The Grateful Dead: The History of a Folk Story

"The Grateful Dead: The History of a Folk Story" by Gordon Hall Gerould is a study of how a specific story theme appears in different cultures. It examines folk tales, particularly how they change and mix together over time. The book points out that "The Grateful Dead" narrative involves a central character who does something good for someone who has died, and this action leads to help from beyond the grave later on. The author builds a background for examining the theme in various stories from different cultures. It's about spotting those repeated story elements and seeing the big picture across folk narratives, while recognizing that other experts have looked at this theme previously. The book suggests a close reading of the stories themselves.