The Fairy Books - Complete Collection (ePub)

Andrew Lang (1844-1912) was a prolific Scottish writer and poet known for his work as a collector and publisher of folk and fairy tales. A man of diverse talents and interests, Lang contributed to various fields, including anthropology, mythology, history, and literary criticism; however, his enduring legacy rests with his contributions to the world of children's literature. His most famous works are 'The Fairy Books,' a series of 25 volumes, each uniquely colored and collectively known as 'The Fairy Books - Complete Collection', where he compiled tales from around the world for the enjoyment and education of young readers. These collections were not original fairy tales but rather retellings of traditional stories, notable for their attention to mythic narrative structure and cultural authenticity. Lang's approach was both scholarly and whimsical, aiming to preserve the enchantment and moral lessons inherent in these stories while making them accessible to a modern audience. His literary style combined the Victorian fascination with the exotic and the rational, presenting the tales in a manner that reflected both his academic rigor and his whimsical love of storytelling. Beyond his work with fairy tales, Lang produced articles for The Daily News and other periodicals, and his critical works on Homer and other historical figures were influential in their contemporary discourse. His distinguished career as an author and academic solidified Lang's reputation as an important figure in the literary canon of children's folk and fairy tales.