The 25 Best Fairy Tale and Folklore Books for Adults

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The best folklore books for adults compile major stories, legends, and folktales from around the world. In these special stories, traditional cultures are preserved and enshrined in print so they will always be there for us to read and learn from. My obsession with folklore — and their close cousin, fairy tales — was honed in a course I took on “Russian Fairy Tales” at Swarthmore College when I was a senior in high school. Through that class, I was introduced to fairy and folktale theory and criticism, a fascinating field that helps deconstruct the origins and impact of these stories. In this list, I sought to collect a representative roundup of the best fairy tale books for adults and folklore books for adults featuring stories from around the globe and a few good books as an introduction to fairy and folktale literary criticism. There are plenty of books about fairy and folktales aimed at younger audiences, but the ones you’ll find here are uncensored, annotated, and situated within their cultural, historical, and sociological context. Which is to say, they’re real and raw and completely riveting. I hope you enjoy this list!

PS: Check out these other posts on Broke by Books about similar topics:

And now for the best fairy tale books for adults and the best folklore books for adults!

African Folktales by Roger Abrahams

African Folktales by Roger Abrahams

First up in this list of the best folklore books for adults, a collection of folktales from the continent of Africa. This edition contains 95 stories that represent a diverse stretch of folk tales from individual countries as well as stories that span regions. There are creation folk tales, epic narratives, and ghost stories, among others.

How to read it: Purchase African Folktales on Amazon

The Annotated African American Folktales edited by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and Maria Tatar

The Annotated African American Folktales by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and Maria Tatar

Part of the The Annotated Books series, The Annotated African American Folktales is edited by literary critic Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and folklore and mythology Harvard scholar Maria Tatar, the latter of whom is the editor of several books in this roundup. This book contains over 150 folktales from Black communities across the United States, both older and newer folktales. The tales collected in this book build on the academic study of Black folklore that goes back to the early 20th century, with contributions from, for example, Zora Neale Hurston’s Mules and Men (1935).

How to read it: Purchase The Annotated African American Folktales on Amazon

The Annotated Arabian Nights by Paulo Lemos Horta

The Annotated Arabian Nights by Paulo Lemos Horta

Looking for old folklore books? I have one for you. If you’ve ever want to read the Arabian Nights, a collection of Middle Eastern folktales compiled during the Islamic Golden Age (8th Century to the 14th Century). you’ll want to pick up this version, which is annotated by Paulo Lemos Horta and translated from the Arabic by Yasmine Seale. With lavish illustrations, The Annotated Arabian Nights is a beautiful book as magical as the stories it carries.

How to read it: Purchase The Annotated Arabian Nights on Amazon

The Annotated Brothers Grimm by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm, edited by Maria Tatar

The Annotated Brothers Grimm by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm, edited by Maria Tatar

I own this annotated edition of the Children’s Stories and Household Tales (1812), otherwise known as the fairy tales collected by the Brothers Grimm, so I can attest how awesome it is. Maria Tatar’s extensive annotations really brings these 19th century fairy tales to life, making this one of the best fairy tale books for adults. This is the original, uncensored Brothers Grimm anthology, certainly among the classic fairy tale books, with all the extra information that helps contextualize each story.

How to read it: Purchase The Annotated Brothers Grimm on Amazon

The Annotated Hans Christian Andersen by Hans Christian Andersen edited by Maria Tatar

The Annotated Hans Christian Andersen by Hans Christian Andersen edited by Maria Tatar

In The Annotated Hans Christian Andersen, editor Maria Tatar helps readers understand the stories behind the stories compiled by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. One of the world’s top ten most translated writers of all time, Andersen is known for the literary fairy tales collected in this edition, which also features an eclectic mix of full-color illustrations from artists like Arthur Rackham and Edmund Dulac.

How to read it: Purchase The Annotated Hans Christian Andersen on Amazon

Beowulf: A New Translation translated by Maria Dahvana Headly

Beowulf: A New Translation translated by Maria Dahvana Headly

I’ll never forget it: when I was in London doing research on Virginia Woolf, I went to the British Library, where I saw the Beowulf manuscript. I read Beowulf, the Old English epic poem about legendary warrior Beowulf, in high school, and I loved it. When I devoured it as a teen, I read Irish poet Seamus Heaney’s translation, but in this exciting new translation by Maria Dahvana Headly is one to be celebrated. In Headly’s version, this timeless tale of mothers, monsters, heroes, and dragons gets a fresh interpretation with a modern influence. You won’t want to miss it.

How to read it: Purchase Beowulf on Amazon

Celtic Tales: Fairy Tales and Stories of Enchantment from Ireland, Scotland, Brittany, and Wales by Chronicle Books

Celtic Tales is one book in a fairy tale book series by Chronicle Books that compiles traditional mythologies, folktales, and fairy tales from around the world. In Celtic Tales, readers get 16 fairy tales from the British Isles, including Ireland, Scotland, Great Britain, and Wales. You’ll encounter tricksters, quests, legendary creatures, and epic quests alongside artful illustrates by Kate Forrester.

How to read it: Purchase Celtic Tales on Amazon

The Complete Fables by Aesop translated by Olivia and Robert Temple

The Complete Fables by Aesop translated by Olivia and Robert Temple

This new edition of Aesop’s fables contains all 358 stories, translated in their entirety into English for the first time. From the “The Fox and the Grapes” to the “The Hare and the Tortoise” to “The Goose That Laid the Golden Eggs,” all the ones you remember from childhood are collected in this groundbreaking anthology.

How to read it: Purchase The Complete Fables on Amazon

The Complete Fairy Tales by Charles Perrault translated by Christopher Betts

The Complete Fairy Tales by Charles Perrault translated by Christopher Betts

In this translation from the French by Christopher Betts, we finally get all the Charles Perrault fairy tales first published in the seventeenth century. In case you’re like me and get your fairy tales mixed up, Perrault’s collection includes famous stories like “Little Red Riding Hood,” “Cinderella,” “Puss in Boots,” “Sleeping Beauty,” and “Bluebeard.” Read them for the first time or for the fiftieth time in this English translation.

How to read it: Purchase The Complete Fairy Tales on Amazon

Fairy Tale: A Very Short Introduction by Marina Warner

If you’re looking to get started in fairy tale criticism, meaning the literary criticism surrounding fairy tales, you’ll want to consult Marina Warner’s Fairy Tale: A Very Short Introduction. This book might be short at just 192 pages, but it is a comprehensive introduction to the critical dialogue around the interpretation of fairy tales, including psychoanalytic criticism, feminist criticism, and gender and sexuality criticism. Warner’s book also takes a step back and asks, “What is a fairy tale?” and “Why do they pervade cultures around the world?” and “What can they teach us about ourselves?”, providing necessary context to the study of fairy tales.

How to read it: Purchase Fairy Tale: A Very Short Introduction on Amazon

The Fairy Tellers by Nicholas Jubber

The Fairy Tellers by Nicholas Jubber

In The Fairy Tellers, Nicholas Jubber amplifies the lives of the people who have contributed fairy tales to our collective culture. This is a deep dive into popular fairy tale anthologists, like the Brothers Grimm and lesser known fairy tale tellers. Crossing cultures and centuries, The Fairy Tellers is a fascinating look at the influential authors and collectors of fairy tales. Jubber’s book provides a fresh look at the birth of these classic stories, making it one of the best fairy tale books for adults.

How to read it: Purchase The Fairy Tellers on Amazon

The Heroine with 1,001 Faces by Maria Tatar

You’ve likely heard of Joseph Campbell’s The Hero with a Thousand Faces, a famous book about the Hero’s Journey, an archetypal story structure that is common to many myths and epics. But in The Heroine with 1,001 Faces, Maria Tatar explores the power of female heroines in mythology, fairy tales, and folklore. Tatar highlights the forgotten, overlooked, or misunderstood heroines who are fierce female warriors and powerful protagonists. This revolutionary feminist book breaks fresh ground on gender dynamics and traditional tales, stories, and legends.

How to read it: Purchase The Heroine with 1,001 Faces on Amazon

Hrafnkel’s Saga and Other Icelandic Stories by Hermann Palsson

In Hrafnkel’s Saga and Other Icelandic Stories, we find seven Icelandic tales written around the thirteenth century by Icelandic monks. These traditional tales collected here makes this one of the old folklore books on this list of the best folklore books for adults. What’s interesting about these stories is the lingering pagan influence at a time when Christianity was spreading across Europe.

How to read it: Purchase Hrafnkel’s Saga and Other Icelandic Stories on Amazon

The Interpretation of Fairy Tales by Marie-Louise von Franz

The Interpretation of Fairy Tales by Marie-Louise von Franz

At the intersection between psychological theory and fairy tale criticism is Marie-Louise von Franz’s The Interpretation of Fairy Tales, a landmark work of fairy tale theory. Heavily influenced by the work of psychoanalyst Carl Jung, von Franz’s book will help you understand the psychological analysis of the fairy tales that have dominate history. In particular, von Franz does a deep dive into analyzing the tale “The Three Feathers” from the Brothers Grimm collection. Read that story online for free here before you check out von Franz’s interpretation.

How to read it: Purchase The Interpretation of Fairy Tales on Amazon

Myths and Legends: An Illustrated Guide to Their Origin and Meanings by Philip Wilkinson

For a generously illustrated introduction to mythology and folklore, author Philip Wilkinson’s Myths and Legends takes readers on a tour around the globe to explore famous myths and legends unique to each culture, from Europe to Oceania to South and East India. Wilkinson not only recounts these classic tales, but also tries to track down the origins of these stories.

How to read it: Purchase Myths and Legends on Amazon

Nordic Tales: Folktales from Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, and Denmark by Chronicle Books

Put a sweater on: these folktales are from the colder countries in the world. Nordic Tales compiles folktales from Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, and Denmark and presents them alongside stunningly beautiful artwork by Ulla Thynell. Originally translated and collected in the nineteenth century by folklorists, these stories make this one of the best folklore books for adults. You’ll find folktales about trolls, sea monsters, and epic journeys, to name a few.

How to read it: Purchase Nordic Tales on Amazon

Russian Tales: Traditional Stories of Quests and Enchantments by Chronicle Books

I absolutely loved my “Russian Fairy Tales” course I took at Swarthmore College when I was in high school, and I’ll always have a soft spot for Russian folklore like the stories compiled in this collection of “Traditional Stories of Quests and Enchantments.” Whether it’s Baba Yaga or Vasilisa the Beautiful or the Firebird, these tales are here presented with stunning illustrations by Dinara Mirtalipova, bringing ancient stories to life, making it one of the best fairy tale books for adults.

How to read it: Purchase Russian Tales on Amazon

The Seven Swabians and Other German Folktales by Anna E. Altman

It’s easy to see why Anna E. Altman’s The Seven Swabians and Other German Folktales is on this list of the best folklore books for adults. With more than 80 stories, this anthology of German folklore is a work of scholarship that gets as close as possible to the source material of where these stories originated before they were collected by the Brothers Grimm. The stories are organized into four sections: Animal Tales, Comic Tales, Fairy Tales, and Local Legends. Altman’s book is a groundbreaking contribution to the study of folklore and German history and culture.

How to read it: Purchase The Seven Swabians and Other German Folktales on Amazon

Tales of India: Folktales from Bengal, Punjab, and Tamil by Chronicle Books

For sure one of the best folklore books for adults, Tales of India is a treat. In the 16 folktales compiled in this edition, you’ll read all about talking animals, bold heroines, magical lands, and epic journeys. Featuring stunning artwork by Svabhu Kohli and Viplov Singh, Tales of India transport you to an exotic time and place.

How to read it: Purchase Tales of India on Amazon

Tales of Japan: Traditional Stories of Monsters and Magic by Chronicle Books

Take a trip to Japan with this lavishly illustrated book that includes artwork by Kotaro Chiba. Tales of Japan collects 15 traditional folktales from the great land of Japan. You’ll find magical creatures, goblins, spirits, dragons, and samurai. See it for yourself: this is definitely among the best folklore books for adults.

How to read it: Purchase Tales of Japan on Amazon

A Treasury of British Folklore: Maypoles, Mandrakes, and Mistletoe by Dee Dee Chainey

For another collection that belongs up there with the best folklore books for adults, check out Dee Dee Chainey’s A Treasury of British Folklore. This compelling book anthologizes folklore from Great Britain, including not just stories, but also legends, customs, and superstitions. Dee Dee Chainey’s book is organized around three topics: 1) Of the Land, Plants and Animals, 2) Witchcraft, Magic and Heroic Tales, 3) The Milestones of Life. You’ll find well-known stories among more obscure ones in this integral folklore book.

How to read it: Purchase A Treasury of British Folklore on Amazon

The Turnip Princess and Other Newly Discovered Fairy Tales by Franz Xaver von Schönwerth

The Turnip Princess is one of the dark fairy tale books on this list of the best fairy tale books for adults. Newly discovered, these stories were compiled in the 1850s by Franz Xaver von Schönwerth in the deep Bavarian countryside. Containing more than seventy stories, The Turnip Princess makes a significant contribution to the field of fairy tales and folklore.

How to read it: Purchase The Turnip Princess on Amazon

The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales by Bruno Bettelheim

Bruno Bettelheim’s revolutionary work of fairy tale criticism, The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales, was on the syllabus of my “Russian Fairy Tales” course, and I loved it. A famous child psychologist, Bettelheim argues that fairy tales are crucially important in understanding children’s development. Bettelheim analyzes all the best stories, including “Hansel and Gretel,” “Little Red Riding Hood,” “Goldilocks and the Three Bears,” and “The Sleeping Beauty,” in this remarkably powerful work of criticism, making it one of the best fairy tale books for adults.

How to read it: Purchase The Uses of Enchantment on Amazon

The Victorian Fairy Tale Book by Michael Patrick Hearn

The Victorian Fairy Tale Book by Michael Patrick Hearn

The Victorians were obsessed with fairy tales, and this book edited by Michael Patrick Hearn collects the best of them. Including poetry alongside prose stories, The Victorian Fairy Tale Book preserves key tales penned by J. M. Barrie, Kenneth Grahme, and William Makepeace Thackeray. Read more about the Victorian fascination with fairy tales in these articles on The Victorian Web. By helping these stories stay alive, The Victorian Fairy Tale Book is one of the best fairy tale books for adults.

How to read it: Purchase The Victorian Fairy Tale Book on Amazon

Yiddish Folktales by Beatrice Weinreich

Yiddish Folktales by Beatrice Weinreich

In the last entry in this list of the best folklore books for adults, Yiddish Folktales compiles folktales from Jewish traditions. There’s witches, princesses, magic, and mystery in this collection, which was compiled by ethnographers during the 1920s and 1930s in small Jewish communities in Eastern Europe. Preserving this culture, Yiddish Folktales is a key text in folklore studies.

How to read it: Purchase Yiddish Folktales on Amazon

And there you have it! The best folklore books for adults and the best fairy tale books for adults. Which one will you read first?

Sarah S. Davis is the founder of Broke by Books, a blog about her journey as a schizoaffective disorder bipolar type writer and reader. Sarah's writing about books has appeared on Book Riot, Electric Literature, Kirkus Reviews, BookRags, PsychCentral, and more. She has a BA in English from the University of Pennsylvania, a Master of Library and Information Science from Clarion University, and an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts.

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