The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm: The Complete First Edition

Jacob Grimm · Wilhelm Grimm

Oct 2014 · Princeton University Press

About this ebook

The original vision of Grimms' tales in English for the first time

When Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm published their Children's and Household Tales in 1812, followed by a second volume in 1815, they had no idea that such stories as "Rapunzel," "Hansel and Gretel," and "Cinderella" would become the most celebrated in the world. Yet few people today are familiar with the majority of tales from the two early volumes, since in the next four decades the Grimms would publish six other editions, each extensively revised in content and style. For the very first time, The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm makes available in English all 156 stories from the 1812 and 1815 editions. These narrative gems, newly translated and brought together in one beautiful book, are accompanied by sumptuous new illustrations from award-winning artist Andrea Dezsö.

From "The Frog King" to "The Golden Key," wondrous worlds unfold—heroes and heroines are rewarded, weaker animals triumph over the strong, and simple bumpkins prove themselves not so simple after all. Esteemed fairy tale scholar Jack Zipes offers accessible translations that retain the spare description and engaging storytelling style of the originals. Indeed, this is what makes the tales from the 1812 and 1815 editions unique—they reflect diverse voices, rooted in oral traditions, that are absent from the Grimms' later, more embellished collections of tales. Zipes's introduction gives important historical context, and the book includes the Grimms' prefaces and notes.

A delight to read, The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm presents these peerless stories to a whole new generation of readers.

Ratings and reviews

A must read for kids and a reread for grannies to refresh their memories.I have a bound copy which I bought to refresh my memory to recount them to my grandson. I love all the tales my one time favourite was Cindrella then Rapunzel then The elves and the shoemaker, thus go my list. But this copy is very expensive.

The book is wonderful itself but I'm grateful I didn't even pay this much for a hardcopy. I refuse to pay that much for an electronic version had this been a collectible rare edition or something of the sort maybe, this could mean I'm cheap but that's too expensive for me.

just hope can buy it, hope they sell the hardcopy in my country (இдஇ; )

About the author

Jack Zipes is the translator of The Complete Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm (Bantam), the editor of The Great Fairy Tale Tradition (Norton), and the author of Grimm Legacies (Princeton). He is professor emeritus of German and comparative literature at the University of Minnesota. Andrea Dezsö is a visual artist who exhibits in museums and galleries worldwide and is associate professor of art at Hampshire College.