Magical Tales
| Magical Tales: Myth, Legend and Enchantment in Children's Books | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Editor | Carolyne Larrington, Diane Purkiss |
| Publisher | Bodleian Library |
| Released | 22 May 2013[1] |
| Format | Paperback |
| Pages | 200 |
| ISBN | 9781851242641 |
Magical Tales: Myth, Legend and Enchantment in Children's Books is a collection of articles, published by the Bodleian Library in conjunction with an exhibition held in 2013.[2]
The book reproduces several manuscripts by J.R.R. Tolkien held at the Bodleian Library. While all of these manuscripts have formerly appeared in print, it contains the first reproduction in colour of the calligraphic introduction to the Old English verse Exodus (formerly reproduced in monochrome as plate nr. 230 in J.R.R. Tolkien: Life and Legend).[3]
From the publisher[edit | edit source]
A faun carrying an umbrella; a hobbit who lives in a hole; a mysterious name - Lyra; an ill-treated schoolboy with a scar and a secret. Children's fantasy books often begin with resonant images. However, they also begin in an author's reading practices. How do children's authors incorporate myths and legends into their work? And how do myths and legends change as a result? In this richly illustrated collection of essays a team of academic experts trace the magical tales from Norse myth, Arthurian legend and medieval literature which have inspired the finest writers for children, including C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien and Alan Garner. Drawing on collections of manuscripts and rare books in the Bodleian Library, additional chapters put the spotlight on spell books, grimoires and books that do magic, as well as exploring stunning examples of pop-up books, harlequinades and concertina panoramas from the Opie Collection of Children's Literature. Other writers under discussion include children's authors of the Victorian era, such as George MacDonald, Rudyard Kipling and E. Nesbit, and twentieth-century writers Susan Cooper, Diana Wynne Jones and Philip Pullman.Through wide-ranging analysis these essays show how literature and tales from the Middle Ages and earlier still have been reinterpreted for each generation and continue to have a profound impact on writers of fantasy books for children today.
—[4]
References
- ↑ "Magical Tales: Myth, Legend and Enchantment in Children's Books", Amazon.co.uk (accessed 30 January 2014)
- ↑ Wayne G. Hammond, Christina Scull, "Tolkien Notes 9" dated 10 August 2013, WayneandChristina.wordpress.com (accessed 30 January 2013)
- ↑ Beregond, Anders Stenström, "17 oktober 2013 (report)" dated 30 January 2014, Tolkienseminariet.wordpress.com (accessed 30 January 2013)
- ↑ "Magical Tales", BodleianBookshop.co.uk (accessed 30 January 2014)
