Rating: Summary: Not only is it as bad as everyone says... Review: ...but the story that inspired the title isn't even a real UL. It actually happened, to an actual high school classmate of mine! The story was written up in Long Island Newsday and can be researched with some effort. [I can even supply the classmate's name via email if you want.]When you have as much going against you as this book does (and please read the other reviews for what other people think), that's a resounding vote of NO confidence. Sorry.
Rating: Summary: Not bad, good diversion but not great literature Review: 1. "No really, it's true, it happened to a freind, but I don't have the article...." Did the author write that last review as a joke???? 2. The bad writing is how the stories were written by the morons that started these emails.
Rating: Summary: Urban Legends are most often sourceless Review: A decent book, with more breadth than depth -- perfectly acceptable for the format. Designed to be a retelling of the legends, rather than a true documentation of their existence in society, the stories told get tedious after a while, like a too-long list of elephant jokes. The text is, as one reviewer already suggested, best treated as a compendium of short tidbits and humorous stories for bathroom reading and other "short form" experiences. By the way, those several reviewers herein who dismiss this book by claiming that the book fails due to a lack of origin story for most of the urban legends included have clearly not studied urban legends, nor do they understand the way they work. Urban legends are a kind of modern FOLKLORE -- and folklore, by definition, is usually orally transmitted in the original and thus has NO date of origin. See Brumveld's "The Vanishing Hitchhiker," the definitive text in the field of HOW urban legends move through culture, for more on this phenomenon -- and it gives each legend more flesh and "version comparison," and thus is far more interesting as a true book than just a compendium of stories like "Baby on the Car Roof."
Rating: Summary: Urban Legends are most often sourceless Review: A decent book, with more breadth than depth -- perfectly acceptable for the format. Designed to be a retelling of the legends, rather than a true documentation of their existence in society, the stories told get tedious after a while, like a too-long list of elephant jokes. The text is, as one reviewer already suggested, best treated as a compendium of short tidbits and humorous stories for bathroom reading and other "short form" experiences. By the way, those several reviewers herein who dismiss this book by claiming that the book fails due to a lack of origin story for most of the urban legends included have clearly not studied urban legends, nor do they understand the way they work. Urban legends are a kind of modern FOLKLORE -- and folklore, by definition, is usually orally transmitted in the original and thus has NO date of origin. See Brumveld's "The Vanishing Hitchhiker," the definitive text in the field of HOW urban legends move through culture, for more on this phenomenon -- and it gives each legend more flesh and "version comparison," and thus is far more interesting as a true book than just a compendium of stories like "Baby on the Car Roof."
Rating: Summary: The best book to keep to yourself! Review: After spending many years interacting with the public, I have found that they do Not like their Urban Legends disturbed! They want to keep thinking the strange and unusual (of often grisly)FOAF stories, even in the face of fact. They will, in fact, probably not like you for being able to show them in tangible print that this did Not happen. So keep it to yourself, perhaps a few close friends, a spouse, but keep it on hand for the occasional zealot for whom such factual books are an anethema. (mruhahaha!) Just a suggestion.
Rating: Summary: Snail mail a copy to your e-mail-happy friends Review: I purchased this book as a gift for friends and relatives who constantly bombard me with e-mails about stories they "swear really happened" (I may have to buy several hundred). This book isn't heavy reading, but contains many twists and versions of urban legends we've all read on the web or in our e-mail inboxes. I only wish it took the time to trace the origins of these urban legends and describe variations of them as I've seen on a few web sites.
Rating: Summary: No Background, Only Abridged Legends Review: I received this book as a gift for my birthday recently. The book has 222 stories which the author defines as "urban legends." The book has abbreviated versions of the legends, cutting out several details that made the originals so believable in the first place. The book has no explanation of how the legend got started, what facts may have been involved, or how the legend was proven false. The book is also a frustrating read as the editor was asleep during the book's publication. Many stories seem to have serious spelling mistakes. It seems as if the book was edited only with a computer's "spell check" command.
Rating: Summary: Disapointing book on urban legends. Review: I thought this book would discuss urban legends and give additonal information about them. It merely list the legends. We know these stories are not true, but we are not told how the stories spread or any other interesting information about them.
Rating: Summary: They want you to believe it isn't true. Review: Laugh through this compilation of some of the best urban legends, rumors and silly tales we've all heard. Unfortunately, some will read this book and claim it doesn't prove anything. Sure, thats because Queen Elizabeth, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and the committee of seven planned it that way! (wink wink). A fun book to read.
Rating: Summary: Terrible Review: No original writing, no sources, horrible editing, and a lot of material obviously taken from the Urban Legends Reference Pages web site. There are plenty of good urban legends book out there, and this isn't one of them.
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