Synopsis
The horror-masters, Benni Bødker, Kenneth Bøgh Andersen and cult illustrator of monsters, John Kenn Mortensen, have joined forces to create a refreshing retelling of the Brothers Grimm’s fairy tales, returning to their original horror.
The gentlemen take us into the gruesome, bloody and creepy universe of the original stories giving us a vivid glimpse of the dangerous world of the past. Packaged in a beautiful hardcover edition, this is brilliant family entertainment from about 12+.
Fairy tales included in GRIMM I are: Hansel & Gretel, The Singing Bone, The Story of a Boy who went Forth to Learn Fear, Rapunzel, Godfather Death, The Robber Bridegroom, Fitcher’s Bird, The Gift of the Little People, The Girl without Hands, Little Red Riding Hood
Reviews
"A terrifying bromance between three of the absolute heavyweights on the Danish horror scene have retold the old fairytales. A sensual, at times poetic imagery and a strong narrative drive. Grimm I delivers dark horrors for all ages" – (4 hearts in Politiken)
"When you read the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm they can appear a bit dusty. That’s not the case here. Stories that survive so long are strong stories. You feel that in Grimm I." – (Weekendavisen)
"It is a terrifically stunning and suitably hair-raising retelling that renews the power of the fairy tales and emphasise their essence… It is great there are authors capable of this, making the stories shine afresh" – (5 stars in Kristeligt Dagblad)
"The two horror masters have not changed the stories that significantly but expanded the universe with gruesome details and modernised the language. Suitable for reading aloud, but not to the youngest, as the tales feature more cut-off limbs, than beautiful princesses" – (Troldspejlet)
Personal note from the author
Fairy tales are always in flux, and that’s been the case ever since the first humans sat down around the fire and started telling them. There’s no author, no known source, and the stories exist in many versions across national borders. We may think we know the story of "Little Red Riding Hood" inside and out, but do we really? Does the audacious girl survive or does she end up inside the wolf’s belly? Does a huntsman come to the rescue, or do she and her grandmother handle things themselves? There are countless versions of the same stories, and all of them are right. The fairy tales that the Brothers Grimm collected in Germany in the beginning of the 1800s are among the most famous and beloved in the world, but the brothers themselves were the first to alter the stories as time went by.
Fairy tales are always in flux, and every storyteller is entitled to tell a fairy tale in their own way. There are no fixed rules. Sure, they can start with “Once upon a time…” and they can end with “…and they lived happily ever after.” They can make use of repetition and the magic number three. Or not. All the rules about what constitutes a proper fairy tale were made up after we stopped telling them. Our collection consists of ten of the Brothers Grimm’s best stories. They’re raw, gruesome, evil, beautiful, strange, fanciful, and much, much more. Some may claim that they’re also just for kids. After all, they’re fairy tales, and there’s no question that some of the Grimms’ tales have become too child-friendly. Disneyfication and picture books of "Little Red Riding Hood" and "Hansel and Gretel". What happened to the dangerous and scary stuff? That was one of things we wanted to go back to. Back to the world as it once was, and to the original stories that certainly aren’t just for kids, but for anyone who wants to hear good story. And who doesn’t?
Fairy tales are always in flux, but we’ve attempted to stay faithful the source, while adding and subtracting where the stories allow for it and seem to encourage it. Why, for example, do God, Death and the Devil offer to be godfather to a poor peasant son in Godfather Death? And how do Hansel and Gretel find their way home after killing the witch, anyway? These are the Brothers Grimm’s stories, but they’re told in our words and using our imaginations, and it has been a gift and a true pleasure to journey into this mystical, perilous, wonderful world where wolves can speak and bones can sing.
Benni Bødker and Kenneth Bøgh Andersen
