Book Condition: Very Good in Near Fine DJ. Slight tropical speckling to Page Edges, small tear ( 4mm) in top of DJ where meets spine, some tanning (slight) to DJ. Otherwise, clean, clear text in tightly bound volume. No internal inscriptions, markings or other stains. Translation of: Das europaische Volksmarchen. First Edition. Includes bibliographical references and indexes. Luthi delineates the form and nature of the European magical tale also called a wondertale. Rather than expand the work of Propp's structuralism and morphology of the folktale, Luthi focuses on the broad aspects of the European folktale. Additionally Propp limits himself to one hundred Russian fairy tales to describe his structural analysis of the folktale whereas Max Luthi holistically reviews and incorporates tales from Germany, Austria, Russia, Slovakia, France, and England. . An excellent study of the folktale - not a new work (it was first published in the 1940's, then again in the 1970's) but still one of the best introductions to the stylistic and formal characteristics of the genre. Luthi's contribution to the field of folklore studies is a fundamental one, in that he seeks to establish what makes a folktale a folktale - but instead of privileging content (not, in Luthi's opinion, the folktale's distinguishing feature) he privileges form and style, demonstrating that the attractiveness and power of the folktale lies in the manner in which the content is presented.\nAnyone who has ever felt the charm of these tales will find Luthi's observations on the depthlessness (physical and psychological) of folktale figures fascinating (and also the corresponding externalisation of character via action, or the externalisation of relationships via material objects). Equally interesting is exploration of the one-dimensionality of the folktale world (otherworld elements not experienced as disturbing) and also illuminating are the points on the precision (temporal, spatial) of the folktale plot vs 'chance', of the isolation of its characters yet at the same time their potential for universal connection, and of the all-inclusive nature of the genre. Luthi succeeds in showing us that the form of the folktale is artistic and highly developed, and he argues (persuasively, I think) that the genre has undergone a long period of literary evolution. He also briefly summarises a lot of other research into the subject (historical, ethnographic, psychoanalytic) - true, it's a bit dated now, but it outlines the fundamental scholarship in an easy to digest form. Luthi then links his own findings to some of the findings of other approaches, which advances the general idea of the folktale as an artistic expression of enduring human concerns. In summary, a very satisfying and enjoyable read.
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