Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to preview this book.

I can’t believe that there are this many Norwegian folktales in one book. Since they are old favorites, there is not much you can say about the stories. I only wish that there were some illustrations that would offer some visual expression for the tales.

I was familiar with some of these tales already but I appreciate the clarity of the translations - accessible for a 21st century audience.

Norwegian Folktales of Asbjørnsen and Moe is a delightful collection that will appeal to readers of all ages. Nunnally's translation flows beautifully and simply, and the stories are varied and numerous. It is fascinating to compare these stories to folktales from other parts of Europe, noting the similarities and differences. I appreciate the inclusion of the authors' original and interesting forewords, as well as the list showing the source location(s) of each tale. This is definitely a book I would like to have in my home library.

To start, I’d like to thank NetGalley and The University of Minnesota Press for this eARC.

I wish I had enjoyed this more, but I didn’t. This collection combines many elements of Norway’s culture and past, while (at times) bringing some funny and clever stories to the table... but I hate to say that they read very dry for me. We get trolls and magic and princes(ses) and trickster animals, which all sounds fun to start, but felt lifeless when reading.

The first story (with “Ash Lad”) left a sour taste in my mouth. I know folktales aren’t always going to be cheery or profound, but this particular tale of old involves a young man stealing from a troll again and again (a troll who has seemingly done no harm to anyone), before eventually murdering his daughter and feeding her to him. The young man is rewarded by the king in the story, and all is supposed to be well, but I didn’t take it that way. I was pretty pissed that Ash Lad is to be perceived as the clever hero here. I mean, this is my first time delving into Norwegian folklore, but starting off on the wrong foot with this collection wasn’t how I anticipated this reading experience to go.

The second story (much shorter) includes “our Lord and Saint Peter” disturbingly punishing a woman for not making food for them properly.
Again, at that point I was upset— as a devout Roman Catholic, I take offense to this idea that either man would have been so cruel because of something so basic. (Seriously, what sort of folktales are Norwegians growing up on?!?!).

The next few entries were a bit more fantastical: more trolls and magic and wily princes, but the way they’re written is devoid of any “magic”. To be honest, they all read pretty flat, and I was frequently bored.

The remainder of the stories varied in terms of length and substance, but none really held my interest enough to talk about them further. A few were clever, I’ll give them that, but altogether very commonplace in the end. Also, a vast majority of the messages behind the tales were pretty damn toxic, and I don’t think it translates well for modern times.

My friend is Norwegian so she’s shared with us folktales she grew up with.This book is a fantastic collection of folktales full of all sorts of characters so much for the imagination perfect to dip into to be taken into this imaginative world.I will be purchasing this a perfect gift for my dear friend to delight in.#netgalley # uofminnesota