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aggressive_nostalgia's review against another edition
What can i say about Grimm's fairy tales that hasn't been iterated a dozen times over - they're gruesome, violent, depressing, occasionally bawdy, and all 260-some stories seems little more than variations on a dozen different plot lines (with, for the most part, equally unoriginal titles). Some of the tales, no matter how many times i've read them, still don't make two cents of sense ("Fair Katrinelje and Pif-Paf-Poltrie", notably). and every fifth character is named Hans, or doesn't have any name at all (do you know how many generic princesses and maidens there are in this thing?). Still, it's a nice big book to curl up in pile of pillows with. And it's a classic - you can't see the Disney versions and then not read these.
A fun collection (and i actually do usually read it cover-to-cover, although i don't really recommend that. it gets pretty dreary after an hour or two).
A fun collection (and i actually do usually read it cover-to-cover, although i don't really recommend that. it gets pretty dreary after an hour or two).
jazlem's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I read this because I feel like it's one of those books you should read in your lifetime, but a lot of the stories were similar and has the same plot line. Also the women characters had literally no automony and had no choice but to end up married to their rescuer or abuser! It got some stars because it was good to read the original tales behind the Disney classics.
emmalouise_k's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Very informative. I enjoyed reading the fairytales.
legalplanner's review against another edition
fast-paced
5.0
Listen I love the darkness that is the brothers Grimm, if you haven't read the originals give it a go.
sraev19's review against another edition
4.0
If you’re looking for the authentic Grimm’s Fairy Tales at its most gruesome and grisly, this is your book. While the Grimm brothers published seven editions of their fairy tales, each revision tamer than the last, this collection contains the original two-volume Kinder- und Hausmärchen (1812/1815). This first edition, compared to any of the others, is raw.
Translator and editor Jack Zipes says it best in his introduction: “Many of the tales in the first edition are more fabulous and baffling than those refined versions…, for they retain the pungent and naïve flavor of the oral tradition. They are stunning narratives precisely because they are so blunt and unpretentious” (xx).
This blunt and unpretentious quality of the fairy tales makes them charming, straightforward reads. Their moral themes are clear, and the diction, in taking after oral storytelling, is simple and accessible. I was cast back to the days of my childhood by the fantasy of kings and queens and talking birds and frogs, and I enjoyed breezing through a few tales each night before bed.
Of course, in addition to being comforting classics, the Grimm’s Fairy Tales are brutal. And even though I knew this, I could not stop my surprise and revulsion at each new act of brutality. The tales incorporate violence into the narratives without any embellishment or fanfare; the violence is so mundane it is chilling. Truly, this thread of horror is why the first edition of the Grimm’s Fairy Tales is a worthwhile read.
However, with that said, this collection also has a few shortcomings. For one, a disappointing number of typos litter the text. I would have expected a higher standard of quality for this book. For two, many of the tales are similar, and some are near copies of each other. Numerous times I backtracked in the book thinking I had lost my place and was rereading stories, but in fact there is a lot of duplication. For three, there are a few tales that are more like nursery rhymes with repetitive verses and little to no plot or theme, and I couldn’t see the point in these.
Although the Grimm’s Fairy Tales is a bit of an undertaking thanks to its volume of tales and repetition, it should be on everyone’s to-read list for its striking simplicity and horror.
Translator and editor Jack Zipes says it best in his introduction: “Many of the tales in the first edition are more fabulous and baffling than those refined versions…, for they retain the pungent and naïve flavor of the oral tradition. They are stunning narratives precisely because they are so blunt and unpretentious” (xx).
This blunt and unpretentious quality of the fairy tales makes them charming, straightforward reads. Their moral themes are clear, and the diction, in taking after oral storytelling, is simple and accessible. I was cast back to the days of my childhood by the fantasy of kings and queens and talking birds and frogs, and I enjoyed breezing through a few tales each night before bed.
Of course, in addition to being comforting classics, the Grimm’s Fairy Tales are brutal. And even though I knew this, I could not stop my surprise and revulsion at each new act of brutality. The tales incorporate violence into the narratives without any embellishment or fanfare; the violence is so mundane it is chilling. Truly, this thread of horror is why the first edition of the Grimm’s Fairy Tales is a worthwhile read.
However, with that said, this collection also has a few shortcomings. For one, a disappointing number of typos litter the text. I would have expected a higher standard of quality for this book. For two, many of the tales are similar, and some are near copies of each other. Numerous times I backtracked in the book thinking I had lost my place and was rereading stories, but in fact there is a lot of duplication. For three, there are a few tales that are more like nursery rhymes with repetitive verses and little to no plot or theme, and I couldn’t see the point in these.
Although the Grimm’s Fairy Tales is a bit of an undertaking thanks to its volume of tales and repetition, it should be on everyone’s to-read list for its striking simplicity and horror.
aimee_shmee's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
carlyg123's review against another edition
3.0
Tom Thumb and the little Peasant should collaborate - I imagine that would work. Although Tom wasn't particularly viscous with his intentions, his goal was actually rather reasonable, they each used a fair level of skulduggery. // And...was Clever Gretel actually clever at all? I mean the intuition was there but...greed essentially played the greatest role. // Rumplestiltskin went from being a hobgoblin to a dwarf in reference... I'm sure there are differences between the two. // As for the old woman in the chair of the "murderers' lair" how did we know she could be trusted? Why hadn't she been killed? Was she too old? Was she somehow involved? The men listened to her when she said they should stop looking for the finger. Why? Had she helped them before? Was the idea for the girl to marry and take the old woman's place? If they had wanted to kill her there would have been many opportunities. Why go to the trouble of getting married just to kill someone? In fairy tale it seems quite odd. The other girl killed was just a bound and gagged stranger - as far as we know. Her death could have been to see if the fiancée stepped in to help the girl or if she was happy to go along with the murder. She wasn't asked to explain why she didn't turn up for the party; maybe they knew she was there, really. The old woman could have escaped any time the men were out, she didn't need a sleeping draught to do that. What happened to her after? // At a certain point, the tales stopped being thought-provoking and in the end it became a drag.
bellacrusan's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
inspiring
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0