Myths & Legends Books

Book SynopsisOnly a few decades ago, American folklore research focused primarily on narrative folklore with obvious literary connections, such as the ballad and the folktale. In the past twenty years, however, folklore studies have veered sharply away from literature and even from text-based products to focus largely on oral folkloric process. In this thoughtful work, a distinguished scholar describes key ways in which theories and methodologies developed in such oral folklore studies have benefited literary criticism and analysis.Vladimir Propp devised a theory of structuralism to examine folktales. Popularized versions of Propp’s theory were used in literary theory for nearly twenty years. Parry and Lord, using folkloric techniques to study Yugoslavian folksingers as a means of learning how Homeric epics were composed, established principles since employed by thousands of literary critics. Folk narratives persist in contemporary life and literature in such forms as “urban legends.” Knowledge of folk custom, ritual, and belief can enhance aesthetic understanding. And analyzing lineality and simultaneity in literature and folklore yields fruitful insights.In addition to summarizing extant ideas and studies, Bruce Rosenberg offers surprising new interpretations and discoveries that expand the boundaries of both folklore and literature. Illustrating his contentions with examples from widely varying periods and cultures, the author affirms the unique potential of interdisciplinary inquiry.

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Book SynopsisThe magical land of Xanth is in peril in this follow-up to Board Stiff by New York Times–bestselling author Piers Anthony. “It occurs to me that you folk are no ordinary group,” the troll said. “We're on a special mission to eliminate the last of the anti-pun virus. We are a bit unusual.” Astrid Basilisk-Cockatrice is the daughter of anonymous parents who whiled away a dull minute by generating her on a warm compost pile, then went their own deadly ways, never to see her or each other again. She found herself a soul, but her gaze is fatal and her touch is toxic. That’s not so strange in the Land of Xanth, where everyone has a unique magical talent, and charms, curses, and enchanted puzzles lie around every corner. Now, Astrid and her companions are finishing the cleanup of a virus that ravaged the puns of Xanth, and new Quests are already popping up. For instance, Astrid is attempting to fulfill her mission in life, if only she can figure out what that is. And then there’s the missing Question from the Good Magician’s Book of Answers. Not to mention the small matter of a Demon Wager regarding the impending destruction of Xanth. But it’s nothing Astrid and her motley crew of lovely maidens and strapping men can’t handle . . . they hope. Piers Anthony delivers another tale set in the bestselling world of Xanth, filled with magic, surprises, adventure, and a few puns. Here’s what the author has to say about his new book: “Five Portraits is a kind of sequel to Board Stiff in that it picks up where the other leaves off, with the same characters. Apart from that, it’s one of my favorites within the series. There’s something about Astrid Basilisk that appeals to me: a very pretty girl whose very glance is deadly, yet she’s a nice person whose selfless effort to save five difficult children from future Xanth is thoroughly worthy. I also like the theme of the power of unlikely friendship. Not just Xanth, but Mundania, too, would be better if there were more such friendships.”Trade Review“Piers Anthony is one of those authors who can perform magic with the ordinary. . . . [He] is a craftsman.” —A Reader’s Guide to Science Fiction

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Book SynopsisAs he stumbles through an afterlife he never believed in, scientist Kenzaboro Tsuruda must make sense of his life and confront his family’s secrets in order to save his ancestors from becoming Hungry Ghosts—a Buddhist state of purgatory. Meanwhile, his daughter, wife, and sister-in-law struggle with their own loss and take turns sharing their point of view to gradually reveal their family’s shameful history—including when, during WWII, Kenzaboro sent his wife, Satsuki, to live with family near Hiroshima, where her rape by his brother resulted in the birth of their only child, Haruna. Spanning the years during WWII and its horrific ending after the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima up to Emperor Hirohito’s death in 1989, The Afterlife of Kenzaburo Tsuruda paints a beautiful and haunting portrait of ancient and modern Japan as seen through the eyes of one family as they reconcile loss, shame, honor, death, and, finally, redemption.Trade Review“The Afterlife of Kenzaburo Tsuruda is both lyrical and moving. Elisabeth Wilkins Lombardo has written, simply, a stunning novel.” —Ann Hood, author of The Book The Matters Most, Morningstar, The Red Thread, and Somewhere Off the Coast of Maine “The Afterlife of Kenzaburo Tsuruda is a beautiful, intricate novel that reminded me powerfully of Ha Jin’s Waiting.” —Shonna Milliken Humphrey, author of Show Me Good Land and Dirt Roads and Diner Pie “With exquisite prose, an artist’s eye and firsthand knowledge of Japanese culture, Elisabeth Wilkins Lombardo has created a masterful, memorable first novel centered on the journeys and discoveries of Kenzaburo Tsuruda, a man astounded to find himself both dead yet very much alive in the afterlife he never believed in. Her masterful prose and deft timing keep both Kenzaburo and the reader guessing the truth right up to the last page.” —Suzanne Strempek Shea, author of Sundays in America, Selling the Lite of Heaven, and Shelf Life “As fans of the great filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki know, tales of spirits and ghosts abound in Japan. Elisabeth Wilkins Lombardo’s first novel weaves those myths into a riveting family saga universal in its pain and drama. The secrets and lies of the Tsuruda family slowly peel away over the years following World War II, leaving its members only their stunning truths. Her knowledge of the culture and language are evident in her textured storytelling. Lyrical, haunting, and deliciously page-turning, The Afterlife of Kenzaburo Tsuruda transports us to a Japan of myth and mysticism.” —Lisa Takeuchi Cullen, author of Remember Me: A Lively Tour of the New American Way of Death and the forthcoming HarperCollins novel Pastor’s Wives “In this remarkable debut novel, Elisabeth Wilkins Lombardo has crafted a gorgeous story filled with magic, mythology, horror and, ultimately, humanity. Set in part during World War II Japan, and told from three strong points of view—a ghost, his ailing wife, and his independent daughter— The Afterlife of Kenzaburo Tsuruda is a delicate blend of language combined with strong, unforgettable characters. It is a balanced masterpiece of language and emotion that leaves the reader richer for the experience, and reluctant to leave the story at all.” —Morgan Callan Rogers, author of Red Ruby Heart in a Cold Blue Sea “The Afterlife of Kenzaburo Tsuruda is a gorgeous and powerful story about love, mortality, the afterlife, and the legacy of a war that continues to shape Japanese culture in ways that Americans can only begin to understand. Elisabeth Wilkins Lombardo has a gentle and careful eye: for the inner lives of her characters, for the quiet details of nature, and for the intricacies of a nation during a period of vast transformation. This is a book that takes on all the big themes of literature, yet frames them within the subtle details of her characters’ lives. Told through multiple narratives and across a swirling fifty-year chronology, Wilkins Lombardo reveals deeper and deeper layers of meaning that makes this simple story of an old man's death relentlessly complex. The Afterlife of Kenzaburo Tsuruda is a book that speaks to the human condition at every level: the personal, romantic, intellectual, political, and cultural.” —Jaed Coffin, author of A Chant to Soothe Wild Elephants

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