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    A Tale Dark and Grimm
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    A Tale Dark and Grimm
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    A Tale Dark and Grimm
    Audiobook4 hours

    A Tale Dark and Grimm

    Written by Adam Gidwitz

    Narrated by Johnny Heller

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    Adam Gidwitz makes a sparkling debut with a work that children are sure to request again and again. Not content within the confines of their own tale, Hansel and Gretel skip out on their story and jump into eight other classic Grimm fairy tales. But all is not sugarplums and candy houses. Danger lies ahead, and Hansel and Gretel have much to learn about avoiding witches’ ovens and making sure “The End” isn’t their end.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books Audio
    Release dateJan 1, 2011
    ISBN9781449866846
    Unavailable
    A Tale Dark and Grimm

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    Reviews for A Tale Dark and Grimm

    4/5

    426 ratings78 reviews

    What did you think?

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      This is to be a middle grade book, but if you can't handle a bit of witches, warlocks, hunters and gore then it isn't for you.I was given the complete works of the Brothers Grimm for Christmas. This book I had picked up somewhere along the way. It intrigued me with it's tongue-in-cheek humour and style of narration. I wasn't disappointed.It takes the tale of Hansel and Gretel from birth to almost adulthood. Talk about a dysfunctional family! Starting out was no picnic with their parents. No wonder they ran away! But running away did not make it any better, since they got tangled up in eight other scary tales!With chapter titles "The Seven Swallows," "Brother and Sister" you might think the book isn't too bad. But there are the chapters "A Smile As Red As Blood" and that is a whole 'nother tale!For me, it is in a style similar to Roald Dahl. He may write for kids, but they aren't sweet, simple tales. There are bad things that happen to the characters, along with the good. Sometimes the bad things seem just so right!If you want something just a little off the rails...this is a good choice.
    • 3/5
      3.5 ⭐. I enjoyed this new take on Hansel and Gretel. There were definitely some devilishly gory parts that made my face cringe. It was a delight. 😁
    • 4/5
      It was in fact a bloody and gory book. I wanted to see pictures of "hell" and the devil and his house, his grandmother and the dragon. It might be a good exercise to have students draw these elements of the story based on the descriptions. Now I kind of want to read the original Grimm Tales. I also liked how they gave some German pronounciations since the brothers were German.
    • 4/5
      Somewhat reminiscent of Into the Woods, it's a novel that manages to turn numerous classic fairy tales into episodes in the life of Hansel and Gretel. It's simple and accessible to read (which is deceptively hard to write!) and very cleverly done. As it went further I liked it better and better. The story works.

      (Note: 5 stars = rare and amazing, 4 = quite good book, 3 = a decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. There are a lot of 4s and 3s in the world!)
    • 5/5
      Using the more bloody tales of The Brothers Grimm as a foundation, the reader is guided through the stories of childhood adventure of Prince Hansel and Princess Gretel. Running away from their murdering, yet well-intentioned parents, the siblings meet the witch who fattens and cooks children and the father who desperately wants one daughter more than his seven sons. While Gretel must outwit a handsome cannibal, Hansel meets the devil and is tortured in Hell.These stories are dark, at times funny, taking more of the tone of the unsanitized originals than the later Disney versions. There are gruesome deaths and maimings and lots of blood. Lots. Yet the voice of the narrator, breaking in with frequent warnings and advice for the reader, makes it fun.
    • 4/5
      Thoroughly entertaining!
    • 4/5
      This was a really innovative retelling of Grimm's classic tales. I have always loved a good, scary story and this book had the perfect blend of creepiness, fairy tale and magic. Comparing chapters of this to Grimm's actual tales would make for a fun activity. However, I think this book could be too bloody and scary for a read aloud.
    • 5/5
      This book was very exciting to read. The author has a very distinct and interesting voice in the piece. I appreciate that he is retelling stories from the original Grimm's fairy tales in a way that embraces the terrifying nature of them. I was honestly frightened by some of this book, so if you are easily scared, you might want to choose a different book. However, I thought it was written very well and told a very exciting (and scary) story!
    • 4/5
      This was a fun book. It was just dark and grim enough to be entertaining. My Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl team members had nothing but rave reviews!
    • 4/5
      Charming and witty and irreverent, with plenty of blood and gore thrown in. While I didn't like it as much as I had thought I would (another case of allowing the hype to ratchet up my expectations), it is an entertaining twist on a myriad of Brothers Grimm tales.
    • 2/5
      A good premise that didn't quite work for me. Would still recommend it to the target audience of primary school children.
    • 4/5
      Wonderfully gory. I hope it finds a place on the MSBA list next year. I think kids will really enjoy it. The structure of the book with the narrator's commentary every so often works really well.
    • 4/5
      This book is about Hansel and Gretel and their journey to returning home after their parents cut off their heads. They travel to many different towns and learn people and things are bad all over. They return home to fight a dragan, save their kingdom, forgive their parents, and become Kind and Queen. The theme of this book is love, forgiveness, and to never give up. I would not use this book as a lesson in my class because it is too gory. This book takes away the "fairy tale" aspect of the child friendly Hansel and Gretel books. I really enjoyed reading it though.
    • 4/5
      I've heard people say that they dislike the author interrupting every so often, however I enjoy this part. I think I've heard the fairy tales enough that I know what they are like, I like reading what he has to say over the traditional fairy tale. The new parts that I'm not familiar with, are interesting, but are not that shocking. I enjoy this book. I would like to use this book with students. I would start out by teaching some fairy tales and then read the version that Adam writes about outloud. As a way of comparing, I think great conversations could happen in a middle school classroom, or high school class.
    • 5/5
      Traditional fairy tales have been told a million ways. This was a fresh take on an old tale every child knows, Hansel and Gretel. As Hansel and Gretel dance through various other classic Grimm fairy tales they bring new life and excitement to the stories. The Narrator is wickedly brilliant at drawing the reader in. Its almost as if a person is really talking to you while your reading. Its a little bloody and dark, but edgy and humorous. Perfect for middle school kids.
    • 3/5
      According to Gidwitz, Hansel and Gretl's story didn't end when they left the cottage of the witch. As a matter of fact, it didn't even start there! Readers follow Hansel and Gretl through many of Grimm's fairytales, most of which are less known and more violent than those we hear today. As the two siblings adventure through the tales, sometimes together - sometimes apart, they are in search of parents who will care for them as parents should - only to find the home they ran away from really wasn't so bad. I really liked the adaptation of the Grimm tales...especially how they were stories that are not well known. Although the narrator kept warning when there would be violence (in a very funny way) I was surprised by just how violent they were...kind of gross.
    • 4/5
      This was a cute book about Hansel and Gretel moving through other Grimm stories. Very original and perfect to read for younger kids. I enjoyed it very much. Id recommend to someone who wants to relive old fairy tales, with a slight twist to them.
    • 3/5
      Very cute book about Grimm fairy tales. However, they all have a wicked twist to them! It's a great read for children who are slightly older because it is somewhat scary. I love that this author has restored the original scary feel to the Grimm Brothers tales.
    • 4/5
      This is a collection of different Grim fairy tales where the main characters are Hansel and Gretel. There is a spin in that the brother and sister travel through other Grim tales to get back home to their parents. It starts first when they arrive at the house with unlimited food where the baker tries to fatten them up and cook them. After escaping, they go to a house where the man is sour he never had any daughters. They then find a lovely place in the middle of the forest where they will find everything they need if they don't take more. But Hansel gets greedy and can't stop himself from hunting the animals in the forest. From this, Gretel finally decides to move on. The two then get separated on go on journeys of their own. They soon meet and find each other after a series of events.As they travel through the town, word of their return gets to their parents, who meet them joyously. Hansel and Gretel are slow to forgive, but they share their story, then plan a way to kill a dragon that is attacking their parent's kingdom. They gather townspeople from all over and try to lure the dragon with the golden treasure, but they only manage to harm the dragon's foot. When they return home, they learn the true identity of the dragon.This book is written in a way that there is a narrator that follows the story with you. It is creatively and easy to follow. Some parts are a bit scary, but it was great to read about these fairy tales with a unique spin on it. I would use this as a teaching tool with older students (because there are dark sections that are graphic) and allow them explore the genre of fair tales. From this, I would encourage them to write and create their own story and to experiment with the style of including a narrator within the text.
    • 4/5
      There is absolutely nothing wrong with this book. It's an entertaining read, and an amusing and sometimes clever author voice. But these days I always seem to be asking myself "why can't contemporary fantasy writers come up with anything NEW?" And if being unoriginal were a crime (note that I use the subjunctive "were", because we all know that it's more likely to lead to a best seller than to criminal prosecution) then this author's head would be the first on the chopping block. If you like gruesome stories about children's heads getting cut off, why not read the original Brothers Grimm?
    • 3/5
      I have a tendency to place more on my reading plate than I can actually handle, so naturally, I placed this little tale on hold at the library, and had to consume it once it was FINALLY available (all whilst reading a BAJILLION other books I have for review).I took interest in this after reading a review for it by Karen on Goodreads (who is an AMAZING reviewer, and you must check her out, the amount of titles she's read is staggering). I have mixed feelings about this book, it started off a tad corny, and, I would say for perhaps a good 25-30 pages, it stayed that way. But I really started getting into it as it progressed from there. Side Note: I've never read any of Grimm's fairytales, so that most likely played a huge role in how much I enjoyed this book vs. how much I could have loved it (or perhaps it would have only made me dislike it more, who knows).This book is essentially the fairytale of Hansel and Gretal, but then goes on to incorporate the two characters into other well-known Grimm tales, and I must say, the result was rather entertaining and humorous-aside from being completely disturbing at times (there are some pretty graphic scenes, which, being 26 years old, even I couldn't really handle lol). I loved the aspect of Hansel and Gretal getting a chance to expand and grow from the young and naive children they are in their own tale, into courageous and practical young warriors. By the end of the book, I was rooting with all of my might for their victory, and felt like I was reading a completely different book-so wonderous was their growth.This book received 3 stars because I grew tired very quickly of the author interjecting the story with his own thoughts and backstories- it seemed clever and witty at first, but by the middle of the book, I just wanted to read the tales. I will definitely, however, be picking up the next book in this series. Hopefully we read less from the author, and more from his characters.
    • 4/5
      The "real" story of Hansel and Gretel's adventures. The narrator in this one is quite present, warning of the gore and twists and turns ahead in the story a la The Name of This Book is Secret and Series of Unfortunate Events. An engaging story that will certainly appeal to middle school students.
    • 2/5
      I didn't really like the book, maybe it depends on my classical education. grimm's fairy tales attended me my whole life and there are significant features, taht come with them, as the figures being types and not characters, simple plots, magic, recapitulations and so on. If an autor takes parts of them, she or he has in my opinion to deal with the features in a way, that is different. Gidwitz didn't. He put different less well known fairy tales in series and only the progagonists hansel and gretel hold them together,loosly together, stumbling from one plot to the other without getting charakters. they stay the same types like in the grimm's tales. so it seems to read grimm's tales just with comments, like we got used since "lemony sicket".
    • 5/5
      This is the grim story of Hansel and Gretel and their childhood journey when they leave their parents, who cut their heads off. The tale twists and turns but never quite meet their death. From murderous bakers, strangers who chop girls up into pieces and deathly dragons, the children struggle to find their places in the world. Told by a witty narrator that cuts into the story throughout but does so in a fun way.This book has such a eerie plot. It starts off with introducing Hansel and Gretel, so you think there may be some innocense to it. But, no, on page 2 the author prepares you for their heads to be cut off. Then it ends with cutting their father's head off and chopping a dragon that emerges from his head into small pieces. I think it's best for young adults because it's a bit much for upper elementary... But, I have to admit it was very engaging and entertaining. I loved the characters and the wit of the narrator.
    • 5/5
      The traditional tale of Hansel & Gretel told with all the scary details and a dose of humor. Reader on audio book version is excellent.
    • 5/5
      This book is great -- funny, gory, and full of lesser-known Grimm tales. Gidwitz ties all of the stories together by making some alterations to the story of Hansel and Gretel, in order to let the two of them be the hero and heroine of each of the other tales they travel through, and the book as a whole.This book reminded me of the musical Into the Woods in all the best ways -- highly recommended to anyone who enjoys fractured fairy tales. Plus, there's a fun little "insider" nod to Narnia that I thought was really cute!
    • 4/5
      A deliciously, twisted, can't stop reading, tale. LOVE LOVE LOVEthe narrator, who adds an unexpected something to every tale!! These are not the fairytales you knew as a child, but they are NOT so bloody, gross-out, heart-wrenching, that your kiddos won't enjoy them. This would make a great read aloud. I would buy it for my 10 and 13 year olds.
    • 5/5
      This was a lot of fun! With a chatty narrator who talks to the reader, we experience several Grimms' tales in full gore, complete with the chopping off of heads and fingers. Gidwitz ties eight Grimms' fairy tales together by placing Hansel and Gretel together or separate into the stories, and does a fantastic job of incorporating humor, terrible parents, lots of blood, and plenty of adventure. This is sure to delight fans of The Series of Unfortunate Events or Roald Dahl's The Witches.Highly recommended for middle grade readers.
    • 4/5
      Darkly fresh retelling of the Hansel and Gretel fairy tale. Not for really young kids but an excellent story for 12 and older. Witty, Funny, and several other adjectives that can't even begin to describe this fabulous book. IT was an EXCELLENT way to spend an afternoon in the sun. GREAT JOB!!!!
    • 5/5
      This was a fantastic book for any fan of fairy tales, especially in their original gory versions. Hansel and Gretel are characters moving from story to story, creating a story arch that is complete and fulfilling to readers. The use of a narrator in the mix of the story is rewarding. My experiences made me think of the _Princess Bride,_ forewarning the child of a scary moment. As I was describing this book to my husband and two boys (ages 7 and 4) there was a fight over which one of them would get to read it next. (No, the 4 year old can't read, but the idea of the book was so exciting to him, that he wanted in on the action.)I adored this book and will continue to keep Gidwitz on my watch list for some time.