Customer Reviews

The Big Book of Grimm (Factoid Books)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Anyone who believes that the Grimm brothers' collection of folk and fairy tales are too gruesome for children will be given ample ammunition by this volume. Actually, I remember reading these stories as a kid, and I wasn't adversely affected by the violence or grisly nature of the tales. I think children are better at discriminating between fantasy and reality than adults give them credit for.

But I digress. What we have here, in the latest in the "Big Book" series, are over 50 tales from the Grimm collection, some famous, some not, but all authentically told and marvellously illustrated by some of the best comics artists working today.

For anyone turned off by the notion of comics, this volume should eliminate any reservations. I am not a comics or graphic novel fan myself, but this book is truly well-done. All artwork is appropriate to the various tales, running from the whimsical ("Clever Hans" and "Dog and Sparrow"), the beautiful ("Hansel & Gretel" and "Snow White") to the unusual ("Bearskin" and "Mother Hulda"). If you are a fan of the Grimm stories or of the Big Book series, I heartily recommend this book.

Art by Charles Vess and Colleen Doran are the highlights of this book which doesn't cut the gut from the wild old tales of the Brother's Grimm, but some of the art in this book is pretty awful. When you have 60 cartoonists contributing, naturally, quality will vary. It's great, quick reading, though.

When I started to read this book I couldnt put it down. The tales that it has were so interesting. Its your favorite fairy tales with a twist. I myself wouldnt read it my children even though it says its for the whole family. One of the best out of the big book series.

Another wonder from Paradox Press! In "The Big Book of Grimm," the old stories of the Brothers Grimm are brought to life. See the parts that Walt Disney left out! These fairy tales aren't for kids!

I've been a fan of the "Big Book of..." series for a while now & this is one of the books I've been meaning to get for a long time.

This entry into the series collects various fairy tales from the Brothers Grimm, including such great stories as "All Soot", "The Goose Girl", "The Fox's Widow" & my personal favorite "Mother Hulda". Since these stories have been handed down via an oral tradition, there are many different versions out here- so don't be surprised if you find that one of these stories are different from what you are familiar with! (The Brothers Grimm traveled & collected stories from all over & they had discovered that there are many different versions out there of the fairy tales.)

Overall, I really did enjoy this book. The art style in the book differs from story to story, which works for many of the tales in here. You have some of the more humorous tales ("Clever Hans") drawn with a more playful hand, while others ("All Soot") have been drawn to be a little more somber & serious.

While I don't find anything truly objectionable in this book, some parents might not like some of the subject matter in one or two of the stories (violence, incest) & I recommend that they read over the book first so they can be aware of the stories & be able to discuss this with their children.

If you want more Brothers Grimm, I suggest that you check out one of the compilations of fairy tales that are out on the market, the best of which is The Complete Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm. It collects many of the different versions & makes for a great companion piece to this book!

I love the stories told in the book. They are the real stories as they were to be told originally. The comics are drawn in various styles, so you don't get bored of seeing the same drawing style. These stories tell many lessons, some, though, are just entertaining. I recommend this book to comic fans or to people who like fairy tales-but are older than thirteen.

Like all the others in the Factoid books line, this book lays out 50-something fairy tales in all their gruesome glory in consice, information-packed comics. The graphic novel-esque medium allows readers to cut to the chase of each tale the way written prose cannot. Highly recommended.

When I bought this book I didn't know what to expect. what I found ws a wonderfully illustrated book full of entertaining and yet horrid storys. If you like Grimm or just plain fairy tales this is the book for you! THere are many storys that have hidden morals and some that aren't hidden at all.

I liked the book a lot, but when I first got it I hadn't paid attention to the fact that it is a graphic novel. I thought there were just illustrations. I wasn't exactly expecting a comic book. The book is very good, and it does have original endings and doesn't edit itself for a "g" rating, that's true. However, some of the stories seem a little rushed, as if there was just not enough room for more detail since they had so much illustration. It was a quick read and it was good, but I'm kind of glad I didn't buy it.