Grimm, Jacob and Grimm, Wilhelm, Grimm. Edited by Jack David Zipes.The Complete Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm All-New Third Edition (Volume I). New York : Bantam Books, 2003.
Plot: A collection of the German fairy tales originally found by the Grimm brothers. Many of the tales, such as "Hansel and Gretel," "Rapunzel," and "The Frog King" remain extremely popular. Others echo more popular stories, such as "Red-Cap" (known better through the French variation of "Little Red Riding Hood"). Some, however, never really appear to get the attention they deserve, such as "The Youth Who Went Forth to Learn What Fear Was." In this less-than-famous tale, elements of ghost stories, comedies, romance, and girl power mingle to create a remarkably amusing story.
Genre: Fairy Tales
Reading Level: While almost anyone above the 5th grade can probably read it, some of the concepts presented in the stories (such as damnation, infancide, capital punishment, and cannabalism) may not be suitable for some readers.
Similar Titles: Best-Loved Folktales of the World, The Complete Tales of the Brothers Grimm
Personal Thoughts: Grim indeed. Actually, I liked many of the stories, but they do reveal some of humanity's darker history, when subjects like cruel and unusual punishment were accepted, if not encouraged. Still, many of the tales resonate with people, since they generally display the triumph of the weak, the forgotten, the lonely, and the unexpected. Unsurprisingly, the collection influences culture and entertainment, as Disney, Hollywood, art, and music continue to display.
Side note: please tell me I am not the only one who finds the Volume I aspect of the title ironic.
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