The Zankiwank and The Bletherwitch: An Original Fantastic Fairy Extravaganza

Fitz-Gerald, S. J. Adair (Shafto Justin Adair), 18Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 2.6
Word count
119K words
Chapters
12

Tags

English Originals Dramatic LiteratureChildren's Literature Adventure JourneyFantasy JourneyAnthropomorphic CharactersLighthearted HumorLight ReadingDramatic NarrativeAbsurd Fairy TaleWonderlandVictorian EraYouth Reading

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.The Zankiwank and The Bletherwitch: An Original Fantastic Fairy ExtravaganzaAuthor: Fitz-Gerald, S. J. Adair (Shafto Justin Adair), 1859-1925,Language: English, Class: PZ: Language and Literatures: Juvenile belles lettres, Release Date: Aug 17, 2011

Editor's review

This work is an original fantastic fairy extravaganza tinged with absurdity and mockery; the two eccentric character names in the title themselves betray a light-hearted fantastical air. It is not a traditional collection of fairy tales, but rather closer to a "fairy extravaganza" driven by dialogue and scene, standing out distinctly in late nineteenth-century British children's fantasy literature. Readers will find exaggerated characters, leaping plots, and humor with a theatrical feel, making it a suitable textual sample for understanding Victorian children's fantasy drama. As a public-domain e-book, the text retains its original form, and the language bears the marks of its era, requiring a little patience in reading. It is better suited as light literary-historical material or amusing fare for parent-child reading than as a modern novel pursuing a complete narrative arc. For readers studying children's literature, fantasy literature, or dramatic adaptation, this small book offers a rather uncommon research angle.

Who it's for

A good fit for

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Reading tips

  1. Begin with the opening character introductions to familiarize yourself with the eccentric names and manner of speech before reading on.
  2. It can be read aloud as a script; assigning roles for the dialogue makes it easier to appreciate the absurd humor.
  3. There is no need to look up every unfamiliar word; first grasp the scenes and character relationships.
  4. If used for research, note the stage directions and the rhythm of dialogue to observe its dramatic structure.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

Contents

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
  7. 7
  8. 8
  9. 9
  10. 10
  11. 11
  12. 12

FAQ

Is this book a traditional collection of fairy tales? No. It is closer to an original fairy-tale play with absurdist coloring, driven mainly by character dialogue and scenes rather than a series of independent, complete fairy tales. Understanding it as a stage script will make for smoother reading than expecting a novel.
How difficult is the English, and is it suitable for beginners? The text is late nineteenth-century English, with period expressions and dramatic dialogue, and was not written for beginners. It is better suited to readers with some foundation in English reading who can accept old-fashioned expression; beginners may use annotations or choose a bilingual assisted reading.
What should be noted when reading the e-book edition? The book is a public-domain electronic text retaining its original form and may contain period spellings or typographic features. It is advisable to use a reader with adjustable fonts and to first browse the table of contents and character list to familiarize yourself with the character names before entering the main text.

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About the author

Fitz-Gerald, S. J. Adair (Shafto Justin Adair), 18 Author

S. J. Adair Fitz-Gerald (full name Shafto Justin Adair Fitz-Gerald; birth and death years and nationality unconfirmed, with only limited public information available) was a British writer whose work centred on theatre history and popular musical culture. One title is held in the collection, The Zankiwank and The Bletherwitch: An Original Fantastic Fairy Extravaganza, a fairy-tale extravaganza marked by lively imagination and playful language. The existing note also records popular books on Savoy opera and on the stories behind well-known songs, indicating an interest in making stage art and the history of song accessible to general readers. His writing favours entertainment and anecdote over academic scholarship, and may serve as an introductory guide to late Victorian British theatre and song culture.