Strange and Secret Peoples

"This is an entertaining and informative study of Victorian culture....Provides some of the most original reading on the subject we have."--The New York Times Book Review
"Highly accessible....This is essential for academic libraries, and highly recommended for public libraries as well."--Library Journal
"Silver's superb study of the Victorian fascination with fairylore and folklore reveals how pervasive and significant the belief in fairies was and still may be in British culture. Silver traces the evolution of fairy images throughout the nineteenth century and convincingly demonstrates how they provide important commentary on changing tastes and attitudes of the British, who took the fairies very seriously. Her book is filled with fascinating case studies of changelings, fairy brides, goblins, and banshei, transformed into representative figures of Victorian beliefs in discourses about utilitarianism, race, gender, and industrialism. Not only does she deal with the intertextuality of fairylore in society and literature, but she also discusses painting, music, ballet, theater, and folklore. This book is required reading--and delightful reading--for anyone interested in the 'secret people' who captivated the Victorians throughout the nineteenth century."--Jack Zipes, University of Minnesota
"Strange and Secret Peoples is concerned not with eminent Victorians, but with the 'little people'--fairies, elves, mermaids and the like--in whom those eminent Victorians believed. With cogency, clarity, and learning, Carole Silver maps the intricacies of nineteenth-century faith in fairy lore, a faith perhaps more vital in British life than official, organized religion. [This book] is a scintillating work that will appeal to everyone interested in nineteenth-century England, in odd gods and folk beliefs, and, of course, to all readers who believe in fairies."--Nina Auerbach, University of Pennsylvania