Grimm Tales: For Young and Old

The cover on this book is an absolutely stunning papercut masterpiece. 

I'm loving the tree knots that are eyes!

I was fascinated by Philip Pullman's Golden Compass series of books, so when I saw this one I had to have it. Here, Pullman has rewritten fifty legendary Grimm's tales, with commentary at the end of each story about the influences on his version, and links to the different versions. Fairytales absolutely intrigue me with their ingenuity and magical elements, and I fell into this book wholeheartedly. What a joy to rediscover old rarities such as One Eye, Two Eyes and Three Eyes, twists on familiar favourites such as Thousandfurs which is a take on Cinderella, and the classics such as Hansel and Gretel with the infamous Gingerbread House.

Fairytales are so ingrained in our psyche that when you read them in this context you recognise the tale "types" easily, and you realise how these types have influenced story writing ever since.

A fun and entertaining read!

My rating *****