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Modern Grimmoire: Contemporary Fairy Tales, Fables & Folklore
Two hundred years ago, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm--better known as The Brothers Grimm--published their collection to ensure that the various German fables, tales and folklore of their age and before would not die out. Modern Grimmoire: Contemporary Fairy Tales, Fables & Folklore is a literary anthology in the Grimm persuasion.
Awaiting you inside are the collected works of thirty-six emerging authors and artists from around the world, including prize recipients Michael Harris Cohen and Mandy Altimus Pond, along with Mona Awad, Catee Baugh, Tim Belden, Danielle Bellone, Amanda Block, Angela Buck, Simon P. Clark, Paul Crenshaw, Kimberly Duede, Steven Ehret, Danielle Fontaine, J. M. R. Harrison, Joyce Winters Henderson, John Kiste, David Kolinski-Schultz, Maude Larke, Clayton Lister, Carlos F. Mason Wehby, Colleen Michaels, Erin T. Mulligan, Jason Daniel Myers, Joann Oh, Elodie Olson-Coons, Julia Patt, Ariana Quinonez, Tay Sanchez, Sarah Elizabeth Schantz, Alex Stein, Michael Wasteneys Stephens, Cheryl Stiles, Samuel Valentino, Erin Virgil, Jennifer Whitaker and Sarah Wilson.
Through short fiction, poetry and artwork, you will meet a talking cat-girl and a girl that talks to cats; librarians like you've never imagined and royalty like you always have; an ex-court painter, an all too persuasive frog, and an out-of-work wolfman.
Some twist and twine their happily-ever-after predecessors in inventive ways; others craft entirely new magical faces and places. All collected, the anthology is ripe with sticky sweet revenge, altogether timely fates, and all-conquering (and conquesting) love.
Awaiting you inside are the collected works of thirty-six emerging authors and artists from around the world, including prize recipients Michael Harris Cohen and Mandy Altimus Pond, along with Mona Awad, Catee Baugh, Tim Belden, Danielle Bellone, Amanda Block, Angela Buck, Simon P. Clark, Paul Crenshaw, Kimberly Duede, Steven Ehret, Danielle Fontaine, J. M. R. Harrison, Joyce Winters Henderson, John Kiste, David Kolinski-Schultz, Maude Larke, Clayton Lister, Carlos F. Mason Wehby, Colleen Michaels, Erin T. Mulligan, Jason Daniel Myers, Joann Oh, Elodie Olson-Coons, Julia Patt, Ariana Quinonez, Tay Sanchez, Sarah Elizabeth Schantz, Alex Stein, Michael Wasteneys Stephens, Cheryl Stiles, Samuel Valentino, Erin Virgil, Jennifer Whitaker and Sarah Wilson.
Through short fiction, poetry and artwork, you will meet a talking cat-girl and a girl that talks to cats; librarians like you've never imagined and royalty like you always have; an ex-court painter, an all too persuasive frog, and an out-of-work wolfman.
Some twist and twine their happily-ever-after predecessors in inventive ways; others craft entirely new magical faces and places. All collected, the anthology is ripe with sticky sweet revenge, altogether timely fates, and all-conquering (and conquesting) love.
248 pages, Hardcover
First published May 11, 2013
6 people are currently reading
2448 people want to read
About the author
Michael Harris Cohen
24 books24 followersMichael Harris Cohen’s stories have been published in various magazines and anthologies including F(r)iction, Black Candies, Necessary Fiction, A Punk Rock Future, Catapult’s Tiny Crimes, The Dark, and Conjunctions. His first book, The Eyes, won Mixer’s “Sex, Violence, and Satire” contest judged by Stephen Graham Jones. He’s received a Fulbright grant for literary translation and fellowships from The Djerassi Foundation, OMI International Arts Center, The Atlantic Center for the Arts, Jentel Artists Residency, Blue Mountain Center, and the Künstlerdorf Schöppingen Foundation. He’s a graduate of the MFA program at Brown University where he won the Weston Award for best graduate fiction manuscript. His collection of horror fiction, Effects Vary, is forthcoming from Cemetery Gates Media in October, 2022. He lives with his wife and daughters in Sofia and teaches Creative Writing and Literature at the American University in Bulgaria.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 29, 2014
I am a girl that loves fairy tales - always have. So, when a friend won this one in a Goodreads giveaway, I knew I was going to have to borrow it. In this anthology, we get retellings of old, familiar fairy tales along with some completely new (to me, at least) stories and poems, many with a dark twist. The end result is a satisfying, sometimes chilling, read that would make the Grimm brothers happy.
There were one or two stories that didn't quite work for me, but overall, this was solid. Some standouts for me include: the anthology prizewinner The Ex-Court Painter, Goya, and the Princess; Gourmaundeth, a dark poem about the real-life German cannibal (du bist, was du isst...); Fish, a fish out of water story, as it were; Catspaw, a tale with multiple endings; and Persuasion and The Wolfman's New Gig, twisted retellings of familiar favorites. The artwork on the cover and throughout is beautiful, as well. As a side note, the paper that was used to make the dust jacket is fantastic - oddly velvety; I wish all my hardbacks used it.
All in all, this was a great read and a real treat.
There were one or two stories that didn't quite work for me, but overall, this was solid. Some standouts for me include: the anthology prizewinner The Ex-Court Painter, Goya, and the Princess; Gourmaundeth, a dark poem about the real-life German cannibal (du bist, was du isst...); Fish, a fish out of water story, as it were; Catspaw, a tale with multiple endings; and Persuasion and The Wolfman's New Gig, twisted retellings of familiar favorites. The artwork on the cover and throughout is beautiful, as well. As a side note, the paper that was used to make the dust jacket is fantastic - oddly velvety; I wish all my hardbacks used it.
All in all, this was a great read and a real treat.
February 19, 2014
This was a fine collection of fairy tales, fables, and folklore. Some were oft-told tales that will be readily familiar to you but that veer off into unexpected twists and turns, others have more of a contemporary bent. Full of bright magic and darkness, macabre and lovely - these stories are not for the kiddies.
Within these pages you can read of a glib frog who talks his way into the bed of a careless princess, a husband who always gets the secrets mixed up with the truth, a library with terrifying goings-on, and people who live in the walls. The much maligned pea gets his chance to defend his position and throw new light on who the injured party really was in the original story.
For your further consideration, there are singing trees, scarves knitted from caterpillars' dreams, whistling spiders, a talking fish, and a girl whose long hair has a most definite mind of its own.
The book itself has an old-fashioned look to the pages which is charming. There are a few illustrations included that are well worth a look. This was loaned to me by a Goodreads buddy who won it in a giveaway, thank you.
Within these pages you can read of a glib frog who talks his way into the bed of a careless princess, a husband who always gets the secrets mixed up with the truth, a library with terrifying goings-on, and people who live in the walls. The much maligned pea gets his chance to defend his position and throw new light on who the injured party really was in the original story.
For your further consideration, there are singing trees, scarves knitted from caterpillars' dreams, whistling spiders, a talking fish, and a girl whose long hair has a most definite mind of its own.
The book itself has an old-fashioned look to the pages which is charming. There are a few illustrations included that are well worth a look. This was loaned to me by a Goodreads buddy who won it in a giveaway, thank you.
December 21, 2013
Thirty-six authors and artists create this anthology of chilling stories, dark poetry, and wonderfully, unsettling illustrations. Some of the works were disturbing, some were haunting, and a few, in true fairytale fashion, had a happily ever after. With a mixture of new tales and new takes on old classics, this book provides a fresh perspective on stories we all know and love and several unique stories that have their place alongside their timeless counterparts.
Not a single work in this compilation disappointed me, but there were, of course, some stand outs. Among my favourites were legends of a night girl, a cat-girl, an ex-court painter, a queen whose love is “unshatterable”, a library with terrifying secrets, an enchanting music box, a woman with a symbiotic relationship with her hair, a girl and a cat who forge an unlikely friendship, a “sweet” little woman, a man on a unicycle, and a cursed sleeping girl. Also, there is very familiar yarn of a brother and sister happening upon a house in the woods, this time with names Henry and Gerta, plus, a long awaited account of the pea’s side of the story.
The subtitle is apt: Contemporary Fairy Tales, Fables, and Folklore. This is a modern collection we can enjoy and share with future generations. Hopefully, like their predecessors the Brothers Grimm, these authors’ tales will stand the test of time.
I received a free copy of this book through Goodreads First Reads.
Not a single work in this compilation disappointed me, but there were, of course, some stand outs. Among my favourites were legends of a night girl, a cat-girl, an ex-court painter, a queen whose love is “unshatterable”, a library with terrifying secrets, an enchanting music box, a woman with a symbiotic relationship with her hair, a girl and a cat who forge an unlikely friendship, a “sweet” little woman, a man on a unicycle, and a cursed sleeping girl. Also, there is very familiar yarn of a brother and sister happening upon a house in the woods, this time with names Henry and Gerta, plus, a long awaited account of the pea’s side of the story.
The subtitle is apt: Contemporary Fairy Tales, Fables, and Folklore. This is a modern collection we can enjoy and share with future generations. Hopefully, like their predecessors the Brothers Grimm, these authors’ tales will stand the test of time.
I received a free copy of this book through Goodreads First Reads.
July 4, 2013
Review based on ARC.
I love Grimm and I was very excited to win a copy of Modern Grimmoire through an early reviewer program. But I was not really sure what to expect -- would these be new takes on old stories? new stories? It was a combination. A very dark, very angry combination of, as the subtitle states, fairy tales, fables and folklore.
Overall, I was very happy with the anthology. It was a quick read, and each story very comfortably stands on its own. I would recommend to anyone who has a penchant for all things Grimm, for people who are interested in dark fairy tales, folklore, and fables, and for those with a stomach for the, well, grim. In other words, if the title is appealing to you, go ahead and pick it up. The book does the title and the cover justice.
The anthology is comprised of mostly stories, a few poems, and a handful of pictures. The stories were the heart and the focus of the book, and I separately review (though I do not summarize short stories) each on my blog at http://allbookreviewer.blogspot.com/2....
There were a few standout stories that, in and of themselves, would make this book worth picking up and reading. The stories that were not as great (in my opinion), did not particularly detract from the whole, and overall, the anthology was particularly well written, edited, and composed.
The few standout stories:
The Ex-Court Painter, Goya, and the Princess, which tells the story of an ex-royal painter, who is called into Court to do a particularly sensitive and confidential job for the King. The painter is shuffled down to the basement, and is locked in a room to do his work. I will not spoil what the painting is of or how the story progresses, but this author did an excellent job of telling an intriguing and complete story in short order.
Night People, in Summer was another favorite that employed a sense of ghost telling and magical realism. The author took the ordinary daily life and added not only magic and supernatural intrigue, but also a light element of danger.
The Music Box, where the author took the modern and very relatable problem of dating, and added a magical twist that was fun and whimsical.
The Wolfman's New Gig, which was cute and dark at the same time. The author did a great job of keeping the reader just confused enough and intrigued enough to keep turning the page. The twists are well set up, and completely surprising and believable of the characters.
Bring It, Bernadette, which I loved. At just over a page, this story packed a lot of punch and a lot of twisted psyche in.
The Library, which was another good ambiant, creepy story with lots of questions and few answers. Although the tale is left incomplete, it is done so at the right time and in the right way so as to leave the reader still thinking about the story, but satisfied. It was confusing, and weird, and just perfectly intriguing.
WIth regard to the pictures, they were fine - lending some ambiance to the stories. My favorite by a lot was They Say Once the Trees Begin to Tremble It Is Too Late by Steven Ehret, on page 180.
With regard to the poems, they were also fine - lending some ambiance to the stories. They were little views into the life of a Grimm character, or a brief explanation, or a slight twist on perspective. I will add that I particularly liked the snark in Colleen Michaels' The Pea Defends His Position. I will also add that the Four Grimm Tales, Revisited, by Erin Virgil, was a well-done, interesting twist on the four tales. Enough said in these four little mini-poems to twist the original stories completely around.
I love Grimm and I was very excited to win a copy of Modern Grimmoire through an early reviewer program. But I was not really sure what to expect -- would these be new takes on old stories? new stories? It was a combination. A very dark, very angry combination of, as the subtitle states, fairy tales, fables and folklore.
Overall, I was very happy with the anthology. It was a quick read, and each story very comfortably stands on its own. I would recommend to anyone who has a penchant for all things Grimm, for people who are interested in dark fairy tales, folklore, and fables, and for those with a stomach for the, well, grim. In other words, if the title is appealing to you, go ahead and pick it up. The book does the title and the cover justice.
The anthology is comprised of mostly stories, a few poems, and a handful of pictures. The stories were the heart and the focus of the book, and I separately review (though I do not summarize short stories) each on my blog at http://allbookreviewer.blogspot.com/2....
There were a few standout stories that, in and of themselves, would make this book worth picking up and reading. The stories that were not as great (in my opinion), did not particularly detract from the whole, and overall, the anthology was particularly well written, edited, and composed.
The few standout stories:
The Ex-Court Painter, Goya, and the Princess, which tells the story of an ex-royal painter, who is called into Court to do a particularly sensitive and confidential job for the King. The painter is shuffled down to the basement, and is locked in a room to do his work. I will not spoil what the painting is of or how the story progresses, but this author did an excellent job of telling an intriguing and complete story in short order.
Night People, in Summer was another favorite that employed a sense of ghost telling and magical realism. The author took the ordinary daily life and added not only magic and supernatural intrigue, but also a light element of danger.
The Music Box, where the author took the modern and very relatable problem of dating, and added a magical twist that was fun and whimsical.
The Wolfman's New Gig, which was cute and dark at the same time. The author did a great job of keeping the reader just confused enough and intrigued enough to keep turning the page. The twists are well set up, and completely surprising and believable of the characters.
Bring It, Bernadette, which I loved. At just over a page, this story packed a lot of punch and a lot of twisted psyche in.
The Library, which was another good ambiant, creepy story with lots of questions and few answers. Although the tale is left incomplete, it is done so at the right time and in the right way so as to leave the reader still thinking about the story, but satisfied. It was confusing, and weird, and just perfectly intriguing.
WIth regard to the pictures, they were fine - lending some ambiance to the stories. My favorite by a lot was They Say Once the Trees Begin to Tremble It Is Too Late by Steven Ehret, on page 180.
With regard to the poems, they were also fine - lending some ambiance to the stories. They were little views into the life of a Grimm character, or a brief explanation, or a slight twist on perspective. I will add that I particularly liked the snark in Colleen Michaels' The Pea Defends His Position. I will also add that the Four Grimm Tales, Revisited, by Erin Virgil, was a well-done, interesting twist on the four tales. Enough said in these four little mini-poems to twist the original stories completely around.
Want to read
April 30, 2013I am so thankful for Goodreads First Reads for allowing me to get this book. I have not yet had a chance to read it but once I do I will be sure to update this review.
August 9, 2013
A fantastic book that I'm proud to be a part of. The mix of stories is brilliant and the presentation itself (I have the hardback) is superb. Great stories to inspire and confuse.
June 22, 2014
I received this book through Goodreads's First Reads
I honestly enjoyed all these assortments of story paying homage to the traditional Brothers Grimm Stories If you like fairy tales this is a must read for you
I honestly enjoyed all these assortments of story paying homage to the traditional Brothers Grimm Stories If you like fairy tales this is a must read for you
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews