Grim: Dark Fairy Tales for the Psychologically Minded

by Joseph Burgo

From the author of THE ILLUMINARIAD and THE LIGHTS OF BARBRIN, these three novella-length tales probe psychological themes latent in the classic Grimm versions. Rather than presenting two-dimensional "good" heroines pitted against "evil" step-mothers, GRIM portrays fully realized characters grappling with shame and self doubt, suffering at the hands of mothers best thought of as narcissistic in modern terminology. Due to their dark themes and some graphic sexual material, these tales are not for the faint of heart and unsuitable for children.

Genres: Fiction, Fantasy

198 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 19, 2016

About the author

I'm a clinical psychologist and I write a blog about psychotherapy issues called After Psychotherapy. I also blog for Psychology Today and PsychCentral.

As a young man, I published a couple of works of genre fiction and I still write fiction, though lately my website and my new book on psychological defense mechanisms has taken most of my time.

I work with clients all over the work by Skype video and I love my practice. I have three children, two in college and one in high school. Apart from writing and my practice, I study classical piano, spend my summers in Colorado near Rocky Mountain National Park and enjoy my family. Oh, and I cook.

Reviews

[Laysee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always loved fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm. Fairy tales are spun of sugar. I willingly succumb to their charm and the promise that good triumphs over evil. Alas, there is no sugar in this updated collection of fairy tales that feature Cinderella, Snow White and Rapunzel. Beware! You will never think about these stories in the same way again.

“Grim” is not just a clever pun on the Brothers Grimm’s magical tales. It is a clever teaching device. In this set of fairy tales, Joseph Burgo retells each story as a psychological drama and situates them within our modern day context and its obsession with the self. These reinvented fairy tale characters are nuanced and complex. Although I mourn the loss of my romantic impressions of these tales, I am thrilled by the psychological insights I have gained. These updated stories are highly entertaining, laced with dark humor, and keep me entranced in a different way.

Of course, if you think about it, what are the odds that a person, like Cinderella, who has been neglected and abused as a child, will grow up to become a well-adjusted, cheerful, and forgiving individual? In fact, this is the question that prompted Burgo to write this book. Burgo illustrates through his retelling of the fairy tales the importance of the early years in a person’s development (e.g., attachment to a mother or mother figure), the pathways that lead to psychopathology, the core dysfunction that underlies narcissism, sociopathy and borderline personality disorders, the various defense mechanisms people with personality disorder (PD) employ as a way of coping with their lifetraps, and possible therapeutic routes (although this last bit is less obvious in his stories).

The following segment of the review are my thoughts and analysis of the key characters.
1. The love of one’s family, especially one’s mother, is foundational to one’s ability to love and connect with others. Cinderella (C), Snow White (SW), and Rapunzel (R) have mothers who reject and abuse them. Interestingly enough, their plight reminds me of the autobiographical work by Jeanette Winterson who writes about growing up at home with her depressive and abusive adoptive mother. Winterson’s experience elucidates the experience of maternal rejection very well: "But mother is our first love affair...And if we lose her, where do we find her again?" In addition, "In the beginning the love you get is the love that sets." Because C, SW, and R are subject to horrendous maltreatment, they can only blame themselves – that they must be damaged or defective in some way to merit abuse. Reflecting on her relationship with her mother, SW has this to say: "It is who I am that offends her...That is the reason, the only possible explanation. I am very bad by nature, unworthy of a mother's love." In contrast, the dwarfs in SW’s story - freaks of nature – are abandoned by their mothers but they do not “seem infected with bitterness... They had one another." Where there is love, even if it does not emanate from one’s own family, an individual can thrive no matter how dire his or her circumstances. Why? I think it is because we are healed from being loved and from learning to love others.

2. Lifetraps or negative life patterns develop when one’s childhood needs are not met. No thanks to her highly critical mother, Cinderella’s life-trap is one of defectiveness and shame. She sees herself as ugly and unlovable. “If Mother didn't hate her, then who was she?” Her mother’s hatred defines who she is. That pain is unbearable and explains her cutting behaviors. This, coupled with her unstable, passive-aggressive relationship with her mother and sister, points to a Borderline PD. For SW’s mother (Queen Madlen) who has grown up with an indulgent father, her lifetrap is one of entitlement. She cannot abide another person more beautiful than herself.

3. Creative self-expression is therapeutic. Rapunzel is a songsmith. Trapped in the tower, she composes songs and sings them. "In the end, it is her talent and growing sense of self that save her." In much the same way, Winterson too found healing in writing. Writing is her way of surviving her Mother's tyranny. In “Oranges”, she said, "I wrote a story I could live with. The other was too painful. I could not survive it."

Burgo wrote this book as a companion text to an earlier book on understanding three personality disorders. It brilliantly serves its purpose. However, this book can be read as simply fairy tales and enjoyed for the more ominous angle he has chosen to tell the stories. They are hilariously wicked in some parts and the evil is unbelievably good.

I truly enjoy these updated stories. There is still some fairy dust that has kept me quite entranced. It has been a few days since I finished reading these stories. I am still dreaming of a pair of glass slippers that lends wings to a dancer's feet. I am also longing for a rampion salad that is both scrumptious and mood enhancing.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing is good, the stories are cleverly re-told. I do have a problem with some of the aspects of the retelling. Mainly the portrayal of the women. I do understand that he is already working with misogynistic tales, but I do believe the outcome of these stories leaves a lot to be desired.

[AudioBookReviewer · Rating 4 out of 5]

My original Grim: Dark Fairy Tales audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.

This audiobook is a retelling of 3 of the most well-known fairy tales of all time - Cinderella, Snow White and Rapunzel.

The twist in these versions, however, is that the author applies more human psychology to the situation which makes the stories far more believable. He also focused on parts of the stories which were glossed over in the originals, such as why the villains behaved the way they did.

In Cinderella, the story doesn't stop at the moment she's matched up to her glass slipper - Joseph Burgo imagines the quality of life a marriage would bring if it was based on nothing more than a night of dancing and some snazzy footwear. What kind of man would search the kingdom for a woman based on that one night alone? Listen to this story to find out!

Snow White was another excellent retelling, the story begins with the childhood of the evil queen (her mother) and all the events that led up to Snow White being poisoned. The dwarves are real people in this story, not just quaint little miners with no minds of their own, something which I haven't really read in any other version.

Rapunzel was my favourite of all these stories, possibly because it's not a story I was hugely familiar with beyond watching Disney's Tangled, when it came out. This story was particularly dark and covered themes like addiction, self-loathing and general ass hattery.

Stuart Packer didn't rock my world as a narrator, though the production quality was excellent and his accent spot on for these stories - as I was already familiar with the fundamentals of these stories it was quite easy to let my mind wander, I think it would have taken a bit more charisma to keep my head well and truly in the game.

I'm very much into fairy tale retellings and this one was pretty damn good, the only part of the psychological aspects I found a little bit odd was the sexual behaviour being shoehorned into the story - I'm not prudish when it comes to sexual content in books (immature, yes. Prudish, no.) but this seemed a little bit forced into the story to make sure it was in there alongside all the other additions.

If you're interested in fairytales with a twist, give this book a go! Be warned, though, this isn't 'dark' in the sense of 'horror' but more in the sense of 'Cinderella likes to self-harm, so trigger warnings ahoy!

Audiobook was provided for review by the author.

[Mariah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting idea of 'what really happened' in fairy tales, but not executed that great. Some were a little ridiculous...

[Chanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was really disappointing. I’m not sure what the point was for the book. To make it lightly sexual? To add some dark contemporary actions that speak to someone in pain? It was just dull. DNF.