Reading Notes: Celtic Fairy Tales, Part A

The field of Boliauns

Observations:

• Obviously written in the late 1800s, so that is reflected in the language used. Makes it a bit hard to understand at times, but is able to be broken down
• Written in third person
• Has a good bit of introductory narration before we get to any dialogue. I think sometimes this works and sometimes it feels boring
• Has a lot of dialogue in the main part of the story, and it is almost solely dialogue for a portion. I like this style of narrative and it is something I try to mimic in my own stories.
• There is a weird leprechaun character that adds a little bit of fright to the story. I have written sad stories but never one that makes readers feel frightened, so I could possibly try to write a story like that at some point.
• Overall, this story was interesting. I liked the dialogue portions and the actual storyline, although I still think there was too much narration.

The sprightly tailor and the beast, trying to distract him.

(Illustration by John D. Batten)

The Sprightly Tailor

Observations:

• This is also written in the late 1800s, and the language ("trews") reflects this. The story is still easily accessible and understandable though.
• I chose this story because it, again, has elements that are frightening to the characters and readers. I found myself rooting for the tailor to stitch more quickly and finish before the creature fully rose from the earth, and this is something I will definitely be trying to mimic in my own writing.
• There is a lot of repeated phrasing, such as "I see that, but I'll sew this!" and slight variations as the monster rises from the ground and tries to distract the tailor from finishing the trews on time. I like this element in writing, and I would like to implement something like that into my own stories.
• There was a lot of narration but I didn't mind it because it still propelled the story forward.
• The ending was satisfying and I felt like I could take a breath after the tailor escaped.
• I really liked this story. I thought it was well written and actually captured my attention. I will definitely be taking several elements of this style of writing and implementing them into my own stories.

Bibliography:

Celtic Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs with illustrations by John D. Batten (1892).
The Field of Boliauns
The Sprightly Tailor