Malachite Casket: Tales from the Urals

A really neat collection of fairytales from the Ural mountains of Russia. For the American reader, who will likely be familiar with mostly German and English fables, these stories are completely unique and refreshingly different. Tame enough for children, but strange enough to keep the interest of an adult. Aside from the last story- a kind of bizarre nod to Lenin- I thoroughly enjoyed the collection.In this edition, there is one tale which is misprinted in such a way that the last page is missing. Unfortunately, however, this is a difficult book to get a hold of; all other English-language editions seem to be antiques costing upwards of $100. So despite the missing page, this $30 Amazon copy is worth the money.

I always loved Ural folk tales and now I am happy my children will enjoy them too.

This book may strike some as a slow read, but it's full of great insights into human nature. I love its blend of history and fantasy.

Nice tales. Will appeal a lot to people who are interested in mineralogy or mining. Well written

Really unique tales from Urals! Nothing of the sort found in other narrations.Written with beautiful original language.An absolute masterpiece!

I loved this book when I was growing up. The stories are magical, unique, and kind of dark. The illustrations are beautiful.

Translation leaves something to be desired, still worth reading, though.

Tales from Urals.Tales of minerals , miners , crystals , gems.Simply peerless.Thanks to amazon , because without amazon I can not get a copy of this rare book for my own bookshelf.