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Synopsis
Trolls lurk under bridges waiting to eat children, threaten hobbits in Middle-Earth, and invade the dungeons of Hogwarts. Often they are depicted as stupid, slow, and ugly creatures, but they also appear as comforting characters in some children’s stories or as plastic dolls with bright, fuzzy hair. Today, the name of this fantastic being from Scandinavia has found a wider reach: it is the word for the homeless in California and slang for the antagonizing and sometimes cruel people on the Internet. But how did trolls go from folktales to the World Wide Web?
To explain why trolls still hold our interest, John Lindow goes back to their first appearances in Scandinavian folklore, where they were beings in nature living beside a preindustrial society of small-scale farming and fishing. He explores reports of actual encounters with trolls―meetings others found plausible in spite of their better judgment―and follows trolls’ natural transition from folktales to other domains in popular culture. Trolls, Lindow argues, would not continue to appeal to our imaginations today if they had not made the jump to illustrations in Nordic books and Scandinavian literature and drama. From the Moomins to Brothers Grimm and Three Billy Goats Gruff to cartoons, fantasy novels, and social media, Lindow considers the panoply of trolls that surround us and their sometimes troubling connotations in the contemporary world.
Taking readers into Norwegian music and film and even Yahoo Finance chat rooms, Trolls is a fun and fascinating book about these strange creatures.
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About the Author
John Lindow is professor of Scandinavian at the University of California, Berkeley, and the author of Norse Mythology: A Guide to Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs and Medieval Folklore: A Guide to Myths, Legends, Tales, Beliefs, and Customs.
Review
“With the erudition and wit we have come to expect of his scholarship, Professor Lindow takes the reader on a journey into the complex processes that inform literature and lore―and modern commercial culture. Experienced or novice ‘trollologist,’ you are sure to find this an excellent and richly rewarding read.” (Stephen A. Mitchell, Harvard University)
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
- PublisherReaktion Books
- Publication date2015
- ISBN 10 1780235658
- ISBN 13 9781780235653
- BindingPaperback
- Number of pages160
- Rating
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Paperback. Condition: new. Paperback. Trolls are everywhere. They lurk on the internet; they fill the pages of popular fantasy literature; they are hunted in Norwegian film. They are the homeless in California; they are comforting or threatening characters in children's books; they are amusing dolls. Although trolls are ubiquitous today, for centuries they were confined to the landscape of Scandinavia. This book is a history of trolls from their first appearances in folk tales - some people reported actual encounters with trolls, and others found such encounters plausible even if they were not sure - and follows a natural transition from folklore to trolls in other domains of popular culture. Indeed, trolls would not be interesting had they not made this jump, first to illustrations in the Nordic book market, then on to Scandinavian literature and drama, and far beyond. Since then they have never gone away, and in their various guises they continue to appeal to the imagination around the world. From the Vikings to the Moomins, the Brothers Grimm and the Three Billy Goats Gruff, this book explores the panoply of trolls and their history and their continuing presence today. Trolls are everywhere. They lurk on the internet; they fill the pages of popular fantasy literature; they are hunted in Norwegian film. From the Vikings to the Moomins, the Brothers Grimm and the Three Billy Goats Gruff, this book explores the panoply of trolls and their history and their continuing presence today. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9781780235653
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