Too Good to Be True: The Colossal Book of Urban Legends
by Jan Harold Brunvand
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Description
A fabulously entertaining book from the ultimate authority on those almost believable tales that always happen to a "friend of a friend." Alligators in the sewers? A pet in the microwave? A tragic misunderstanding of the function of cruise control? No, it didn't really happen to your friend's sister's neighbor: it's an urban legend. And no matter how savvy you think you are, you are sure to find in this collection of over 200 tales at least one story you would have sworn was true. Jan Harold show more Brunvand has been collecting & studying this modern folklore for over twenty years. In Too Good to Be True he captures the best stories in their best retellings, along with their latest variations & examples of how the stories have changed as they move from person to person & place to place. To help you find your favorite, Brunvand has arranged the tales thematically "Bringing Up Baby" is full of episodes of child-rearing gone wrong, including the grisly tale of the drugged out baby-sitter who mistakes the kid for a turkey. "Funny Business" showcases stories of infamous lapses in customer service, such as the story of the shockingly expensive chocolate chip cookie recipe. And "The Criminal Mind" features both brilliant-if they were real-scams, as well as the purported antics of the less mentally gifted. Whether you want to become an expert debunker or just have plenty of laughs, this book will surprise & entertain you. show lessTags
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Member Reviews
Fun stuff for the most part, though it should be taken in small swaths to both savor and enjoy and to absorb all the myriad ways humans can tell each other the most amazing not quite truths, not quite lies.
This book has got to be one of, if not, the best urban legend books out there. The author sets up the stories in catagories that pretty much tell what you are getting, for example one catagory is about babies so you could already tell there will be some sick things about babies. I think this is a book worth reading. It has a grip load of different stories along with some that you may find familiar or stories that you may have heard, in this book you'll see if they are true or not.
Just the thing if you enjoy urban legends. It is really colossal. It's hard to imagine that anything got left out.
The ultimate guide to every urban legend you can think of. The author also provides commentary on whether or not each individual urban legend actually happened and how the legend got started.
urban legends
Stuff you thought was true... But maybe it isn't!
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Published Reviews
Caimanes en las alcantarillas. Autostopistas que desaparecen de dentro del coche. Ratas en las cajas de pollo frito? ¿Quién no ha oído alguna de estas leyendas urbanas? En reuniones de amigos, noches de excursión, fiestas de pijamas, colonias escolares? es habitual que la jornada a oscuras acabe con relatos de este tipo de historias, narraciones que contagian el miedo, a pesar de que la show more verosimilitud de los hechos se tambalee. Las leyendas urbanas que aquí se relatan, algunas cómicas y otras terroríficas, van acompañadas de un comentario sobre el origen y las variantes que cada una de ellas ha tenido a lo largo de los tiempos. Un libro pionero en este campo y un auténtico best seller en todo el mundo. show less
added by Pakoniet
Lists
Academic Studies of Fairy Tales and Folklore
28 works; 6 members
Author Information
38+ Works 3,883 Members
He lives in Salt Lake City, where he is professor emeritus at the University of Utah. (Bowker Author Biography)
Series
Belongs to Publisher Series
Urban Legends (6)
Common Knowledge
- Original publication date
- 1999
- Epigraph
- Scholar Jan Brunvand calls tales of fatal Pop Rocks candy & hook-handed molesters this kind of "legend." Question: What is urban? (Topic on Jeopardy, October 24, 1997)
- First words
- Introduction
Urban legends (ULs) are true stories that are too good to be true.
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 590
- Popularity
- 49,294
- Reviews
- 6
- Rating
- (3.78)
- Languages
- English, Spanish
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 12
- ASINs
- 5
