Granny's Wonderful Chair and Its Tales of Fairy Times
by Frances Browne
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Classic Literature. Fantasy. Juvenile Fiction. Juvenile Literature. Frances Browne (1816-1879) was an Irish poet and novelist who is best remembered for her enchanting stories for children, published under the title of Granny's Wonderful Chair. The collection tells the story of Snowflower, a little girl left alone in the world with a magical chair belonging to her absent grandmother, which can take her wherever she wants to go and can tell her marvellous stories. She sets off and reaches the show more castle of a troubled king, where the nightly tales told by the magic chair serve to change both her fortune and those of all the court. Browne's superb tales rank her alongside the greatest fairy-tale writers of the age, such as Hans Christian Andersen and the Comtesse de Ségur. The stories are all the more remarkable for the fact that Frances Browne was blind from early childhood and her rich visual descriptions and vivid settings are all composed within her own mind's eye. show lessTags
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This is a book passed to me by my mother, who received it as a child. She was born in 1944, so I know it is older than that, but it does not have a copyright in it. I did learn from here (where I also found this book available in digital format for free!) that the author died in 1879, so clearly this is an OLD book!
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/26018
My copy is very old and falling apart, but I read it to my kids when they were little and it’s just wonderful!! A little girl in a magic chair that takes her places. I don’t remember a lot about it except that we loved it! I want to read it again soon and I am definitely saving for future grandkids!
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/26018
My copy is very old and falling apart, but I read it to my kids when they were little and it’s just wonderful!! A little girl in a magic chair that takes her places. I don’t remember a lot about it except that we loved it! I want to read it again soon and I am definitely saving for future grandkids!
A poor child is taken in to the royal palace, where she captivates a bored king with her storytelling chair. The atmosphere at the court is selfish and ugly and the chair tells fanciful stories that emphasize the importance of kindness and benevolence. Charming and pleasant; also quite short and easy to read.
My grandmother recommended this to me because her maiden name was Frances Brown and when she read it as a child she felt it had been written just for her! Very good collection of tales linked by them being told from the chair.
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Author Information

Frances Browne (1816-1879) was born in Donegal and was blinded by smallpox in infancy. She had a vivid imagination and is said to have created the sumptuous palaces, mysterious woods and lush, flower-covered meadows, -- so superbly evoked in Granny's Wonderful Chair -- from her memory of childhood tales. As an adult she lived in London, working as show more a writer, and contributed to the magazine Leisure Hour for twenty-three years. show less
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Series
Belongs to Publisher Series
Everyman's Library (112)
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- Canonical title
- Granny's Wonderful Chair and Its Tales of Fairy Times
- Original publication date
- 1856
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Statistics
- Members
- 206
- Popularity
- 158,121
- Reviews
- 3
- Rating
- (4.11)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 27
- ASINs
- 30




























































