Free eBooks Elijah's Violin And Other Jewish Fairy Tales Available To Downloads
With this collection, Howard Schwartz retells 36 Jewish fairy tales that are at once otherworldly and earthy, pious and playful. Drawn from sources as diverse as Morocco and India, Spain and Eastern Europe, Babylon and Egypt, the stories are characterized by their infusion of traditional Jewish characters with the archetypal forms found in all fairy tales, or by their treatment of Jewish religious themes. The book combines the playfulness of fairy tales with the author's depth of knowledge of the historical origins of the tales. Throughout one can find the quests and riddles of the traditional fairy tale along with the divine intervention that characterizes the Jewish fairy tale.
Paperback: 324 pages
Publisher: Oxford University Press (October 20, 1994)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0195092007
ISBN-13: 978-0195092004
Product Dimensions: 5.4 x 0.6 x 8.1 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #1,350,977 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #233 in Books > Literature & Fiction > History & Criticism > Regional & Cultural > Jewish #1869 in Books > Textbooks > Humanities > Literature > World Literature #8225 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Mythology & Folk Tales
Howard Schwartz's Elijah's Violin will appeal to both those who love fairy tales and those who love Jewish folklore. The stories have elements of more familiar fairy tales - birds that speak, mute princesses, magic mirrors, love, fear, good, and evil. However, Jewish elements make the stories distinctive. King Solomon appears in several of the tales, as does Asmodeus, King of the Demons in Jewish folklore. Schwartz's retellings are deft and lyrical and Heller's art complements the stories beautifully. If you're looking to be transported to a palace made of water or wish to go on a journey with a pirate princess, look no farther than Elijah's Violin.
I have read Elijah's Violin numerous times and think it is a wonderful ride through fairy tales and fantasy. Children will love this book, I have been reading it since the age of 7, and am still enjoying it to this day. I suppose I have a slight bias since the author is my father, but I still think it's a great book!
My wife and I are BIG lovers of Jewish folk tales, so this is the perfect addition to our library! It is intriguing for us to know that some of these stories are old enough that Jesus Himself may have heard them as a young child. Besides that, they add an enlarged understanding for us of other cultures and peoples.
I bought this for a Birthday gift for a friend who loves fairy tales. Then I started to worry that they might not be any good. I decided to read a few of the stories and ended up reading the whole thing cover to cover! This book is filled with wonderful stories that are well written. I am not Jewish which is probably why I have never hear any of the stories before. My friend however is Jewish and LOVED this book. He said it has all of his favorite stories. SPOILER: I particularly love the stories because they have strong females who occasionally save the men.
I have been a fan of Howard Schwartz's story collections since I first read Liliths Cave a few years ago. I bought this for my girlfriend for our anniversary, and she loved it as well. Reading Howard Schwartz's story collections together has become an almost nightly routine. I would recommend this to anyone who has an interest in Jewish culture, or in folklore in general. Whether you are looking for something to read to you kid, or (like us) you are a university student...these stories are compelling fun and a great insite into the way our ancestors lived.
Elijah's Violin and Other Jewish Fairy Tales Fairy tales for adults.: Fantastic fairy tales for adults with an erotic bias. The Other in Jewish Thought and History: Constructions of Jewish Culture and Identity (New Perspectives on Jewish Studies) Chinese Fairy Tales and Fantasies (The Pantheon Fairy Tale and Folklore Library) Cinder Ed and the Princess: A Twisted, Steamy Cinderella Fairy Tale for Adults: (M/F fairytale BBW steamy romance) (Steamy Grimm Fairy Tales Book 1) The Heart of the Violin Concerto: Orchestral Theme from the Major Violin Concerti (Music Minus One Violin) Tales of Elijah the Prophet Twisted Tales: The Complete Collection (Nine Adult Fairy Tales Of Extreme And Taboo Punishment) A Brothers Grimm Coloring Book and Other Classic Fairy Tales: Escape into a World of Fantasy and Imagination Fairy Lane: Enchanting Fairies to Color (Fairy Lane Books) (Volume 1) Fairy Houses . . . Unbelievable!: A Photographic Tour (The Fairy Houses Series) Pagan Portals - Fairy Witchcraft: A Neopagan's Guide to the Celtic Fairy Faith Wake Me With a Kiss: A Fairy Tale Retelling (Regency Fairy Twists Book 1) Cinderella: A modern adult fairy tale. (Not quite the fairy tale Book 1) Elijah: An Oratorio for Full Chorus of Mixed Voices, Soprano, Alto, Tenor, and Baritone Soli (Double Solo Quartet of Mixed Voices) and Piano (G. Schirmer's Editions of Oratorios and Cantatas) Elijah's Cup: A Family's Journey into the Community and Culture of High-Functioning Autism and Asperger's Syndrome Elijah - An Oratorio for Full Chorus of Mixed Voices and Piano; Vocal Score, Complete (G. Schirmer's Editions of Oratorios and Cantatas) Inside Llewyn Davis: The Illustrated Screenplay with Lyrics Introduction by Elijah Wald and a conversation with T Bone Burnett Elijah, Op. 70 - vocal score Elijah in Full Score (Dover Vocal Scores)
