Serpent & Swan: Animal Bride Folklore & Literature

Clearly, one amazon reviewer here doesn't understand the difference between a collection of actual folktales and a scholarly work of literary criticism. This book is the latter, and it is an excellent example of this kind of work. Anyone expecting full and complete stories of animal bride folklore will not find these here, and they should definitely not leave low-scoring reviews on work they do not understand.

The subject of the animal bride in Folklore and Literature is excellently researched. Of special interest is the idea that the animal bride tale is an attempt to overcome humankind's alienation from nature. The study emphasizes the intricate links between all forms of life and stresses the need of liberating mankind from isolation and reintegrating into the natural world.