
Follow Hansel and Gretel as they run away from their own story and into eight other scary fairy tales.
They'll encounter witches and warlocks, hunters with deadly aim, and bakers with ovens that are just right for baking children...
It may be frightening, but unlike those other fairy tales you know, these are true. (Summary from book)
My Review: A Tale Dark & Grimm is the story of Hansel and Gretel, deftly woven with several other tales from the Brothers Grimm. It is, as the title implies, disturbingly dark and deeply grim, but sprinkled with moments of fancy, wisdom, and wry humor.
This story begins with
the line, "Once upon a time, fairy tales were awesome." I’ll have to admit, I kind of loved it right
then and there, regardless of what was to come. The author goes on to
explain that fairy tales used to be cool before people retold
them and left out all the scary, bloody, awesome parts. He cautions
parents to read this novel first, and begs, with tongue in cheek, that sensitive little ones leave the
room. I don’t know about you, but there
aren’t many kids I know who would put any book down after all that hullaballoo. I know
my interest was piqued. Could a children’s book really be that bad?!
Yes. Yes, it can.
It's not often that I have the opportunity to categorize a novel as
children's fiction, fairytale and horror, but A Tale Dark & Grimm definitely fits
the bill. Don't believe me? Okay,
but just remember you asked for this (excerpt, pg 102-3, A Smile As Red as Blood):
"Dear Readers, I'm sorry for what follows.
He threw the girl on the oaken table, and from a nearby cupboard produced a filthy iron cage. Then he reached his hand into the girl's mouth until his arm was buried deep in her throat. Slowly, painfully, and with great struggle form the girl, he pulled forth a beautiful white dove. The dove fought the young man as he shoved it in the filthy cage and slammed the door shut.
The girl’s body was still.
Now you might want to close your eyes.
He lifted an ax that hung on the wall, and Gretel, peering through a gap between a filthy pot and a filthier pan, watched her handsome, wonderful, funny friend hack the girl's body into bits and toss each piece into the boiling cauldron. His blunt butcher's knife rose and fell, rose and fell. He licked the blood from his hands and sent piece after piece sailing into the pot.
Each piece, that is, save one.
On the girl's left hand there was a lovely golden ring, inlaid with rubies, red as rubies can be. He tried to remove the ring so that it would not ruin the stew, but it wouldn't come off. Finally in a rage, he hacked the finger clean off her hand and hurled it across the room. Gretel watched, dumbstruck, as it tumbled through the air, over the enormous pile of pots and pans that she was hiding bheind, and landed squarely in her lap, ring and all.
Somehow, she did not scream."
I tried to warn you. (It should be noted that when, in disbelief, I read that excerpt to my husband, he got a huge grin on his face, laughed, and said "Awesome!!! Fairy tales are cool again!" without any prompting from me whatsoever.) There
are also multiple familial beheadings, a few grisly murders, and dragon-related
carnage that will likely terrify your littlest children. I could go on, but I think you get the
picture.
I know what you’re
thinking: What the heck?!? In a children’s book?!?! I had a similar reaction – a kind of horror
mixed with disbelief – and had to see what the author, Adam Gidwitz, had to say
for himself. A quick internet search led
me to his FAQ page and a few others, which helped soothe my ruffled feathers…somewhat. It explains the author’s beliefs regarding
the appropriateness of fairy tale violence and the importance of helping our
children choose books that suit their interests, personality, and emotional
readiness. I’m not sure if I buy his
entire argument, but it gave me something to think about.
My favorite aspect of A Tale Dark & Grimm is the delightfully
amusing narrator prone to interjecting his own unique perspective into the
story. I absolutely adored his voice and
how it served to lighten the mood in all the right places. Just when a king kidnaps a golden princess he’d
swoop in with:
"Now, my young readers, I know just what you're thinking. You're thinking, Hmmmm. Stealing a girl. That's an interesting way of winning her heart. Allow me to warn you now that, under any other circumstances, stealing a girl is about the worst way of winning her heart you could possibly cook up. But, because this happened long ago, in a faraway land, it seems to have worked."
Or after a
particularly sad part he’d say “I
will tell you, as I always tell myself, that things will get better. Much, much better.
I promise. Just not yet.” And I loved it.
What I’m trying to say,
in a twisty, convoluted sort of way, is that this book is hysterical, entertaining,
and totally appropriate for the right
reader. The best way to know if your
child is ready to read a book like this is to do as the author instructs and
read it first. Ordinarily that might be
a mind-numbingly boring feat of reading, but I thoroughly enjoyed A Tale Dark & Grimm, and I think you
will too. You just might not let your
kid read it. Yet. Or ever.
My
Rating: 4 Stars. I’d definitely
recommend this book…just not to every reader.
For
the sensitive reader: Loads of fairy tale
violence. I recommend reading this book first before handing it off to your
child.
Sum
it up: A fascinating tale both dark and
grim, but not without merit.
3 comments:
I love fairy tale retellings as well as fairy tale "horror" stories. I like a bit of twist every now and then.
This book is amazing! At times it seemed as if I wanted to stop all together due to its gross mental images it gives you. But over all, a really good book. my favorite part was when the dragon kept attaching Gretal, a very strong and courageous girl, while Hansel, a very brave and focused boy, planned their attack on the dragon. This book always keep you wondering whats going to happen next. I love this book!
My class of grade seven students describe this book as entertaining and fun. One student commented, "It is a cool but weird fairy tale, and has a lot of gory images. Another shared his thoughts, "It has many magical parts."
It is an awesome read and is recommended for the appropriate group.
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