher; The Chimaera; The Wayside; The Minotaur; The Pygmies; The Dragon's Teeth; Circe's Palace; The Pomegranate Seeds; and The Golden Fleece. See other titles by this author available from Kessinger Publishing.

Bob and Betty wonder: Stirring devotional readings for boys and girls 9 to 11 years old

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Bob and Betty wonder: Stirring devotional readings for boys and girls 9 to 11 years old
Dorothy Grunbock Johnston
Manufacturer: Scripture Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Boys and Girls Bookshelf Book of Wonders and Curious Things Volume 16 (volume 16)

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Boys and Girls Bookshelf Book of Wonders and Curious Things Volume 16 (volume 16)
hamilton wright mabie
Manufacturer: the university society
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000RZ2LN2

Product Description

childrens book

Boys' and Girls' Bookshelf (Volume 16) Book of Wonders and Curious Things, Part 2

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Boys' and Girls' Bookshelf (Volume 16) Book of Wonders and Curious Things, Part 2
Hamilton Wright, Reed, George E., Welsh, Ch Mabie
Manufacturer: The University Society
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000L3WZW2

Hawthorne's Works: A Wonder Book for Boys & Girls

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Hawthorne's Works: A Wonder Book for Boys & Girls
Julian Hawthorne
Manufacturer: Thomas Y. Crowell & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000PH11T2

My Wonder World: A Nature Lover's Paradise: A Book of Nature Stories for Boys and Girls

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My Wonder World: A Nature Lover's Paradise: A Book of Nature Stories for Boys and Girls
S. M. Emmanuel
Manufacturer: W. Heffer & Sons Ltd.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MG0H8C

The project book for boys and girls (Wonder books)

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The project book for boys and girls (Wonder books)
Leonore Klein
Manufacturer: Wonder Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Crafts & Hobbies | Arts & Music | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0007EQ6DO

Stories A Wonder-Book For Girls and Boys Series 3 Volume 1

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Stories A Wonder-Book For Girls and Boys Series 3 Volume 1
Unknown
Manufacturer: The Great Books Foundation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NDRL4W

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