Book Reviews

I realized I have many book reviews on Goodreads. Thought I might share some more here. Some are pretty detailed and some are just saying how much I love the book, but you might like to know my thoughts on other books I've read. Here's one to start: The Juniper Tree and Other Tales from Grimm by Jacob Grimm
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Published 1973.

So, there is a reason why the modern world needs Disney versions of classic tales - the originals are down right psycho!

In this collection of Grimm translated by Segal and Jarrell, there are a few well known tales (Hansel and Gretel, Rapunzel, and Snow White) and many obscure ones. Basically, there is much more cutting people up into pieces (Fitcher's Feathered Bird, The Juniper Tree, etc.)than THIS reviewer can stand!

The other major issue I have is that many of the tales end abruptly or seem to have nothing to do with the rest of the story (Hans My Hedgehog, Frederick and His Katelizabeth, etc.). Many-Fur is so strange, I'm not sure how to describe it. Many-Fur is a young girl who was doomed to marry her father. This frightens and alarms her and she runs away, but in the end she returns and does a variety of things to prove to her father who she is. They get married and do the "happily ever after" thing leaving the reader's mind to reel: "What? Hold Up! Wait...WHAT?!?"

Themes include good and evil and magic.

I would not use this book in elementary (possibly 5th grade). In middle and high school this could be used to compare original versions of traditional fantasy with modernized versions of the stories.

Not recommended unless you need to punish yourself for some reason.

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