A Tale Dark and Grimm

A Tale Dark and Grimm is the first in the series of the same name, followed by In a Glass Grimmly and The Grimm Conclusion (2012 and 2013, Dutton Books for Young Readers). In a Glass Grimmly departs from Hansel and Gretel’s journey to follow Jack and Jill through their own tale (“Jack and the Beanstalk”), as well as “The Frog Prince,” and other nursery rhymes by authors other than the Grimm Brothers. Cousins Jack and Jill set out on a quest to find a looking glass; Gidwitz uses his signature humor and unnamed narrator to tell their story as they grow as people and learn about themselves. The Grimm Conclusion similarly follows two children, Jorinda and Joringel, from the Grimm tale “Jorinde and Joringel.” It includes such Grimm fairy tales as “Cinderella,” “The Juniper Bush,” and “Rumpelstiltskin.” As the last in the series, it wraps up all the series’ adventures, also exploring the fairy-tale tradition and storytelling in general.

While Gidwitz inserts humor and violence into the A Tale Dark and Grimm series, the stories are meant to be neither completely comedic nor terrifying. He uses comic elements to make the novels accessible to audiences of all ages. The violence is a call to the original stories, which are much darker and more disturbing than the versions of modern popular culture. By not shying away from violence, Gidwitz shows the unpleasantness that can accompany growing and learning. He also nods to how storytelling has changed, particularly for tales geared toward young readers. Fairy tales were initially told primarily in the oral tradition, meaning they were spoken aloud for a group to hear. No matter how frightening they got, the storyteller could keep the audience feeling as though all would end well, something Gidwitz attempts to recreate in written form with his humorous unnamed narrator.