Selected Tales (Classics) By Brothers Grimm

Very interesting introduction and very good translation. Pity not all the tales are there.The book is for an adult. folklore Love the binding and cover. The book was delivered in perfect condition. Very happy. This is not so much a conventional negative review as it is a warning. It is not clearly noted in the description of the book, but several of these stories are not in easily readable mainstream English. Rather, they are in dialect that is, in accents written down phonetically. Six of the sixty five are in Scots, two in Irish (which apparently means writing Oi instead of I).Speaking only for myself, I don't much like this sort of thing, simply because it is hard to read. I understand the reasoning behind it the introduction points out that these stories were originally in regional dialects, Swiss German or Austrian. But the effect, in practice, is not to make the stories seem natural and authentic. Dialect written down actually looks inauthentic and is harder to read than clear prose. There is something very artificial almost patronisingly artificial about writing rualed instead of ruled or darter instead of daughter.Ultimately, whether or not you think this is a good strategy depends entirely on your tolerance for this kind of thing. If you like reading large passages in simulated dialect, then by all means go ahead and buy this and it does only apply to eight of the sixty five stories included. If not, they might come as a rather nasty surprise. I first found this book in store and love the way the cover feels, it’s like a soft faux leather, and the colour is gorgeous with the rose gold. A great classic keepsake. Brothers Grimm The book itself is beautiful, all of the embossing and gold guilding is beautiful, but it has clearly been stored wrong, with all of the pages warped. It's pretty minor and I'm sure some people would not care but when I spend £20 on a book I expect it to be perfect and undamaged

Selected Tales contains some of the most timeless and enchanting folk and fairy tales collected by the Brothers Grimm, translated with an introduction by David Luke in Penguin Classics.

These folktales collected by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm are among the most memorable stories in European culture conjuring up a world of spells and bewitchment, outwitted villains and cruel stepmothers, animal bridegrooms and enchanted princesses. Tales such as Hansel and Gretel, Little Red Cape and The Robber Bridegroom depict the dangers lurking in dark forests, and others, including Briar Rose and Snow White show young beauties punished by unforgiving sorceresses. Other tales include Thickasathumb, which portrays a childless young couple whose wish for a baby is granted in an unexpected way, while The Frog King tells of a rash promise made by a haughty princess to share her bed with a frog, and a fortune is won in The Blue Lamp, when a soldier gains a kingdom with the help of a magic lamp.

David Lukes vibrant translation is accompanied by an introduction discussing the key themes of the tales and the literary background of the Brothers Grimm. This edition also includes new further reading and a chronology, with notes and a glossary.

Jacob (1785 1863) and Wilhelm (1786 1859) are nowadays simply known as the brothers Grimm. Both brothers were state appointed librarians in Kassel, and later members of the Academy of Arts and Sciences in Berlin, where Frederick William IV of Prussia had invited them to settle. Two of Germanys greatest scholars, Jacob is regarded as the founder of the scientific study of the German language, and with his brother Wilhelm initiated the Deutsches Wrterbuch, a dictionary of all words in modern High German since 1450.

If you enjoyed the Selected Tales of the Brothers Grimm, you might like Hans Christian Andersens Fairy Tales, also available in Penguin Classics. Selected Tales (Classics)