Deleted itibaren Bhelampur Urf Bhagwanpur, Uttar Pradesh, Hindistan itibaren Bhelampur Urf Bhagwanpur, Uttar Pradesh, Hindistan

It’s hard to say much about a collection such as this, when each fable can range from three sentences to no more than a page. It’s not written with character development in mind, or wordplay, or plot, or what-have-you. These compact little vignettes from Aesop are read for their pearls of wisdom, and in that, they succeed splendidly. Their straightforwardness is key to their success: There’s a problem posed, a response to it, and the consequences. The lessons imparted have a way of embedding into your mind, thanks to that selfsame simplicity. Ashliman’s translation is clear and concise, while the illustrations by Arthur Rackham add a Grimm-esque touch to the book. There are nearly three hundred fables included so, although they are short and sweet, there are a few redundancies. Still, for wisdom that has withstood the test of time and predates just about any philosopher you can name, you’d be hard-pressed to do better than Aesop. Grade: B+