The Complete Grimm's Fairy Tales (Paperback)

by Brothers Grimm (Author), Josef Scharl (Author), Joseph Campbell (Narrator), Padraic Colum (Introduction)

Editorial Reviews

Review
“Among the few indispensable, common-property books upon which Western culture can be founded . . . It will be a mistake if this volume is merely bought for a child; it should be, first and foremost, an educational ‘must’ for adults.”
–W. H. Auden, The New York Times

“Here it is, clear and fine and solid, beautifully and passionately illustrated, this one book–other than the Bible–that has truly made Western man.”
–P. L. Travers, The New Republic

“Everyone should possess and know Grimm’s Fairy Tales–one of the great books of the world–and no English-speaking person could do better than this edition.”
–Richard Adams, The New York Times Book Review

“[A] splendid edition, admirably illustrated.”
–Edmund Wilson, The New Yorker

Product Description
The classic edition of 210 ageless tales of myth and magic - one of the most popular collections of fairy tales ever published.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Paperback: 880 pages
• Publisher: Pantheon (September 12, 1976)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0394709306
• ISBN-13: 978-0394709307
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #22,810 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #5 in	Books > Religion & Spirituality > Authors, A-Z > ( C ) > Campbell, Joseph
  #18 in	Books > Children's Books > Literature > Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths > Anthologies
  #23 in	Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Fairy Tales

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

84 of 85 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bed Time Stories To Curl Your Hair, May 9, 2005

By	Gary F. Taylor "GFT" (Biloxi, MS USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Complete Grimm's Fairy Tales (Pantheon Fairy Tale and Folklore Library) (Hardcover)

Born in the late 1700s in Hanau, Germany, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm were noted scholars celebrated for the documentation of German folklore--and most particularly for the documentation of folk tales that had been previously passed from generation to generation by oral tradition.

The Brothers Grimm began to publish these tales 1812 under the title Children's and Household Tales, a collection which went a then unheard of six editions during their lifetimes and a posthumous edition shortly after their deaths. In its final form, the collection contained two hundred folk tales and ten "Children's Legends," and they would have a tremendous impact on both European and American popular culture.

It is here that we find such figures as Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Hansel and Gretle, Tom Thumb, Rapunzel, and the Bremen Town Musicians--to name but a few. But be forewarned: these are not the tales as presented in such venues as The Little Golden Book series or on the big screen by Walt Disney. True enough, there is magic, wonder, and a world in which good triumphs... but there is also savage retribution, revenge, brutality, torture, and the occasional flourish of anti-semetism as well.

"Cinderella" offers a good example of the violence one often finds in these stories. Modern versions typically punish the wicked step-sisters with comic humiliation, but in the original tale their eyes are picked out by birds--and this is actually one of the less extreme retributions offered. The evil queen in the classic "Snow White" is forced to dance at Snow White's wedding... in red-hot iron shoes until she dies. Perhaps most disconcerting is the fate of the wicked servant in "The Goose Girl," who is thrown naked into a barrel driven through with spikes that is dragged by horses through the town!

Although children typically adore such gruesome details, modern parents will likely be less enthusiastic--and I myself wouldn't recommend The Brothers Grimm as bedtime story material for the very young and impressionable. They are perhaps best left to older children, especially if their taste leans to the Gothic. That said, however, the Pantheon edition is quite good, for it offers both the original German texts and English translations; it would make an excellent gift for a young language student. And the stories themselves, so often dark and brooding, deserve to be read for the long shadow they have cast re literary tradition.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

62 of 63 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Treasure for Pleasure & Scholarly Readers Alike, April 10, 2000

By	"kehk" (San Diego) - See all my reviews

Even if your not a scholar, this tremendous read-aloud reaches all the way back to the voices of the oral tradition, whose rich language and images will transport you to a magical state of being. The Frog King begins "In olden times when wishing still helped one, there lived a king whose daughters were all beautiful, but the youngest was so beautiful that the sun itself, which has seen so much, was astonished whenever it shone in her face." Try that at dusk or by candle light, and see if an awed hush doesn't fall over your listener(s)!

For those with a more serious bent, this is perhaps the most accurate English translation of the Grimm's recordings of the oral tales. The complete collection lets you compare the patterns and rhythms of language and story line. The introduction by Padraic Colum and end commentary by Joseph Campbell (some 30 pages) are an added treasure. This version is frequently used by Waldorf teachers, and is "must have" for all primary teachers and families with children.

29 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Edition Around, March 27, 1998

By A Customer

I collect fairy tale books and have seen many, but this is by far the best and most beautiful. Scharl's illustrations are absolutely wonderful! this is the only version of the stories that I use.