Module 5 Fantasy, Science Fiction, & Supernatural

A Tale Dark and Grimm

by Adam Gidwitz

Gidwitz, A. (2010). A tale dark and grimm. New York, NY: Penguin Group. Ebook

In this variation of the Brothers Grimm story, the reader is introduced to Hansel and Gretel.  Although readers might be familiar with the story of Hansel and Gretel, they won’t encounter the traditional story in this version.  In Gidwitz’s version, Hansel and Gretel are born to a king and a queen who have been cursed.  As a consequence of the curse being broken, Hansel and Gretel set out to find suitable parents.  This journey leads them to a variety of parents all of whom have flaws.  Eventually the two are separated and begin personal adventures.  The lessons from their journeys culminate to the conclusion where they face a fierce dragon and learn not only about themselves but the world.  Although readers will have to suspend reality, the lessons from the story are real world. 

Instead of just retelling several of the Grimm stories, the author has given it a twist.  Although the stories may be familiar, the main characters, Hansel and Gretel, remain the same and the stories tie together in an almost epic tale.  This allows the author to develop an interesting plot line with a lot of rising action.  As the children set out on a quest to find suitable parents, they encounter many challenges.   The twists in the story give readers many things to ponder while the storytelling is enriched through creative writing.  One technique used by the author was bold print to interject personal thoughts about the events occurring in the story.  Truly the narrator becomes just as important to the story as Hansel and Gretel.  The author also uses these “time-out” conversations to instill humor into the story, but to also build a relationship with the reader.  At times, the interjections are meant to build excitement and help the reader view themselves as mature readers.  There is violence in the book, such as a dragon killing villagers or the moon trying to eat children, and at times can be somewhat graphic.  However, it seems to belong in the book and fits nicely within the storyline.   

Now for my personal thoughts, I found the writing in the story to be truly engaging.  The plot of trying to find parents who are actually good at parenting was also refreshing.  After all, what teenager has never realized that his or her parents made mistakes?  I also enjoyed the author’s attempts to lighten the story with humor, but still gave the reader the whole story.  I can see the appeal to young readers.  They actually have an author who is willing to give them the “real” story instead of the watered down version meant to protect them.  It was genius for the author to include disclaimers in his narration that the story was not intended for young children.  This gives a young adult reader a sense of maturity and reassurance that they can be trusted to tackle real world problems.   This would be a great story to bring in the traditional Grimm Brother tales or to use as a tool to initiate research.

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