Reviewed by annieb123 on
The Complete Grimm's Fairy Tales is a stunning collection based on the 1897 Margaret Hunt translation of the original tales alongside the gorgeous illustrations by Arthur Rackham from the 1909 Constable edition. This reformat and re-release contains 211 stories (The Three Sluggards and The Twelve Idle Servants are split into two stories in this collection as in the Hunt translation). Due out 4th August 2020 from Quarry on their Rock Point imprint, it's 752 pages and will be available in hardcover format (other editions available in other formats).
This is a -stunning- collection full of margin art, chapter headings, beautiful reproductions of Rackham's creepy-but-beautiful illustrations, and so many wonderful absolutely archetypal stories which resonate on an almost prehistoric consciousness. They're so much a part of our shared history that most people can't recall where they first heard them. The included support materials in this edition provide useful background context and history in the form of an erudite introduction by Dr. Lori M. Campbell, along with historical notes and a timeline, alphabetical index for finding stories quickly, and an abbreviated bibliography/further reading.
It's worth noting that these are the non-Bowdlerized versions of these stories. For people who grew up on Mother Goose, there is a lot more appendage cutting, murder, mayhem, dishonesty, and darkness here than people might remember. I had, back in my childhood, been gifted my grandmother's copy of these stories and remember being absolutely terrified by them. This is a classic historically important work, but I don't recommend them for bedtime reading for small children (unless you want them to probably grow up to be like me - a grisly fate).
This collection deserves all the stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes
Reading updates
- Started reading
- 22 July, 2020: Finished reading
- 22 July, 2020: Reviewed