Fairy Tales From The Brothers Grimm: A New English Version Book Review

Fairy tales have been part of our lives as far back as we can remember. They were first stories that we were read to as children. The most famous are the stories have been written or edited by the Grimm Brothers.

Compiling 50 of his favorite fairy tales, writer Philip Pullman bring them together into his 2012 anthology, Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm: A New English Version. He combines well known fairy tales such as Cinderella, Hansel and Gretel and Rumpelstiltskin with lesser known fairy tales such as The Girl With No Hands, Godfather Death and The Three Snake Leaves. After the tale is complete, Mr. Pullman includes footnotes in regards to the stories origins, how it has morphed over the years or how some fairy tales have become iconic while others have lost in the shuffle.

I didn’t know what to expect. I knew, like many of us, of some of the more famous fairy tales, but I didn’t know of the lesser known  fairy tales or of the origins of some of the stories. While fairy tales are very simple in terms of story structure and character, they represent hope, hard work and faith that everything will work out in the end.  Sometimes when the chips are down, hope, hard work and faith are what we need to get through whatever we are experiencing.

I recommend this book.

 

Advertisement

Death Comes to Pemberley Recap Part II

*-This post contains spoilers about last night’s Death Comes to Pemberley and Pride and Prejudice. Read at your own risk if you have not seen it.

When we last left our characters, the evidence against Wickham was strong. Darcy was pulling away from his wife and Georgiana’s chances of marrying Henry Alveston were becoming slimmer and slimmer.

As the investigation continues and the inquest is coming closer, Wickham is still in jail. But questions are coming up about why Captain Denny was murdered so close to the Bidwell home.  Elizabeth, upon seeing Louisa Bidwell nursing the child that is supposedly her sister’s child begins  to put two and two together.  Wickham admits that he had an affair with Louisa. Her child is his son. Not surprised.

The mysterious woman that Colonel Fitzwilliam meets is Mrs. Young (Mariah Gale), the woman who was briefly employed as Georgiana’s companion at Ramsgate and encouraged the then 15 year old girl to elope with Mr. Wickham. Captain Denny, Colonel Fitzwilliam and Mrs. Young were (who claims to be Wickham’s previously unknown sister) conspiring to pay Louisa for her child. But Louisa with those oh so strong motherly instincts refused.

Back at Pemberley,  Elizabeth is being comforted by Jane (Alexandra Moen), who arrived in Part I. Focused on maintaining the good name of Pemberley and the Darcy name, Fitzwilliam has reverted to his previous duty bound self. He encourages Colonel Fitzwilliam’s proposal of Georgiana, while Elizabeth reminds her husband of the growing mutual affection between her sister in law and Henry Alveston. Telling Henry that she must cut off all communication with him break’s Georgiana’s heart.

Lydia, being Lydia, has perfect timing. She returns to Pemberley just as Elizabeth received a visit from Lady Catherine DeBourgh (Penelope Keith). Lizzy enjoyed introduced her scandal ridden youngest sister to her husband’s aunt. Enter Lydia, exit Lady Catherine.

At the formal trial, Wickham is found guilty and is to be executed.

After the trial, the Colonel and Darcy are traveling back to Pemberley when the Colonel reveals that he was in with the scheme to separate Louisa from her son. He was planning to use this scheme as the reason to marry Georgiana, to put further distance between her and Wickham.  Darcy then forbids his cousin from contacting his sister, tells Georgiana to marry whomever she likes and has makeup sex with his wife. Post coital, Darcy tells Elizabeth that she has to inform her sister of her husband’s extra marital activities.

Putting two and two together again, Elizabeth figures out that it was not Wickham, but Will Bidwell, in an effort to avenge his sister’s honor, who killed Denny. Wickham is saved from noose in the nick of time.  After being released, Lydia and Wickham are to travel to America, hopefully to never darken the door of Pemberley again.

Georgiana is reunited with Henry in a very 2005 Pride and Prejudice way and accepts his marriage proposal. Lizzy tells Darcy that a new Darcy will soon enter the world.

And they all lived happily ever after.