Fifty Famous Stories Retold
'Fifty Famous Stories Retold' Summary
Fifty Famous Stories Retold contains a preface by the author, in which he describes the motives behind such an anthology. “...that the reading of them will give not only pleasure but also lay the foundation for broader literary studies...” he opines. Some of the stories were selected for their historical value, others for the moral truths they convey, while some are intended solely to amuse. They are taken from a variety of sources. Folktales, legends and ballads also are a rich source. Baldwin remarks that he took care not to include myths, fairytales and fables.
Hence we find old favorites like Dick Whittington's Cat, The Story of Robin Hood and George Washington and His Hatchet alongside less familiar ones like Inchcape Rock, Doctor Goldsmith or Diogenes the Wise. The original contains charming illustrations.
In Baldwin's own words, the encounter with good literature and good books was what spurred him to develop the reading habit. For a new generation which is fast losing the pleasure that books can bring, perhaps Fifty Famous Stories Retold could serve as a springboard and encourage them to rediscover the joy of reading.
Book Details
Language
EnglishOriginal Language
EnglishPublished In
1896Author
James Baldwin
United States
James Arthur Baldwin (August 2, 1924 – December 1, 1987) was an American novelist, playwright, essayist, poet, and activist. His essays, collected in Notes of a Native Son (1955), explore intric...
More on James BaldwinDownload eBooks
Listen/Download Audiobook
- Select Speed
Related books
The Clicking of Cuthbert by P. G. Wodehouse
The Clicking of Cuthbert is a collection of ten short stories by P. G. Wodehouse, all with a golfing theme. It was first published in the United Kingd...
Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher
Understood Betsy is a 1916 novel for children by Dorothy Canfield Fisher. The story tells of Elizabeth Ann, a 9-year-old orphan who goes from a shelte...
The Girl Who Sat by the Ashes by Padraic Colum
"Because she used to herd Goats in the high places and the rocky places, she went by the name of Girl-go-with-the-Goats. But that was not the name tha...
Tales From Dickens by Hallie Rives
The Old Curiosity Shop; Hard Times; A Tale of Two Cities; Oliver Twist; The Pickwick Papers. Have you read any or all of these famous Dickens stories?...
The Heroes, or Greek Fairy Tales for my Children by Charles Kingsley
The Heroes, or Greek Fairy Tales for my Children by Charles Kingsley is a collection of three Greek mythology stories: Perseus, The Argonauts, and The...
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Set in nineteenth century New England, Little Women follows the lives of the four March sisters-Jo, Beth, Amy and Meg. The novel is a classic rites of...
Frenzied Fiction by Stephen Leacock
From the cave man to Santa Claus; spies, know-it-alls, and journalists: all are fair game for Leacock’s special brand of humor. He touches on the chan...
Five Beloved Stories by O. Henry by O. Henry
O. Henry wrote over 600 short stories. Naturally I have my personal top 20 stories that just seem to stand out because of their form, writing style an...
Pansies for Thoughts by Pansy (Isabella Macdonald Alden)
What if your thoughts could come to life? Pansies for Thoughts, a collection of short stories by Pansy, explores the power of thought and the transfo...
Dracula's Guest & Other Weird Tales by Bram Stoker
Dracula's Guest and Other Weird Stories is a collection of short stories by Bram Stoker, first published in 1914, two years after Stoker's death....
Reviews for Fifty Famous Stories Retold
No reviews posted or approved, yet...