Grimms' Fairy Tales - Illustrated by Ruth Moorwood and H. Rountree

By Brother's Grimm

This book contains 68 classic fairy tales written by the Brothers Grimm. Here the tales have been illustrated by Harry Rountree and Ruth Moorwood's wonderful black and white drawings. Pook Press celebrates the Golden Age of Illustration and is republishing this book so that it can be enjoyed once again by children and adults. During the Golden Age of Illustration, the popularity, abundance and - most importantly - the unprecedented upsurge in the quality of illustrated works marked an astounding change in the way that publishers, artists and the general public came to view this hitherto insufficiently esteemed art form.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Read Books Ltd.
• Release date: Apr 16, 2013
• ISBN: 9781473384309

Reviews for Grimms' Fairy Tales - Illustrated by Ruth Moorwood and H. Rountree

[ecataldi-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

When I was a kid I had an illustrated edition of Grimm's Fairy Tales and it always terrified and delighted me. Listening to an all star cast (Jim Dale, Alfred Molina, etc) narrate the abridged version of these classics really brought me back. Also, it helped me recall how truly messed up the stories were. This abridged version is still a cakewalk to the original messed up dark fairy tales that you can find if you dig deep enough, but they're still enough messed up to give you a picture. There's lots of murders, bad parents, naughty kids, kings that like killing their daughter's suitors, and magic animals. There is truly a little something for everyone. This collection includes all the classics such as: Hansel and Gretel, Snow White, Cinderella, the little goose girl, and Rumpelstiltskin. The all ages, genders, and accents brought by the full cast make it a joy to listen to. A wonderful version, suitable for kids (and adults).

[ellelainey · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I agree with other reviewers that the stories in this are really repetitive of each other. It's like using the same story template and just giving the characters different names and faces.

The stories are nothing like I thought 'fairytale' stories would be. All a little bit odd and not what I was expecting.

[kelsieh.g3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Grimm's Fairy Tales is a large cllection of short stories. I really enjoyed this book because of the variety of stories to read! My favorite one was "Death's godson" It was very well written with the plot and ending. Truthfully it took me a while to build interest in the book but once I did I read it whenever I could! It was brilliant! I highly suggest it to fantasy lovers and those who have a slight interst in murders.

[tara714 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The stories in this book were mostly pointless. I know they were from a different era and those were the types of stories they told then, but I've already forgotten most of what I read because they were random and uninteresting. What was interesting was reading the original stories for some of Disney's most famous animated features. Which were usually only about 5 pages or so and very dark. I would recommend skimming this book for that and also just to check back in time to what types of stories people were telling then.

[dekan-6 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

i usually do a half star if i want you to know it was rated and don't want you to think that i just didn't rate it. i understand this is classic but i have to say disney is who made these stories great. i also say that because he basically re-wrote them. i look at these storiies and they are so unfullfilling or so un-entertaining that it must have a charm on to get people to even want to read this crap. the stories are pointless, unimaginative, gory (which i don't mind) and repetative. don't waste your time. its not even worth reading to see the differences in them and what is told to day not to mention completely un-entertaining while doing so.

[jmkemp-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Interesting to see the originals that Disney worked their magic on. There's a similarity across some of the stories where you can see that perhaps they are mutated versions of the same original that have morphed as they were told.

Also there are a number of fairy stories that I hadn't heard before, them not having quite entered popular consciousness where I grew up. Possibly some of these would be the kernel of some good stories, Grimm's style is very much tell and no show. That suits the sort of morality tales these are, intended for someone to simply recount them at bedtime or round the fire or dinner table. They've come from an oral tradition, and anything taking longer to tell than 10 to 20 minutes would be too complex.

Still, it is an interesting piece of folk history and I'm glad I read these stories.

[teampeeta254 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

My copy used to belong to my mother, who gave it to me one day when I complained about having read all my books. And now that I see what Barbie and Disney have based their princess stories off of, It makes me like them even less.

[kprinc3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

No one, in my opinion tells a better fairy tale then the Grimm brothers. The collection of stories in this book included "The Goose-Girl," "Hansel and Grethel," "Little Snow White," "Cinderella," "Bearskin," "Briar Rose," "Rapunzel," "Rumpelstiltskin," and many others. Each of these stories had their own moral that readers of any age sometimes need to be reminded of, I think that is what I liked most about these stories. Many of these tales have been cleaned up and presented in a more admirable light, especially the princess stories. I think that some of these stories, while a little more gruesome, add in real elements of punishment for the evil characters. This can really hold in the message of the story. For example, in Cinderella the message is that kindness will always trump over evil. The Evil step sisters are left without toes and heels and blind by the end of the story. If that does not show children that being kind is the best way of life, then I do not think anything will.

[barb_h_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Enjoyed reading where some popular fairy tales originated and seeing how similar or different they are with the versions I am more familiar with. I liked some of the stories, some were just okay and some were dumb and boring. I was surprised how dark some of the stories are. Overall I am glad I read this even though it's not going to be a favorite.

[stephenbarkley · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

In 1812, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm published a collection of German fairy tales. A second volume was published in 1815. After various revisions, a total of 211 stories were collected.My English hardcover contains 55 of these stories, taken from both volumes. Many of the stories are very familiar: The Frog Prince, Rumpelstiltskin Rapunzel, Cinderella, and Snow-White and the Seven Dwarfs to name a few.The violence in these stories is shocking. The brothers received criticism for it even in their day. In 1825 they printed a Children's Edition which included some of the safer stories. Walt Disney has rendered even the safer stories innocuous.Take the original Cinderella, for example. When the prince came to find the sister who fit the golden slipper, the eldest tried first:Her great toe prevented her from getting it on. Her foot was too long.Then her mother handed her a knife and said, "Cut off the toe. When you are Queen you won't have to walk any more."The girl cut off her toe, forced her foot into the slipper, stifled her pain, and went out to the Prince. ...Then he looked at her foot and saw how the blood was streaming from it. So he turned his horse round and carried the false bride back to her home, and said that she was not the right one. (162-3)She was the lucky one! The second sister had to pare down her heel. In the end, Cinderella was married to the prince. As they walked into the church, a dove plucked one eye from each of the false brides. On their way out of the church the dove picked the other eyes. "And so for their wickedness and falseness they were punished with blindness for the rest of their days" (165).I suppose that's one way to get children to behave!These stories are part of our culture. They have staying power that is rarely seen. Enjoy them—just watch out for vindictive doves.

[helen.callaghan · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

More repetitive and not as dark as I expected - perhaps I had the bowdlerised version?

[kaitlyn5johnston · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I myself always appreciated Grimm's Fairy Tales when I was younger, that being said it is definitely a collection one should really be wary of when suggesting to students. The language is not always as clear as some students may need, and despite the allure of fairy tales, some students may not appreciate the darker and more graphic representations. This book is something I would suggest more for older readers, perhaps 6th and on, as the material within the stories may again put some younger readers off. However, for students who are interested in folklore and the like, this is a collection they would likely be interested in ,and enjoy seeing some of the the original versions of widely known tales.

[krushkelsey · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

i usually do a half star if i want you to know it was rated and don't want you to think that i just didn't rate it. i understand this is classic but i have to say disney is who made these stories great. i also say that because he basically re-wrote them. i look at these storiies and they are so unfullfilling or so un-entertaining that it must have a charm on to get people to even want to read this crap. the stories are pointless, unimaginative, gory (which i don't mind) and repetative. don't waste your time. its not even worth reading to see the differences in them and what is told to day not to mention completely un-entertaining while doing so.

[borg6mx5 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Brothers Grimm were collectors of stories. Their fairytales were often dark. This editon with illustrations by Arthur Rackham is well done, easy to read and worth having. Mine is 2001 printing.

[obscuresoul13 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is a collection of Grimm's stories gathered through interviews & research. These stories make for an interesting read. Many of the stories were different versions of a similar story. Some of the stories were a bit cruel, but overall, I do recommend this book.

[the1butterfly · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a very edition- the first 35 pages are missing and some at the end as well, and the rest are loose in places. Nonetheless, it is good reading, the stories are good, as always, and it is neat to have such an old copy. I'm not positive how many stories it has (what with the table of contents missing), but it has quite a few and they are very readable.

[jediliska · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I have read this book so many times! It is falling apart because it's old and probably been handled a lot. It's basically the original fairy tales we have all grown to love and changed into the "Happily Ever After" endings. These stories reveal the darker side of the fairy tales as everything does not always end happily.

[amyrn75 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love books of fairy tales, and this is one of my favorites.