Aesop's Fables (Illustrated by Arthur Rackham with an Introduction by G. K. Chesterton)

Aesop

ISBN 10: 1420953001 / ISBN 13: 9781420953008

Published by Digireads.com, 2016

About this Item

Seller Inventory # BSM.17J9L

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Aesop's Fables (Illustrated by Arthur Rackham with an Introduction by G. K. Chesterton)
• Publisher: Digireads.com
• Publication Date: 2016
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1420953001
• ISBN 13: 9781420953008
• Binding: Soft cover
• Illustrator: Rackham, Arthur
• Condition: very_good

About this title

Synopsis

The history of the fable likely does not originate with Aesop; however it is with him that we associate the fable’s most ancient of known origins. Little is actually known of the life of Aesop. According to the historical accounts of Herodotus, Aristotle, and Plutarch, he was a slave from the Greek island of Samos who lived between 620 and 564 BC. Described as a strikingly ugly man he is said to have secured his freedom through his cleverness. Known for his wit, Aesop would become employed as an advisor by kings and city-states. The simplicity of the fable cannot be overstated. The short narrative form and the use of animals to personifying particular human characteristics makes the fable a particularly useful form of instruction for imparting bits of wisdom to children. Dozens of fables have been attributed to Aesop, however given their sometimes conflicting moral lessons, the attribution of some fables to Aesop is considered by certain scholars as to be spurious. Collected together here are some of the most famous examples of Aesop’s fables. This edition follows the translation of V. S. Vernon Jones, includes an introduction by G. K. Chesterton, is illustrated by Arthur Rackham, and is printed on premium acid-free paper.

About the Author

Aesop (620-560 BC) was a slave in ancient Greece who is known only for the genre of fables that are ascribed to him.

Gilbert Keith Chesterton was born in London, England, in 1874. He went on to study art at the Slade School, and literature at University College in London. Chesterton wrote a great deal of poetry, as well as works of social and literary criticism. Among his most notable books are "The Man Who Was Thursday", a metaphysical thriller, and "The Everlasting Man", a history of humankind's spiritual progress. After Chesterton converted to Catholicism in 1922, he wrote mainly on religious topics such as "Orthodoxy" and "Heretics". Chesterton is most known for creating the famous priest-detective character Father Brown, who first appeared in "The Innocence of Father Brown". Chesterton died in 1936 at the age of 62.