Asian-Pacific Folktales and Legends »

Exotic, clever, and poignant, Asian-Pacific Folktales and Legends invites you into a magically distinctive world. Originating from the far corners of the globe - China, Korea, Japan, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Malaysia - these tales teach us about morality and mysticism in enchanting ways. Organized by universal folkloric themes, Asian-Pacific Folktales and Legends features animal stories, tales of magical skill, explanations of how things came to be the way they are, delightful depictions of the clever and the foolish, ghosts and supernatural beings, and legends about heroes and gods. From "The Supernatural Crossbow," a Vietnamese tale, to the Malaysian story of "The Man in the Moon," each piece in this collection explores a self-contained, dreamlike universe that both delights and transports the reader. Shaped by the geographical and cultural influences of a people, these stories offer us an introduction to the complex oral traditions of the varied civilizations of one of the world's most fascinating regions.

Library Journal

The 65 myths and folktales in this volume are gathered from the rich heritage of legends in eight East and Southeast Asian countries, with the largest number of stories coming from China (17). The editor herself translates or retells 14 of the Chinese stories for this collection, while the others are reprinted from existing anthologies. The themes of many of the stories are similar to Western legends. The "fox fairy" stories contain vampirish seductresses, for instance, while in the Cinderella-like "Story of Tam and Cam" from Vietnam the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy acts like a fairy godmother and the stepdaughter is actually killed by her wicked stepmother. Though Faurot (Asian studies, Univ. of Texas) does not state the criteria for inclusion in this book, the stories are grouped by general categories such as "How Things Came To Be" and "Magic Gifts." The collection gives a quick, multinational overview of some favorite Asian legends. Recommended for larger public libraries.-E. Perushek, Univ. of Tennessee Libs., Knoxville