Afanasev, Aleksandr. Russian Fairy Tales. New York : Pantheon Books, 1973.
Plot: A large collection of folk and fairy tales from one of the world's largest nations. Heroes, fools, princesses, farmers, youngest sons, wolves, servants, sheep, merchants, foxes, judges, and kings mingle freely between the natural and supernatural throughout the tales. Common themes in the stories include rescuing princesses, fixing injustice, and tricking leaders. Additionally, many stories feature popular folk characters such as Baba Yaga, golden birds, and Prince Ivan.
Genre: Fairy Tales
Reading Level: While middle schoolers can probably read many of the stories without difficulty, the collection, much like Grimm's fairy tales, involve some intense concepts, so younger readers may need to be cautioned.
Similar Titles: Russian Myths, Russian Folk Belief
Personal Thoughts: I was really struck by the repeated themes of justice and injustice. Many of the tales feature the peasantry gaining savage retribution for the seemingly minor transgressions of the nobility. Perhaps this stems from the long history of near-caste social structure in Russia. Still, the stories are amusing, if not necessarily for children.
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