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The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm  By  cover art

The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm

By: Jacob Grimm,Wilhelm Grimm,Jack Zipes - translator/editor
Narrated by: Joel Richards,Cassandra Campbell
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Publisher's summary

When Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm published their Children's and Household Tales in 1812, followed by a second volume in 1815, they had no idea that such stories as "Rapunzel", "Hansel and Gretel", and "Cinderella" would become the most celebrated in the world. Yet few people today are familiar with the majority of tales from the two early volumes, since in the next four decades the Grimms would publish six other editions, each extensively revised in content and style. For the very first time, The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm makes available in English all 156 stories from the 1812 and 1815 editions. These narrative gems, are newly translated and brought together in one beautiful audiobook. From "The Frog King" to "The Golden Key", wondrous worlds unfold - heroes and heroines are rewarded, weaker animals triumph over the strong, and simple bumpkins prove themselves not so simple after all. Esteemed fairy tale scholar Jack Zipes offers accessible translations that retain the spare description and engaging storytelling style of the originals. Indeed, this is what makes the tales from the 1812 and 1815 editions unique - they reflect diverse voices, rooted in oral traditions, that are absent from the Grimms' later, more embellished collections of tales. Zipes' introduction gives important historical context, and the book includes the Grimms' prefaces and notes. A delight to read, The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm presents these peerless stories to a whole new generation of readers.

©2014 Princeton University Press (P)2014 Audible Inc.

What listeners say about The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm

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Very good. Here is a tracklist.

It's true that the narrators are a little bland, but they're not terrible. The translation, from 2014, claims to capture the spirit of the rough and direct original text. I don't read German, but comparing this translation to the one on my shelf by Margaret Hunt (originally published in 1884), this one is refreshing. As for the content of the tales themselves, that requires no review from me.

I made this list to paste into a note app on my phone for reference, as others have done with similar compilations from
Audible. Hopefully one day Audible will get to this title and give the chapters proper titles, but until that day, I hope this helps.

The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm
The Complete First Edition
Written by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm
Translated and Edited by Jack Zipes
Performed by Joel Richards and Cassandra Campbell

001. Introduction: Rediscovering the Original Tales of the Brothers Grimm
002. Note on the Text and Translation

Volume I

003. Preface to Volume I
004. Chapter 1. The Frog King, or Iron Henry
005. Chapter 2. The Companionship of the Cat and Mouse
006. Chapter 3. The Virgin Mary's Child
007. Chapter 4. Good Bowling and Card Playing
008. Chapter 5. The Wolf and the Seven Kids
009. Chapter 6. The Nightingale and the Blindworm
010. Chpater 7. The Stolen Pennies
011. Chapter 8. The Hand with the Knife
012. Chapter 9. The Twelve Brothers
013. Chapter 10. Riffraff
014. Chapter 11. Little Brother and Little Sister
015. Chapter 12. Rapunzel
016. Chapter 13. The Three Little Men in the Forest
017. Chapter 14. Nasty Flax Spinning
018. Chapter 15. Hansel and Gretel
019. Chapter 16. Herr Fix-It-Up
020. Chapter 17. The White Snake
021. Chapter 18. The Journey of the Straw, the Coal, and the Bean
022. Chapter 19. The Fisherman and His Wife
023. Chapter 20. A Story about a Brave Tailor
024. Chapter 21. Cinderalla
025. Chapter 22. How Some Children Played at Slaughtering
026. Chapter 23. The Little Mouse, the Little Bird, and the Sausage
027. Chapter 24. Mother Holle
028. Chapter 25. The Three Ravens
029. Chapter 26. Little Red Cap
030. Chapter 27. Death and the Goose Boy
031. Chapter 28. The Singing Bone
032. Chapter 29. The Devil with the Three Golden Hairs
033. Chapter 30. Little Louse and Little Flea
034. Chapter 31. Maiden Without Hands
035. Chapter 32. Clever Hans
036. Chapter 33. Puss in Boots
037. Chapter 34. Hans's Trina
038. Chapter 35. The Sparrow and his Four Children
039. Chapter 36. The Little Magic Table, the Golden Donkey, and the Club in the Sack
040. Chapter 37. The Tablecloth, the Knapsack, the Cannon Hat, and the Horn
041. Chapter 38. Mrs. Fox
042. Chapter 39. The Elves
043. Chapter 40. The Robber Bridegroom
044. Chapter 41. Herr Korbes
045. Chapter 42. The Godfather
046. Chapter 43. The Strange Feast
047. Chapter 44. Godfather Death
048. Chapter 45. The Wandering of Tumbling, the Tailor's Son
049. Chapter 46. Fitcher's Bird
050. Chapter 47. The Juniper Tree
051. Chapter 48. Old Sultan
052. Chapter 49. The Six Swans
053. Chapter 50. Briar Rose
054. Chapter 51. The Foundling
055. Chapter 52. King Thrushbeard
056. Chapter 53. Little Snow White
057. Chapter 54. Simple Hans
058. Chapter 55. Rumpelstiltskin
059. Chapter 56. Sweetheart Roland
060. Chapter 57. The Golden Bird
061. Chapter 58. Loyal Godfather Sparrow
062. Chapter 59. Prince Swan
063. Chapter 60. The Golden Egg
064. Chapter 61. The Tailor Who Soon Became Rich
065. Chapter 62. Bluebeard
066. Chapter 63. The Golden Children
067. Chapter 64. The Simpleton
068. Chapter 65. All Fur
069. Chapter 66. Hurleburlebutz
070. Chapter 67. The King with the Lion
071. Chapter 68. The Summer and the Winter Garden
072. Chapter 69. Jordina and Joringel
073. Chapter 70. Okerlo
074. Chapter 71. Princess Mousekin
075. Chapter 72. The Pear Refused to Fall
076. Chapter 73. The Castle of Murder
077. Chapter 74. Johannes Waterspring and Caspar Waterspring
078. Chapter 75. The Bird Phoenix
079. Chapter 76. The Carnation
080. Chapter 77. The Carpenter and the Turner
081. Chapter 78. The Old Grandfather and the Grandson
082. Chapter 79. The Water Nixie
083. Chapter 80. The Death of Little Hen
084. Chapter 81. The Blacksmith and the Devil
085. Chapter 82. The Three Sisters
086. Chapter 83. The Poor Maiden
087. Chapter 84. The Mother-in-Law
088. Chapter 85. Fragments
089. Chapter 86. The Fox and the Geese

Volume II

090. Preface to Volume II
091. Chapter 1. The Poor Man and the Rich Man
092. Chapter 2. The Singing, Springing Lark
093. Chapter 3. The Goose Girl
094. Chapter 4. The Young Giant
095. Chapter 5. The Gnome
096. Chapter 6. The King of the Golden Mountain
097. Chapter 7. The Raven
098. Chapter 8. The Clever Farmer's Daughter
099. Chapter 9. The Genie in the Glass
100. Chapter 10. The Three Little Birds
101. Chapter 11. The Water of Life
102. Chapter 12. Doctor Know-It-All
103. Chapter 13. The Frog Prince
104. Chapter 14. The Devil's Sooty Brother
105. Chapter 15. The Devil in the Green Coat
106. Chapter 16. The Wren and the Bear
107. Chapter 17. The Sweet Porridge
108. Chapter 18. The Faithful Animals
109. Chapter 19. Tales about Toads
110. Chapter 20. The Poor Miller's Apprentice and the Cat
111. Chapter 21. The Crows
112. Chapter 22. Hans My Hendgehog
113. Chapter 23. The Little Shroud
114. Chapter 24. The Jew in the Thornbush
115. Chapter 25. The Expert Huntsman
116. Chapter 26. The Fleshing Flail from Heaven
117. Chapter 27. The Childen of the Two Kings
118. Chapter 28. The Clever Little Tailor
119. Chapter 29. The Bright Sun Will Bring It to Light
120. Chapter 30. The Blue Light
121. Chapter 31. The Stubborn Child
122. Chapter 32. The Three Army Surgeons
123. Chapter 33. The Lazy One and the Industrious One
124. Chapter 34. The Three Journeymen
125. Chapter 35. The Heavenly Wedding
126. Chapter 36. The Long Nose
127. Chapter 37. The Old Woman in the Forest
128. Chapter 38. The Three Brothers
129. Chapter 39. The Devil and His Grandmother
130. Chapter 40. Faithful Ferdinand and Unfaithful Ferdinand
131. Chapter 41. The Iron Stove
132. Chapter 42. The Lazy Spinner
133. Chapter 43. The Lion and the Frog
134. Chapter 44. The Soldier and the Carpenter
135. Chapter 45. Pretty Katrinelya and Pif-Paf-Poltree
136. Chapter 46. The Fox and the Horse
137. Chapter 47. The Worn-out Dancing Shoes
138. Chapter 48. The Six Servants
139. Chapter 49. The White Bride and the Black Bride
140. Chapter 50. The Wild Man
141. Chapter 51. The Three Black Princesses
142. Chapter 52. Knoist and His Three Sons
143. Chapter 53. The Maiden from Brakel
144. Chapter 54. The Domestic Servants
145. Chapter 55. Little Lamb and Little Fish
146. Chapter 56. Sesame Mountain
147. Chapter 57. The Children of Famine
148. Chapter 58. The Little Donkey
149. Chapter 59. The Ungrateful Son
150. Chapter 60. The Turnip
151. Chapter 61. The Rejuvinated Little Old Man
152. Chapter 62. The Animals of the Lord and the Devil
153. Chapter 63. The Beam
154. Chapter 64. The Old Beggar Woman
155. Chapter 65. The Three Lazy Sons
156. Chapter 66. Saint Solicitous
157. Chapter 67. The Tale about the Land of Cockaigne
158. Chapter 68. The Tall Tale from Ditmarsh
159. Chapter 69. A Tale with a Riddle
160. Chapter 70. The Golden Key

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GNAT PIE

MY MOTHER,SHE KILLED ME. MY FATHER HE ATE ME
I have always been fond of fairy tales, tall tales and fables, so this was a pleasure for me. Joel reads a story and than Cassandra reads a story and they go back and forth which really helps move things along. The 19 hours flew by fast for me. These are not Disney's versions and some of them are pretty gory. A lot of heads get cut off and a lot of people get eaten, so it is not for kids. There are some interesting tortures, such as putting someone in a barrel, driving a bunch of nails through it and than having a horse drag it through the streets.

SINCE HE WAS HANDSOME, SHE LIKED HIM
HE SAW THAT SHE WAS BEAUTIFUL AND HE LOVED HER
Beauty means everything in these stories. Princes and Kings are constantly seeing a girl, thinking she is beautiful, and than marring her. There are several different versions of the same story, but most are entertaining. There are some constants you can count on, such as: everything comes in threes, three feathers, three bear hairs, three Satan hairs. three sisters, three brothers, three sons, three daughters, etc. The youngest daughter will always be the prettiest (did you know Snow White was only seven years old.) Unicorns are mean, stepmothers are evil and animals give good advice, but nobody listens to them. Never step on an ant and always throw the fish back. Forest are scary places and Kings are always getting lost in them. Older brothers will gang up on their younger nicer brothers and try to kill them. Fisherman have overbearing wives. You don't ride on a fox's back, you ride on his tail. Kings and Queens do not keep their promises and will always make you do two more impossible tasks then they originally said you had to do. Someone will always open the forbidden door.

These are the original tales and some are better than others. Many are predictable. There is even an Open Sesame Mountain. According to the introduction, people brought these stories to the Brothers or they got them out of libraries. They did not visit these places. In the second volume many sound to me like they were made up on the spot, with elements from other stories and I kind of wonder if these people were not getting paid for these stories. Those are all in volume 2, which is not as good as volume 1. While the stories in volume one, usually had a message or moral, those in volume two, seemed more for entertainment. I felt the whole book was well worth my credit and should be of interest of anyone interested in the history of storytelling.

THEY LIVED HAPPILY UNTIL THEIR DEATH.

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Exactly What I Wanted

I wanted a bunch of fairy tales to listen to before bed, and that's what I got. I like the creepy and gory versions, so all the better.
It's an odd translation. Things that I'm used to hearing as rhymes don't rhyme, which is a little jarring. Also, there's a ridiculously long intro - 1:20hours - that you should just skip if all you want is to listen to fairy tales.
Aside from that, I find the original stories fascinating. Mixed in among the blood and horror I expected, there are also Christian fairy tales. They're not biblical, are written in the same style as the other stories in this collection, but with Mary, The Devil, etc.
Cassandra Campbell remains one of my favorite narrators. She does different voices, but they're not obnoxious like so many, and her narration style makes me picture a slightly wicked smile, which is perfect for this. Joel Richards is ok, though a little monotonous/robotic in this reading, and some of his diction is so sharp that it's a little distracting.

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The brutal Germanic 1812 sources, not for children

Exceptionally well performed scholarly edition of the rare original 1812 (volume 1) and 1814 (volume 2) Grimm tales. includes a fascinating and thorough introduction that gives the history and rationale for these terse and authentic translations of uncut and un-sterlized folk tales. Subsequent Grimm editions that were edited, cut, revised, and Christianized all the way up until 1857 do not allow us to see so baldly and boldly the pagan brutality and simple morality and lack thereof in the folk traditions. Subsequent editions, for example, do not include the tale about the Children who Played at Slaughter: one boy slits the neck of his brother while the little sister catches the blood in a basin, just as they've seen done with pigs. The murderous boy goes free because he chose an apple rather than a gold coin at the "trial." If folk history and "morality" interests you, I highly recommend this edition. If you are looking for edifying moral tales for your children, after listening to the raw sources in this collection, you may lose your taste for exposing them to Grimm fairy tales at all, but certainly not to this edition. This edition is not for children, in my opinion.

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Once upon a time when a stepmom was only a mom...

... and other well-known fairy-tale motifs were not yet invented, the Grimm brothers wrote down and published their first edition of household tales. Some of the stories were crueler and much less "politically correct" for its age than later editions of this well-known book.

Therefore, start listening if you dare to a sligthly different, though must interesting version of the stories we all came to love. Meet the real Cinderella, without a fairy godmother, very much like the new Dutch ballet with the same name. DIscover the material that has inspired many a Neil Gaiman story and uncover literary topoi and stock figures that gives you a better understanding of literature today.

Should you not care for any of the above and only want to hear some good stories, this remains a book not to be skipped. While some of the repetition of themes might seem boring at first, the fun starts when you compare and come to appreciate how the same story wondered in the world of people, but so often with a different cloak on. I think of the Swan Princess or was she actually a Crow Princess. Did Cinderella get her dresses from a nut or were they made by the birds? What does a story about Hansel and Gretel's own mothers' rejection of them tell us?

The book is read by Joel Richards and Cassandra Campbell. Their performance is quite good and easy to follow.

I strongly recommend the first edition of the classic tales of the brothers Grimm, translated for the first time in English. A must... if you want to live happily ever after!

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Switching narrators for stories

One of the best things about the narration is that they switch chapter by chapter which, for this book, helps to mark the beginning and endings of the tales especially those with odd endings. This collection of stories is most definitely not the Disney versions of the tales but is the raw translation. Some of the stories are almost familiar but take a different path or end unexpectedly. It's more like the origins of the stories. Some of the tales feel very unfinished, others feel like they would only be truly understood in their own place and time. Enjoyable from a historical perspective.

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Where Would We Be If Kings Didn’t Go Hunting?

Or nice fathers stopped marrying wicked stepmothers? Or princes were never turned into flounders? Or gnomes didn’t have the inside story on who you can and cannot trust?

I can tell you where we’d be: nice girls would never become queens, fishermen would never get palaces, heroes would perish at the hands of their own brothers and we wouldn’t have this collection. Having just listened to The Tale of Tales, Giambattista Basile’s rollicking collection of 50 folk and fairy tales strung together, Decameron-like, into a loose sort of uber-story, a comparison is hard to avoid. So here goes.

Unlike Basile, the Brothers give us no “frame narrative”; these stories seem to be grouped according to theme and subject (I’m only guessing; I skipped the hour-long intro after a snide reference to “naive morality”). Because folk tales use and reuse the same patterns, plots and archetypes, these 156 stories seem to merge into one story. So far from being a bad thing, it gives a powerful sense of common cultural unity, especially when the lineaments of a German tale remind you on one of Basile’s Italian products.

As evidenced from the catty remark about morality mentioned above, there are academics who make their living theorizing over folk tales, finding the sources for cultural dysfunction and inherent injustice. I just enjoyed (and continue to enjoy) these stories immensely. It is a treat to get the original (or at least closer to the original) versions of favorites like Cinderella and Hansel and Gretel, just to see what subsequent telling retained, cut out or added on. I always thought the collection of folk sources was a 20th Century phenomenon; those WPA-funded researchers who collected blues tunes from the deep South and dialects from Appalachia. Obviously, the Brothers were doing the same thing in Germany even as Napoleon was marching the Grande Armee to its doom in Russia and meeting his own at Waterloo. And, judging from the introductions they supplied for each volume, they cared deeply for the oral culture they were preserving.

As a consequence, we are much nearer the original sources than Disney ever dared to bring us. Expurgated in later editions, here, as with Basile, we confront the grimmer (no pun) details of life. “How Some Children Played at Slaughtering” is a blunt, straightforward little chiller (told in two versions). At the end of another tale, a malefactor is shut up in a barrel of boiling oil and poisonous snakes so, we are told, her death would be particularly awful. How that wasn’t particularly awful for the snakes we are not told. But you get the idea.

However, published almost 200 years after Basile, and in Germany, for all its lurid details the Brothers’ effort is essentially tamer in tone. The Neapolitan dialect, at least in Basile’s hands, was a vigorous, florid medium, chock full of hyperbole and insult, always seeming on the verge of slipping beyond the author’s control. Being German, the Brothers are far more staid. They don’t indulge in Basile’s thousand different, ingenious, charming ways of saying the moon rose. Or birds sang. Or people ate dinner. Here the moon simply rises, birds sing and people eat. I missed the clever circumlocutions and rapid-fire verbal invention of the Italian tales. Nor is there Basile’s emphasis on body parts and functions.

Like the style of the stories, the reading is less adventuresome as well. Tales are traded off between Joel Richards and Cassandra Campbell. Ms. Campbell tries harder, putting more animation into her readings, but overall the delivery is workmanlike rather than inspired.

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Good but repetitive

I like the readers and enjoyed the stories but after a while they were the same story with different characters or slightly different scenarios.

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Great Stories

I Loved it , the stories were very interesting and the
story teller kept my attention.

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Boring! Could NOT finish it!

Why bother translating this, is beyond me & then recording it for an audiobook. So dull & boring. Stories are silly in translation.The narrator's German (when he tries to speak German) is horrible.
If you want to record the Grimm Fairy Tales, then translate & record the LAST edition which would be the best, not this nonsense.

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