Reviews

The English Struwwelpeter by Heinrich Hoffmann

kawelch09's review against another edition

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4.0

I would not read this book to children, reading it as an adult I can see why this traumatized so many children. Would still recommend reading it though!

martje's review against another edition

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This book taught me many things as a child but also traumatized me

alinavfoerster's review against another edition

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3.0

Lustig gereimte Kurzgeschichten. Unterhaltsam vorallem weil die Gewalt so laessig, mir nicht dir nichts heruntergespielt wird wie in Max und Moritz. Ob und wie ich das Kindern vorlesen wuerde ist eine andere Sache es ist vielleicht ein wenig zu sehr "Angstmacherei damit ihr euch benehmt".

jnepal's review against another edition

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2.0

Heinrich was a psychiatrist?

One of the stories is racially ignorant, I think that’s the best way to put it? And the others are kinda gross, I think, for children.

The 2 stars is because, in a strange way, I was fascinated by the stories and why in the ever-living-Jupiter anyone would write a book for children this way?

candacerobinsonauthor's review against another edition

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5.0

I was interested in this book first because the cover gave me Edward Scissorhand vibes and then also because it had off the wall stories! And guess, what? It did not let me down!

Honestly, I wish I had known about this book sooner! In my childhood years when I used to read Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark and Goosebumps, this would have been right there with them! The quirkiness! I miss old books! Books like Madeline, Where the Wild Things Are, etc.!

What I love about older books is that the authors weren't scared to tell their stories. You could have fun with it, be dark, and it was still beautifully humorous! The illustrations were my absolute favorite in this with their eccentricness! I recommend this one to anyone who has no sensitivity issues or gets easily offended!

reader44ever's review against another edition

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3.0

While I found the poems clever and entertaining, they were a bit too gruesome for me. And while I can understand their appeal to certain children, I would not have liked them as a child, nor do I want my nieces to read them until they're much older - like in their 30s. :)

My favorites were two of the milder stories: "The Story of the Inky Boys," for its treatment of racism; I loved that the bigoted boys got more than a taste of their own medicine. And "The Story of Flying Robert," for the imagery of flying away in a storm. I think that would be quite a fun adventure!

bplache's review against another edition

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dark funny lighthearted fast-paced
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

balancinghistorybooks's review against another edition

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3.0

In all truth, this would have terrified me as a child. It is cleverly put together, and put me in mind of The Brothers Grimm, which is never a bad thing. Interesting to read from an adult perspective, but probably nothing I'd ever gift to an impressionable child!

amandaalexandre's review against another edition

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4.0

This is a short, classic children's book written in verse. It is educational, and warns kids about the dangers of not eating, disobeying parents, mistreating animals... And despite being a little too graphic, it is all very clever, and the rhymes are fun to say aloud.

I'd read it along with my kid, and would explain the messed up parts so he'd get the gist of the moral message.

Read it in minutes to have fun:
http://www.archive.org/stream/englishstruwwelp00hoffrich#page/n53/mode/2up