ThetalesgatheredbytheGrimmbrothersareatoncefamiliar,fantastic,homely,andfrightening.Theyseemtobelongtonotime,ortosomedistantfeudalageoffairytaleimagining.Grandpalaces,humblecottages,andtheforestfullofmenacearetheirsettings;andtheyarepeopledbykingsandprincesses,witchesandrobbers,millersandgoldenbirds,stepmothersandtalkingfrogs.Regardedfromtheirinceptionbothasuncozynurserystoriesandasrawmaterialforthefolkloristthetaleswereinfactcompositions,collectedfromliteratetellersandshapedintoadistinctivekindofliterature.ThistranslationmirrorstheapparentartlessnessoftheGrimms,andfullyrepresentstherangeoflesswell-knownfables,moralitytales,andcomicstoriesaswellastheclassictales.IttakesthestoriesbacktotheirrootsinGermanRomanticismandincludesvariantstoriesandtalesthatweredeemedunsuitableforchildren.Inherfascinatingintroduction,JoyceCrickexplorestheirorigins,andtheirliteraryevolutionatthehandsoftheGrimms.
