Charles J. Finger (1869–1941)

I love these stories. They are so different from the fairy tales and legends that were local to my youth, they felt almost completely alien, which is a rather delicious feeling, and one that is hard to recapture as you get older and more experienced in the world.

I will admit to some trepidation about this book when first I picked it up. The author traveled to South America to collect the fairy-tale equivalents of the people of the “Silver Lands.” The fact that he did this in the 1920s made me nervous (see my post about Dr. Dolittle.) Instead, I found a wonderful collection, told with respect and honor towards the people whose stories they were. I would highly recommend having a copy of this on your shelf next to H.C. Anderson and the Grimms. show more However, don’t read it straight through. These are to be savored individually. (pannarrens) show less

A collection of stories told to children and among adults in South America. The author collected them from the locals as he traveled among them. I had great fun reading the book and delighted in how different the stories were from the ones I learned as a child. My favorite was the story of Nasca and the fox-faced man. But I won't tell you which one that is. To find out, you will have to read the stories.

As far as a collection of fairy-esque tales go, it was pretty charming. The stories get a little redundant (evil witch! enchanted animal!) if you read them in bulk, but the writing is easy to go with. Some tales stuck with me stronger than others, but most are fun to retell -just because of their level of absurdity. Even with a few boring bits, I think the cute pieces can pull the weight without too much trouble.