Beautiful Angiola: The Great Treasury of Sicilian Folk and Fairy Tales Collected by Laura Gonzenbach
In one of the most startling literary discoveries of recent years, Jack Zipes has uncovered this neglected treasure trove of Sicilian folk and fairy tales. Like the Grimm brothers before her, Laura Gonzenbach, a talented Swiss-German born in Sicily, set out to gather up the tales told and retold among the peasants. Gonzenbach collected wonderful stories - some on subjects that readers will know from the Grimms or Perrault, some entirely new - and published them in German. Her early death and...
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In one of the most startling literary discoveries of recent years, Jack Zipes has uncovered this neglected treasure trove of Sicilian folk and fairy tales. Like the Grimm brothers before her, Laura Gonzenbach, a talented Swiss-German born in Sicily, set out to gather up the tales told and retold among the peasants. Gonzenbach collected wonderful stories - some on subjects that readers will know from the Grimms or Perrault, some entirely new - and published them in German. Her early death and the destruction of her papers in the Messina earthquake of 1908 only add to the mystery behind her achievement.Beautiful Angiola, a nineteenth-century collection of stories in the great tradition of fairy and folk tales now translated into English for the first time, is certain to become an instant classic. Gonzenbach delights us with heroines and princes, sorcery and surprise, the deeds of the brave and the treacherous, and the magic of the true storyteller. The Green Bird, The Humiliated Princess, Sorfarina, The Magic Cane, the Golden Donkey, and the Little Stick that Hits are titles destined to become new favorites for readers everywhere. Yet while the stories enchant us, the wry taglines with which they often end ("And so they remained rich and consoled, while we keep sitting here and are getting old") gently bring us back to earth.Publishers WeeklyStories of royalty, magic and conflict passed down by generations of Italian peasants have been gathered in Beautiful Angiola: The Great Treasury of Sicilian Folk and Fairy Tales, ed. by Laura Gonzenbach, trans. by Jack Zipes, illus. by Joellyn Rock. In "Sorfarina," a prince marries a beautiful woman, but can't forget an old insult. In a tale much like Puss in Boots, a clever fox helps a poor man fool the king and marry the princess in "Count Piro." The title story, a variation of Rapunzel, features a witch who locks up Angiola in a tower, and climbs up on her long braids. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
Buried TreasureA Note on the Translation and Acknowledgments1Sorfarina12The Green Bird93The Snake Who Bore Witness for a Maiden184The Sister of Muntifiuri215The Story About Ciccu286Count Piro417Beautiful Angiola478Betta Pilusa529Lignu di Scupa5910Don Giovanni di la Fortuna6311Federico and Epomata6812The Fearless Young Man8113Carliseddu8514How Saint Joseph Helped a Young Man Win the Daughter of a King9615The Courageous Maiden10316The Humiliated Princess10717Rags and Leaves11218The Brave Shoemaker11819Prince Scursuni12320Maria and Her Brother13021Autumunti and Paccaredda13822Giufa14423The Magic Cane, the Gold Donkey, and the Little Stick that Hits15724The Singing Bagpipe16125Giovanni and Katerina16626The Shepherd Who Made the Princess Laugh17427Beautiful Cardia17928Quaddaruni and His Sister18529The Daughter of the Sun19530Paperarello20231The Lion, Horse, and Fox20832Giuseppinu21033Crivoliu21634Saint Oniria21935The Abbot Who Rescued the Princess22536Fata Morgana23437The Pig King24338The Courageous Prince and His Many Adventures25239The King Who Wanted a Beautiful Wife26340Ferrazzanu26641Sciauranciovi26942Cacciaturino27443The Virgin Mary's Child28244The Story About Ohmy28745The Daughter of Prince Cirimimminu29546The Godchild of Saint Francis of Paula30247The Story About the Merchant's Son Peppino30948Spadonia31849King Cardiddu32450The Princess and King Chicchereddu333Notes341Bibliography359
\ Publishers WeeklyStories of royalty, magic and conflict passed down by generations of Italian peasants have been gathered in Beautiful Angiola: The Great Treasury of Sicilian Folk and Fairy Tales, ed. by Laura Gonzenbach, trans. by Jack Zipes, illus. by Joellyn Rock. In "Sorfarina," a prince marries a beautiful woman, but can't forget an old insult. In a tale much like Puss in Boots, a clever fox helps a poor man fool the king and marry the princess in "Count Piro." The title story, a variation of Rapunzel, features a witch who locks up Angiola in a tower, and climbs up on her long braids. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.\ \ \ \ \ Library JournalIn the late 19th century, Laura Gonzenbach, a Swiss-German born in Sicily, collected the folktales of her native country's peasant storytellers and published them in German. Zipes, a noted authority and anthologist of classic children's lore (The Complete Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm), came across the forgotten book and has translated it into English for the first time here. The faithfully recorded voices of peasants project their trials and triumphs and beliefs and experiences, as well as reveal the vital historical role preserved by storytelling in Europe. The reader is provided with a glimpse of these Sicilians' lives as they strove to maintain their customs and belief systems despite the hardscrabble lives they endured. The prevailing theme of the 50 stories echoes roots that are common throughout Europe: the protagonists are burdened by their lack of position and power, yet demonstrate inspired spirit, character, and courage in the face of curses, spells, and imagined demons. Zipes's superb notes and documentation greatly enhance the text. Ostensibly collected for younger readers, the anthology is just as appropriate for an adult audience. Literature and folklore collections will be greatly enriched by these lively narratives.-Richard K. Burns, MSLS, Hatboro, PA Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.\ \
