The Faerie Handbook: An Enchanting Compendium of Literature, Lore, Art, Recipes, and Projects (The Enchanted Library)
The Faerie Handbook: An Enchanting Compendium of Literature, Lore, Art, Recipes, and Projects (The Enchanted Library) book cover

The Faerie Handbook: An Enchanting Compendium of Literature, Lore, Art, Recipes, and Projects (The Enchanted Library)

Hardcover – November 14, 2017

Price
$31.49
Format
Hardcover
Pages
240
Publisher
Harper
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-0062668110
Dimensions
7.25 x 1.25 x 10.25 inches
Weight
2.15 pounds

Description

“A thick, lavender tome that will serve as your guide to all things related to the faerie kingdom. I was swept off my feet by this charming book, which filled me with nostalgia and provided a visual feast for my eyes…this is a book is a must-have.” — Elizabeth Sherman, Food & Wine From the editors of Faerie Magazine—a lush, dreamy anthology of myth and mysticism. — Buzzfeed, Ultimate Books Gift Guide 2017 This utterly charming, absolutely beautiful book gives insight into so very many aspects of Faerie. I almost wish I could come to it not knowing much about faeries; it would then be an amazing voyage of discovery. Even with my knowledge, I was still surprised and enchanted! I love it! — Wendy Froud The Faerie Handbook takes you into an enchanted realm that will make you clap your hands with belief. — San Francisco Chronicle “Faerie Magazine is known for its surreal, sumptuous illustrations, and “The Faerie Handbook” by Carolyn Turgeon and the editors is no exception. Perfect for the romantic on your list, the anthology is divided into four sections: Flora and Fauna; Fashion and Beauty; Arts and Culture; and Home, Food, and Entertaining.” — Baltimore Sun Gift Guide 2017 A masterwork in production values paired with genuinely rich and well-organized content. The illustrations are stunning. . .the quality of the literature is superb. If you mark yourself a fan of the faerie world, it’s worth taking home with you. — Cincinnati Book Review “This handbook is a love letter to those who find themselves drifting between two worlds- the mystical flower kingdom and our mundane reality… As the ultimate fairy tale, this handbook is a must read and should be in every fairy lover’s collection .” — The Luminessence Blog I can see this having the same impact on a new generation of readers as Brian Froud and Alan Lee’s Faeries did way back in 1978. It’s brimful of everything faerie, from gorgeous art to any number of fascinating tidbits of lore. — Charles de Lint “A beautiful book with a huge amount of respect for faerie, layered with a heavy understanding of historical creation and context, folklore, and fairy tale. The illustrations and photography are gorgeous. This is a definitive compendium, full of lore and legend.” — Leah Rachel von Essen, readingandwalking.com “The collected artwork alone in this volume is something I will treasure for the rest of my life. And of course the photography by Kirsty Mitchell and Katerina Plotnikova is not to be missed. Literally every single page is something to pause for and savor… even the end pages!” — Naomi, sweetvioletbeauty.com “One of the most beautiful books ever to grace a bookshelf…. To say that The Faerie Handbook is, in itself, a work of art, is an understatement. It is also a most remarkable literary endeavor by a team that are, without a doubt, experts in their field.” — June McInerney, June’s Literary Blog “This exquisite anthology welcomes you into an enchanted realm rich with myth, mystery, romance, and abounding natural beauty.” — Seeing_double_in_neverland Instagram “Every page of The Faerie Handbook is gorgeous, and it’s jam-packed with high-quality photographs and prints of famous faerie-related artwork throughout the last few centuries.” — Jana Nyman, fantasyliterature.com “As I thumbed through the pages of this special book, I was amazed at its physical beauty. And as I read, I was transported to a magical realm by itsxa0lyrical prose.” — Review by Amos Lassen “…striking and elaborate… the perfect gift for that fairy enthusiast you know.” — Amy Steele, entertainmentrealm.com “A highly curated array of vintage and contemporary fine art and photography, literature, essays, do-it-yourself projects, curious knowledge, and recipes, this lush compendium provides hours of reading, viewing, and dreaming pleasure, and a multitude of ideas for modern-day living and entertaining with a distinctive fairy touch.” — tootsbookreivews.blogspot.com “With silver edged pages adding extra magic to this already wonderfully aesthetic creation, THE FAERIE HANDBOOK is a small haven of magical clarity in a somewhat at times confused world. The book is an enchanting read full of folklore, art and magical recipes from making fairy dust to flower crowns.” — Under the Ivy “A perfect book to give at the holidays for those that love the magical allure of fairies! With an inset image on the front cover, ornate silver foil patterning on the front, spine, and back, silver stained edges, and a satin bookmark, it is a beautiful volume for all ages.” — Outnumbered3-1.com The imagination and magic of lore sparkles and enchants through the pages of The Faerie Handbook. Lavishly illustrated with a plethora of paintings and photographs, each page is a mystical treasure of sprightly beauty. — Rage This book reminded me of a younger time when I could more easily imagine the out-of-doors inhabited by sprites. Some people have never lost that sense of wonder and imagination.... This book is for them. — Montgomery News This stunning anthology appropriately covered in purple with silver accents will appeal to long time faerie lovers as well as anyone seeking to connect for the first time with their inner faerie. — Good Reads With Ronna “From start to finish, The Faerie Handbook is a beautiful book - both in content and design. The production and writing is so marvelous that even someone with only a passing interest in faeries is sure to be engaged forxa0hours poring over this magical book!” — books4yourkids.com “I’ll be honestly surprised if The Faerie Handbook doesn’t end up having the same impact and influence as Froud and Lee’s Faeries did all those years ago.” — Charles de Lint This exquisite anthology welcomes you into an enchanted realm rich withxa0 myth, mystery, romance, and abounding natural beauty. Gorgeous fine art and photographs, literature, essays, do-it-yourself projects, and recipes provide hours of reading, viewing, and dreaming pleasure along with a multitude of ideas for modern-day living and entertaining with a distrinctive fairy touch.

Features & Highlights

  • I’ll be honestly surprised if The Faerie Handbook doesn’t end up having the same impact and influence as Froud and Lee’s Faeries did all those years ago.”—Charles de Lint
  • In this exquisite anthology, Editor in Chief Carolyn Turgeon and the editors of
  • Enchanted Living Magazine
  • (formerly
  • Faerie Magazine
  • ) welcome you into an enchanted realm rich with myth, mystery, romance, and abundant natural beauty. Organized into four sections—Flora & Fauna, Fashion & Beauty, Arts & Culture, and Home, Food, & Entertaining, it offers an array of exquisite vintage and contemporary fine art and photography, literature, essays, do-it-yourself projects, and recipes. A Resources section provides a listing of Fairy Festivals and Fairy House Festivals worldwide.
  • With an inset image on the front cover, ornate silver foil patterning on the front, spine, back, and edges, and a satin bookmark,
  • The Faerie Handbook
  • is an eye-catching volume for fairy fans of all ages. Here's some of what you’ll find inside:
  • Flora & Fauna
  • : Where Fairies Live; A Listing of Fairy World Inhabitants; Katerina Plotnikova’s Fairyland (photography portfolio); Fairy House Architecture and Interiors; A Fairy Herb and Flower Almanac; The Poison Garden at Alnwick Castle; Fairy Trees; Victorian Terrariums; Animal Friends and Foes
  • Fashion & Beauty:
  • Fairy Queens; Fairy Couture (portfolio: tiny hand-crafted dresses fashioned from paper as well as real flowers); fashionable flower plates from J.J. Grandville’s book
  • Fleurs Animées
  • ; Fairy Cobblers: (portfolio: fairy shoes crafted from paper and flowers; fairy shoes for human folk); Garbed in the Garden (designer dresses for humans crafted from and embellished with live flowers); Dewdrops: The First Beauty: Elixir; Fairy Dust; Fairy Fragrances; Bathing in Fairy Style; Fairy Wings; Mori Girls
  • Part III: Art & Culture
  • :
  • A Midsummer Night’s Dream
  • ;
  • The Secret Commonwealth
  • ; How to Avoid Being Taken by Fairies; Changelings; Victorian Fairy Paintings; The Art of Arthur Rackham; Charles Vess, Cicely Mary Barker, and Brian Froud and Alan Lee; Fairytale World of Mr. Finch; Kirsty Mitchell’s Wonderland (photography portfolio), The Lady of Shalott; the Cottingley Fairy Hoax
  • Part IV:
  • Home, Food, & Entertaining
  • Midsummer Night’s Dream Garden Party; Edible Flowers; Fairy Drinks; The French Fairytale Salon of Madame d’Aulnoy; A Fairy Tea Party; Fairy Party Tips; Fairy Portals and Pathways’; Fairy Tale–Inspired Houses of Carmel-by-the-Sea
  • Projects and recipes
  • : Craft Your Own Fairy Furniture; How to Build a Flower Press; Flower Pressing Ideas and Tips; How to Make a Fairy Terrarium; How to Make a Fairy Flower Crown; How to Make Fairy Dust; The Perfect Fairy Bath; How to Construct an Arbor; Candied Violets; Flower Lollipops; Lavender Shortbread Cookies; Honey Ricotta Tart; Frosted Cranberries; Fairy Tea Cakes

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
60%
(290)
★★★★
25%
(121)
★★★
15%
(73)
★★
7%
(34)
-7%
(-34)

Most Helpful Reviews

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For Ardent Faerie Fans

Disclosure: I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

Do you judge a book by it’s cover? I know we shouldn’t but I have to admit, I certainly do. A beautiful book is like sweet icing on a cake and when the content within the book matches the outside, it’s the perfect cherry on top. I’ve seen some genuinely beautiful books in my life but The Faerie Handbook blows them all out of the water. I was immediately enchanted upon receiving The Faerie Handbook. The book is a stunning mauve color with silver foil writing and border and silver gilded paper edges. The hardcover in and of itself is a true masterpiece and can only be appreciated in person (pictures don’t do justice). At the center of the cover is an equally impressive high quality image of a barebacked fairy. The book is divided into four sections; Flora & Fauna, Fashion & Beauty, Arts & Culture and Home, Food and Entertainment exploring the in and out of the magical realm of faeries.

If you follow my blog, you know how much I absolutely love, love faeries. They’re my favorite mythological (or real, depending on your belief) creature. And The Faerie Handbook is a must-have for any and all ardent faerie admirer. This book is the holy grail for all things faeries. Throughout the book, readers will find breathtaking rich and vivid artwork/photograph gathered over the centuries. Accompanying the art are poems, literature, history/lore, arts and DIY craft instructions and so much more. The Faerie Handbook is a meticulous detailed and well written book on everything you’d want to know about faeries. I love this book in it’s entirety but if I had to pick out what I enjoyed the most from this book it’s definitely the history of faeries/folklore and the gorgeous artwork. I thought it was really cool seeing artists’ interpretations of faeries from the 1800-1900’s to present day faeries in movies and television (mentions). Faeries are mentioned in most, if not all cultures in one form or another, so it was fascinating to read what people from all over the world thought of faeries. Some people found faeries to be ethereal and beautiful, innocent childlike beings, or glamoured monsters to be fear and as a type of omen.

I recall seeing and hearing about books similar to The Faerie Handbook; but instead of focusing on faeries, there were books on vampires, werewolves and zombies. However books similar to this (supernatural encyclopedia/handbooks) are nowhere near the same level as The Faerie Handbook. It is evident that a lot of time, care, research and love went into making the handbook. From the stunning cover, to the specific contents chosen to make this book to even the smallest detail such as a violet reading ribbon.

I really enjoyed The Faerie Handbook. It is nothing like your regular 411 book or coffee table book that is there for aesthetic reasons rather than substance. Not only is this book aesthetically pleasing but the information within the book is much more worthwhile. I highly recommend The Faerie Handbook to other faerie lovers like myself or those who dream of a magical world beyond ours…because this book is truly a piece of magic. The Faerie Handbook is a must-read and deserves a spot on your forever keeper shelf to be read over and over again.
5 people found this helpful
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Buy it!!

Love it!!!!
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Beautiful

Beautifully done. Pictures are gorgeous and the lore is fun and interesting to read.
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Love it.

Beautiful book!
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Very nice book!

Beautiful book!
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Five Stars

I adore fairies and this book was fun to share with my granddaughters.
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Beautiful

Beautiful
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Beautiful Book!

I love the book it is so pretty and has so much about fairies. The only thing I didn't like is the book was cut on the fold of the spine but I will put sometime of clear glue to keep it from ripping.
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Four Stars

Beautiful book. Looking through it is magical.
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Highly recommended book from the creators of Faerie Magazine!

Beautiful, enchanting photos combined with stories of a magical sense. This book is great for anyone who loves faeries and the mythology surrounding them. There are lots of wonderfully unique craft ideas here. Highly recommended!