This is a collection of fairy tales gathered by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm in the early nineteenth century from oral tradition. It includes Hansel and Gretel, Cinderella, Snow White, Little Red Riding Hood, Rumpelstiltskin, The Frog King, Rapunzel and Sleeping Beauty, among many others. The brothers were philologists interested in German folk culture, and the stories are often darker than modern versions: stepmothers are cruel, children are abandoned in forests, and punishments are severe. The collection also has lesser-known tales about tailors, soldiers, clever animals and foolish men.
It is a good fit for parents and teachers, and for adults who want the original forms of stories they know from films. Folklore enthusiasts and readers curious about how fairy tales changed will also find it useful, as it shows the raw material behind modern retellings.
Balanced in tone; a moderate read.
Best for readers like The Story Seeker. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 1990
- Publisher
- Goldmann Wilhelm Verlag Gmbh
- ISBN
- 9783442004126
- Language
- DE
