The First-Ever English Translation of the Original, Uncensored Brothers Grimms’ Fairy Tales

The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm: The Complete First Edition is a collection of Grimms’ famous fairy tales translated into English from the first edition for the very first time. Translated by Jack Zipes and illustrated with papercut-style art by Andrea Dezsö, this edition features all 156 original stories free from th ecensorship that brought us the watered-down versions of “Rapunzel”, “Hansel and Gretel”, and “Cinderella”.

The original tales take on a darker, more morbid air than the stories modified and turned into popular Disney films. In this translation, Snow White has no evil stepmother. The evil queen is in fact Snow White’s biological mother, who is so corrupted by jealousy that she orders the huntsman to “stab her to death and bring me back her lungs and liver as proof of your deed. After that I’ll cook them with salt and eat them.”

Zipes spoke with The Guardian about the importance of rejecting censorship.

It is time for parents and publishers to stop dumbing down the Grimms’ tales for children… [The Grimms] believed that these tales emanated naturally from the people, and the tales can be enjoyed by both adults and children. If there is anything offensive, readers can decide what to read for themselves. We do not need puritanical censors to tell us what is good or bad for us.