The Hard Facts of the Grimms' Fairy Tales

The darker side of famous fairy tales is the topic of this fascinating study of Jacob and Wilhelm Grimms Nursery and Household Tales, which includes murder, mutilation, cannibalism, infanticide, and incest. A new introduction and an appendix comprising fresh translations of six tales, as well as commentary by Maria Tatar, are included in this revised and extended second edition. Tatar effectively combines the skills of a psychotherapist, as well as a folklorist, literary critic, and historian, to investigate the harsher elements of these legends throughout the book. In this internationally best-selling book, she offers new interpretations of the great stories. Few studies on these stories have been produced in English, and none have looked at their ostensibly joyful endings as completely as this one.