The Complete Grimm's Fairy Tales

Finally finished. I have lots of thoughts about these tales and their common motifs. Pretty much, if you have a stepmother, she's wicked and dabbles in witchcraft. Trials and events happen in threes. There's always a dress of the sun, a dress of the moon, and a dress of the stars that a beautiful maiden will exchange with a false bride so that she may sleep in the same chamber as her beloved, but the false bride will give the groom a sleeping potion so that he won't hear the beautiful maiden's story and remember who she is. Luckily the servants will inform the prince and all will be made well. The cleverest son is usually the one deemed stupid or daft. If you can slip from the skin of an animal, a form you are required to take by day, show more and someone steals the skin and burns it, then you are free from your curse and will remain human. And on and on. I learned many ways to cheat the devil, so that's handy. It was enjoyable to read the original, darker versions of the tales Disney "cleaned up" and to read the tales no one ever mentions, like "Allerleirauh" which in the German means "of many different kinds of fur." "The Bremen Town Musicians" and "The Master Thief" are two of my faves. show less

With love from Mummy and Daddy Xmas 1959, I was three and the words and pictures have never left me. A rock on which the rest of my life was built. The book records a moment in time and place, defined by stories, marked on every page by the history of the world, cousin to other stories in other places all over the world and full of the expectancy of the ever changing future.

These are great stories, but the reader should be aware that they are not necessarily meant for children. Ashpuddle (Cinderella) among others is somewhat violent and graphic for young readers and listeners who may wish to stick to the Disneyfied version. However, for more mature readers this makes a wonderful read.

I loved these stories! (Even with all the gruesome parts.) Very imaginative, albeit a bit repetitive if you read them all to close together. Still, in doses they're good bedtime reading to put oneself to sleep.

Read during Fall 2002

I didn't expect Rip van Winkle to show up but all the other stories are great. I can see how they would be better as stories told on a cold night round the fire.

I loved these stories but they are definitely not intended for children. They were also more than a bi moralistic especially for Europe during the times of the Enlightenment

I loved fairy tales when I was a child, and would love to read these again sometime. There's a lot that probably went over my head the first time I read them, and I bet they'd be far juicier - and far scarier - now.