The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm
by jacob and wilhelm grimm
translated and edited by jack zipes
princeton, 568 pages, $35
F
or two hundred years, the Grimms’ fairy tales have charmed the world. Yet their wide circulation has gone hand in hand with a systematic dilution. Translated, rewritten, retold, the stories have often changed their character, and while some—Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty, for example—have become classics of children’s literature and Hollywood films, many of the stories originally collected have fallen into obscurity.
Fortunately, the two volumes of the Grimms’ initial, unexpurgated publication are now available in an engaging English translation by Jack Zipes, an international leader in the study of fairy tales who masterfully captures the tone and ambience of the first version. The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm is a gift to any lover of fantastic tales.
