MOST of us are familiar with Grimms’ Fairy Stories having been introduced to them in childhood.
However, they were originally collected as tales to be handed down for posterity rather than as children’s stories.
In this latest version, Philip Pullman, the award-winning author, known for the “His Dark Materials”
trilogy, has taken 50 favourite tales and retold them in a manner that is probably far closer to Grimms’ originals.
After a fascinating introduction where he analyses how fairy stories work, he takes the essential elements of the tale so that it becomes clearer and more memorable and at the end gives a brief account of its background and history.
Taking such classics as Snow White and Cinderella, and lesser known tales as The Girl with no Hands and the Devil with the Three Golden Hairs, this is a book that you will want to keep by your bedside to read over and over again.
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