Reviews
"For a long time, Jack Zipes has explored fairy tale territory with an unstoppable love and prodigious energy. Now, in this complete translation of the first two editions of the Grimms' famous tales, Zipes has redrawn the map we thought we knew, and the Brothers' stories are made wonderfully strange again. This new and indispensable volume is beautifully presented." --Marina Warner, author of Stranger Magic: Charmed States and the Arabian Nights, "What a treat these stories are, presented to readers now with [Jack Zipes'] masterful translations. The tales are, in turn, moving, brutal, and always unequivocally plainspoken, a refreshing thing to read after so many edited versions. The book also includes exquisite black-and-white cut-paper illustrations from visual artist Andrea Dezsö." --Julie Danielson, Kirkus, As nature, admittedly sharp in tooth, claw and thorn, intended. ---James Kidd, South China Morning Post, "[ The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm: The Complete First Edition ] tempts like the devil to read the tales again, gasp at their brazen heroes, and wander their forest paths." ---Willis Goth Regier, World Literature Today, One of Choice 's Outstanding Academic Titles for 2015 One of The Independent 's Best Books of 2014 One of South China Morning Post 's Best Books of 2014 One of The Globe and Mail 75 Book Ideas for Christmas 2014, "We might wonder what the Brothers Grimm would think of [the] evolution of their oeuvre, which was originally, quite frankly, pretty grim. . . . Consider these examples, from [this] English translation of the first edition by the Brothers Grimm--and perhaps don't share them with your children at bedtime." ---Victoria Marston, Country Life Magazine, "A far more unsettling, exhilarating, oral and adult encounter than you might expect of 'fairy stories.'" --Arifa Akbar, Independent, [T]he new Zipes translation of the first edition, with all its notes and annotations, is a must, a treasure for anyone with a serious interest in fairy tales, the motifs of which linger perpetually in the collective mind. ---Carmel Bird, Sydney Morning Herald, "[T]hese unexpurgated Grimms' stories are really for older readers who want to delve into the strange stuff that is German folk tales. Deszö's black and white cut-paper illustrations convey a world in which boundaries between the practical and improbable are as fluid and shifting as a dream. 'The miraculous makes self-evident what is wrong with the real world,' writes Zipes in his learned, accessible introduction, and that's as good a key as any by which to enter this extraordinary territory." --Deirdre Baker, Toronto Star, With Disney's adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's fairy tale mash-up musical Into the Woods finding a wide, wide-smiling reception at the box office, it's the perfect time to consider the source: Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm's dark and stormy tales. . . . Andrea Dezsö's illustrations--black-and-white, woodcut-like silhouettes--add the right note of eerie timelessness to these wondrous, wondrously strange yarns. ---Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer, Jack Zipes's new translation of the original two volumes of the Grimm Brothers' fairy tales is a revelation. . . . I know I'll be going back to this book, time and again in the years to come. ---Benjamin Read, Books To Look For, "Never before published in English, the first edition of the Brothers Grimms' tales reveals an unsanitised version of the stories that have been told at bedtime for more than 200 years. . . . His version of the original 156 stories . . . shows a very different side to the well-known tales, as well as including some gruesome new additions." --Alison Flood, The Guardian, [T]hese unexpurgated Grimms' stories are really for older readers who want to delve into the strange stuff that is German folk tales. Deszö's black and white cut-paper illustrations convey a world in which boundaries between the practical and improbable are as fluid and shifting as a dream. 'The miraculous makes self-evident what is wrong with the real world,' writes Zipes in his learned, accessible introduction, and that's as good a key as any by which to enter this extraordinary territory. ---Deirdre Baker, Toronto Star, "[A]ccepted as probably the world's greatest authority on the Grimms and fairy tales in general, Zipes is well qualified to redress the common perception of the brothers' published works." ---Kevin Murphy, Magonia, This collection contains many of the most-loved fairy tales in the history of the form . . . The book is a classic, formed like a mosaic of precious small pieces, each one glinting with its own color and character, glass and crystalline, but somehow hard, unyielding. ---Marina Warner, New York Review of Books, "[A] faithful translation--accompanied by striking black-and-white illustrations, evocative of shadow theatre, by Andrea Dezsö. . . . [T]he Grimms are spare, spinning the tales into beautifully wrought short stories." ---Francesca Wade, Times Literary Supplement, "The new book, published by Princeton University Press, offers a fascinating insight into how the collection has changed with the times." ---Nick Enoch, Mail Online, The venerable Jack Zipes, one of the shiniest scholars in fairy tale studies, has brought us a lovely treat, which is a new translation of the first edition of the Grimm Fairy Tales, decorated with wonderfully creepy illustrations by Andrea Dezsö. . . . It's an excellent little book. If not a replacement for whatever illustrated fairy tale collection you had as a child, it's certainly a valuable addition to the library of a fairytale-loving child or adult., Zipes has produced the inaugural English translation of the two original volumes in a gutsy, robust style--warts-and-all. ---Marguerite Johnson, The Conversation, "Thoroughly engaging, Zipes' translations into colloquial American English breathe life into these stories. Award-winning artist Andrea Dezsö's cut-paper black and white illustrations capture the essence of this strange and enchanting world that will entice fans of mystical realms and those interested in better understanding the Grimms' enduring influence on literature." --Barbara Basbanes Richter, Fine Books & Collections, "Never before published in English, the first edition of the Brothers Grimms' tales reveals an unsanitised version of the stories that have been told at bedtime for more than 200 years. . . . His version of the original 156 stories . . . shows a very different side to the well-known tales, as well as including some gruesome new additions." ---Alison Flood, The Guardian, "[T]he new Zipes translation of the first edition, with all its notes and annotations, is a must, a treasure for anyone with a serious interest in fairy tales, the motifs of which linger perpetually in the collective mind." --Carmel Bird, Sydney Morning Herald, It's one thing to read Zipes's erudite commentary on the tales, and quite another to discover these differences for oneself in the reading experience, and thus I encourage folklorists, fairy-tale scholars, and lay readers alike to peruse the pages of the first edition of the Grimms' tales. The illustrations by Andrea Dezsö--stark, simple, and beautiful--are an additional treat. ---Jeana Jorgensen, Journal of Folklore Research, "Thoroughly engaging, Zipes' translations into colloquial American English breathe life into these stories. Award-winning artist Andrea Dezsö's cut-paper black and white illustrations capture the essence of this strange and enchanting world that will entice fans of mystical realms and those interested in better understanding the Grimms' enduring influence on literature." ---Barbara Basbanes Richter, Fine Books & Collections, "[T]he new Zipes translation of the first edition, with all its notes and annotations, is a must, a treasure for anyone with a serious interest in fairy tales, the motifs of which linger perpetually in the collective mind." ---Carmel Bird, Sydney Morning Herald, "[M]agnificent . . . what makes this newly released original volume especially enchanting are the breathtaking illustrations by Romanian-born artist Andrea Dezsö." ---Maria Popova, Brain Pickings, "[R]emarkable. . . . Zipes's introduction . . . is illuminating. . . . This is the uncut Brothers Grimm: shocking, funny, and at times downright weird." --Rebecca K. Morrison, Independent, This new translation . . . allows those without German expertise a chance to re-experience familiar stories in all their original Hemingwayesque terseness. ---Michael Dirda, Washington Post, "A far more unsettling, exhilarating, oral and adult encounter than you might expect of 'fairy stories.'" ---Arifa Akbar, Independent, "This complete, unexpurgated, and insightfully annotated English-language edition of the Grimms' tales keeps readers anchored in the timeless world of the fairy tale. It will be treasured by all lovers of stories. Irresistible and unputdownable." --Shelley Frisch, translator of Kafka: The Years of Insight, "What a treat these stories are, presented to readers now with [Jack Zipes'] masterful translations. The tales are, in turn, moving, brutal, and always unequivocally plainspoken, a refreshing thing to read after so many edited versions. The book also includes exquisite black-and-white cut-paper illustrations from visual artist Andrea Dezsö." ---Julie Danielson, Kirkus, [A]ccepted as probably the world's greatest authority on the Grimms and fairy tales in general, Zipes is well qualified to redress the common perception of the brothers' published works. ---Kevin Murphy, Magonia, "Zipes has produced the inaugural English translation of the two original volumes in a gutsy, robust style--warts-and-all." --Marguerite Johnson, The Conversation, "Zipes's translation of the first edition of the collection by the Brothers Grimm is a wonderful addition to the material available in English." --Rowan Williams, New Statesman, The new book, published by Princeton University Press, offers a fascinating insight into how the collection has changed with the times. ---Nick Enoch, Mail Online, "[B]eguiling collections that are both a showcase of the enduring fascination with tales of the marvelous and strange and a celebration of those scholars who continue to research the realm of folklore. They unearth gems, and further our understanding of the stories and storytellers' place in the cultural history of their respective countries and, more broadly, in the universal human need to tell and listen to stories. . . . The rewards of these collections are irresistible." --Rebecca K. Morrison, Independent, Never before published in English, the first edition of the Brothers Grimms' tales reveals an unsanitised version of the stories that have been told at bedtime for more than 200 years. . . . His version of the original 156 stories . . . shows a very different side to the well-known tales, as well as including some gruesome new additions. ---Alison Flood, The Guardian, [B]eguiling collections that are both a showcase of the enduring fascination with tales of the marvelous and strange and a celebration of those scholars who continue to research the realm of folklore. They unearth gems, and further our understanding of the stories and storytellers' place in the cultural history of their respective countries and, more broadly, in the universal human need to tell and listen to stories. . . . The rewards of these collections are irresistible. ---Rebecca K. Morrison, Independent, "[R]emarkable. . . . Zipes's introduction . . . is illuminating. . . . This is the uncut Brothers Grimm: shocking, funny, and at times downright weird." ---Rebecca K. Morrison, Independent, "With Disney's adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's fairy tale mash-up musical Into the Woods finding a wide, wide-smiling reception at the box office, it's the perfect time to consider the source: Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm's dark and stormy tales. . . . Andrea Dezsö's illustrations--black-and-white, woodcut-like silhouettes--add the right note of eerie timelessness to these wondrous, wondrously strange yarns." ---Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer, [M]agnificent . . . what makes this newly released original volume especially enchanting are the breathtaking illustrations by Romanian-born artist Andrea Dezsö. ---Maria Popova, Brain Pickings, "Zipes is on a lifelong mission, as ardent as the Grimms', to bring fairy tales into circulation for the general increase of pleasure, mutual and ethical understanding, and everyone in the field, including myself, has been helped by him: his prodigious energy seems as inexhaustible as the fairy-tale purse that never empties. He has also worked fervently as a translator across a wide swath of German, French, and Italian literature from the medieval tales to modernist experimental fiction. (He is the editor of the current Princeton series Oddly Modern Fairy Tales , which has brought out collections by Kurt Schwitters and Béla Balász - the author of the libretto for Bartok's Bluebeard's Castle ." --Maria Warner, New York Review of Books, "[ The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm: The Complete First Edition ] tempts like the devil to read the tales again, gasp at their brazen heroes, and wander their forest paths." --Willis Goth Regier, World Literature Today, "The new book, published by Princeton University Press, offers a fascinating insight into how the collection has changed with the times." --Nick Enoch, Mail Online, "The venerable Jack Zipes, one of the shiniest scholars in fairy tale studies, has brought us a lovely treat, which is a new translation of the first edition of the Grimm Fairy Tales, decorated with wonderfully creepy illustrations by Andrea Dezsö. . . . It's an excellent little book. If not a replacement for whatever illustrated fairy tale collection you had as a child, it's certainly a valuable addition to the library of a fairytale-loving child or adult." -- Reading the End, "As nature, admittedly sharp in tooth, claw and thorn, intended." ---James Kidd, South China Morning Post, "[A] faithful translation--accompanied by striking black-and-white illustrations, evocative of shadow theatre, by Andrea Dezsö. . . . [T]he Grimms are spare, spinning the tales into beautifully wrought short stories." --Francesca Wade, Times Literary Supplement, Who wouldn't want to read a story called The Singing Bone ? 156 fables--their collected works--newly translated but easily just as creepy and weird., [R]emarkable. . . . Zipes's introduction . . . is illuminating. . . . This is the uncut Brothers Grimm: shocking, funny, and at times downright weird. ---Rebecca K. Morrison, Independent, "A massive and brilliant accomplishment--the first English translation of the original Grimm brothers' fairy tales. The plain telling is that much more forceful for its simplicity and directness, particularly in scenes of naked self-concern and brutality. Hate, spite, love, magic, all self-evident, heartbreaking, delightful. I will return to this book over and over, no doubt about it." --Donna Jo Napoli, author of The Wager, "Jack Zipes's new translation of the original two volumes of the Grimm Brothers' fairy tales is a revelation. . . . I know I'll be going back to this book, time and again in the years to come." --Benjamin Read, Books To Look For, "This collection contains many of the most-loved fairy tales in the history of the form . . . The book is a classic, formed like a mosaic of precious small pieces, each one glinting with its own color and character, glass and crystalline, but somehow hard, unyielding." --Maria Warner, New York Review of Books, "Jack Zipes's translations of the 156 tales in this significant edition are truly exquisite." --Ulrich C. Knoepflmacher, author of Ventures into Childland: Victorians, Fairy Tales, and Femininity, The U.S.'s most prolific and deeply insightful fairy tales scholar, Zipes offers a keen and sophisticated, fresh and colloquia, first-time translation--complete with discerning introduction--of the Grimm's original two-volume opus of 156 stories, first published in 1812 and 1815., "Zipes puts forth expert and readable analysis and thoughts on the Grimms, and provides an excellent critical starting point to foster interest in the brothers' history and continuing legacy." --Sam Harby, Nudge Books, "This new translation . . . allows those without German expertise a chance to re-experience familiar stories in all their original Hemingwayesque terseness." ---Michael Dirda, Washington Post, "[B]eguiling collections that are both a showcase of the enduring fascination with tales of the marvelous and strange and a celebration of those scholars who continue to research the realm of folklore. They unearth gems, and further our understanding of the stories and storytellers' place in the cultural history of their respective countries and, more broadly, in the universal human need to tell and listen to stories. . . . The rewards of these collections are irresistible." ---Rebecca K. Morrison, Independent, What a treat these stories are, presented to readers now with [Jack Zipes'] masterful translations. The tales are, in turn, moving, brutal, and always unequivocally plainspoken, a refreshing thing to read after so many edited versions. The book also includes exquisite black-and-white cut-paper illustrations from visual artist Andrea Dezsö. ---Julie Danielson, Kirkus, "Zipes puts forth expert and readable analysis and thoughts on the Grimms, and provides an excellent critical starting point to foster interest in the brothers' history and continuing legacy." ---Sam Harby, Nudge Books, "[T]hese unexpurgated Grimms' stories are really for older readers who want to delve into the strange stuff that is German folk tales. Deszö's black and white cut-paper illustrations convey a world in which boundaries between the practical and improbable are as fluid and shifting as a dream. 'The miraculous makes self-evident what is wrong with the real world,' writes Zipes in his learned, accessible introduction, and that's as good a key as any by which to enter this extraordinary territory." ---Deirdre Baker, Toronto Star, "[A]ccepted as probably the world's greatest authority on the Grimms and fairy tales in general, Zipes is well qualified to redress the common perception of the brothers' published works." --Kevin Murphy, Magonia, A far more unsettling, exhilarating, oral and adult encounter than you might expect of 'fairy stories.' ---Arifa Akbar, Independent, "Zipes, who edited and translated the new collection, has done splendid work, first in arguing for the early tales' significance. . . . Zipes' most important achievement, though, is simply putting the complete, uncensored tales before readers to judge for themselves. . . . The Original Folk and Fairy Tales --beautifully illustrated by Andrea Dezsö, by the way--isn't the Disneyfied version of the Brothers Grimm that we all grew up with. But for readers whose tastes lean more to, say, Tim Burton, wading into the collection might feel like stumbling into an agreeably dark and Gothic forest." ---Doug Childers, Richmond Times-Dispatch, "Zipes, who edited and translated the new collection, has done splendid work, first in arguing for the early tales' significance. . . . Zipes' most important achievement, though, is simply putting the complete, uncensored tales before readers to judge for themselves. . . . The Original Folk and Fairy Tales --beautifully illustrated by Andrea Dezsö, by the way--isn't the Disneyfied version of the Brothers Grimm that we all grew up with. But for readers whose tastes lean more to, say, Tim Burton, wading into the collection might feel like stumbling into an agreeably dark and Gothic forest." --Doug Childers, Richmond Times-Dispatch, "The U.S.'s most prolific and deeply insightful fairy tales scholar, Zipes offers a keen and sophisticated, fresh and colloquia, first-time translation--complete with discerning introduction--of the Grimm's original two-volume opus of 156 stories, first published in 1812 and 1815." -- Choice, Thoroughly engaging, Zipes' translations into colloquial American English breathe life into these stories. Award-winning artist Andrea Dezsö's cut-paper black and white illustrations capture the essence of this strange and enchanting world that will entice fans of mystical realms and those interested in better understanding the Grimms' enduring influence on literature. ---Barbara Basbanes Richter, Fine Books & Collections, Zipes's translation of the first edition of the collection by the Brothers Grimm is a wonderful addition to the material available in English. ---Rowan Williams, New Statesman, [ The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm: The Complete First Edition ] tempts like the devil to read the tales again, gasp at their brazen heroes, and wander their forest paths. ---Willis Goth Regier, World Literature Today, Zipes, who edited and translated the new collection, has done splendid work, first in arguing for the early tales' significance. . . . Zipes' most important achievement, though, is simply putting the complete, uncensored tales before readers to judge for themselves. . . . The Original Folk and Fairy Tales --beautifully illustrated by Andrea Dezsö, by the way--isn't the Disneyfied version of the Brothers Grimm that we all grew up with. But for readers whose tastes lean more to, say, Tim Burton, wading into the collection might feel like stumbling into an agreeably dark and Gothic forest. ---Doug Childers, Richmond Times-Dispatch, "Zipes has produced the inaugural English translation of the two original volumes in a gutsy, robust style--warts-and-all." ---Marguerite Johnson, The Conversation, "Who wouldn't want to read a story called The Singing Bone ? 156 fables--their collected works--newly translated but easily just as creepy and weird." -- Globe and Mail, "This new translation . . . allows those without German expertise a chance to re-experience familiar stories in all their original Hemingwayesque terseness." --Michael Dirda, Washington Post, "As nature, admittedly sharp in tooth, claw and thorn, intended." --James Kidd, South China Morning Post, "Zipes's translation of the first edition of the collection by the Brothers Grimm is a wonderful addition to the material available in English." ---Rowan Williams, New Statesman, "This English translation of the landmark first edition of Grimms' folk and fairy tales makes available a very important text to everyone with an interest in these stories." --Donald Haase, Wayne State University, "It's one thing to read Zipes's erudite commentary on the tales, and quite another to discover these differences for oneself in the reading experience, and thus I encourage folklorists, fairy-tale scholars, and lay readers alike to peruse the pages of the first edition of the Grimms' tales. The illustrations by Andrea Dezsö--stark, simple, and beautiful--are an additional treat." ---Jeana Jorgensen, Journal of Folklore Research, "[M]agnificent . . . what makes this newly released original volume especially enchanting are the breathtaking illustrations by Romanian-born artist Andrea Dezsö." --Maria Popova, Brain Pickings, "Jack Zipes's new translation of the original two volumes of the Grimm Brothers' fairy tales is a revelation. . . . I know I'll be going back to this book, time and again in the years to come." ---Benjamin Read, Books To Look For, "It's one thing to read Zipes's erudite commentary on the tales, and quite another to discover these differences for oneself in the reading experience, and thus I encourage folklorists, fairy-tale scholars, and lay readers alike to peruse the pages of the first edition of the Grimms' tales. The illustrations by Andrea Dezsö--stark, simple, and beautiful--are an additional treat." --Jeana Jorgensen, Journal of Folklore Research, [A] faithful translation--accompanied by striking black-and-white illustrations, evocative of shadow theatre, by Andrea Dezsö. . . . [T]he Grimms are spare, spinning the tales into beautifully wrought short stories. ---Francesca Wade, Times Literary Supplement, Zipes puts forth expert and readable analysis and thoughts on the Grimms, and provides an excellent critical starting point to foster interest in the brothers' history and continuing legacy. ---Sam Harby, Nudge Books, "This collection contains many of the most-loved fairy tales in the history of the form . . . The book is a classic, formed like a mosaic of precious small pieces, each one glinting with its own color and character, glass and crystalline, but somehow hard, unyielding." ---Marina Warner, New York Review of Books, "With Disney's adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's fairy tale mash-up musical Into the Woods finding a wide, wide-smiling reception at the box office, it's the perfect time to consider the source: Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm's dark and stormy tales. . . . Andrea Dezsö's illustrations--black-and-white, woodcut-like silhouettes--add the right note of eerie timelessness to these wondrous, wondrously strange yarns." --Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer
