White as Milk, Red as Blood: The Forgotten Fairy Tales of Franz Xaver von Schönwerth

by Franz Xaver von Schönwerth, Shelley Tanaka (Translator), Willow Dawson (Illustrator)

This striking, richly illustrated edition of long-lost German fairy tales is not a book for children. It is a book for adults. Or for adults to frighten children into behaving... whichever you prefer.

In 2009, a trove of lost fairy tales collected by Franz Xaver von Schönwerth - a 19th-century collector of Bavarian folk tales and contemporary of the Brothers Grimm- was unearthed in a municipal archive in Germany. Unlike the Grimms, who polished the stories they collected, adapting to contemporary tastes, von Schönwerth recorded the stories as they were told, plucking them directly from the living, breathing tree of oral storytelling, retaining their darker themes and sometimes shocking violence. Von Schönwerth published a single volume of these tales in his lifetime, but the vast majority languished and were forgotten over the years, effectively frozen in time until their recent rediscovery.
Now, award-winning illustrator Willow Dawson, in collaboration with translator Shelley Tanaka, has brought these long-lost tales unforgettably to life, illuminating with striking woodcut-style illustrations a spectacular collection that will change the way you look at fairy tales forever. Paired with Dawson's arresting artwork, the stories in White as Milk, Red as Blood race with palpable energy through fantasy landscapes darker, bawdier and racier than anything we find in Disney or the Grimms.
Following the tradition of illustrated fairy-tale collections, White as Milk, Red as Blood is the very first fully illustrated, full-colour edition of Franz Xaver von Schönwerth's work. It is a timeless tome of enchantment and foreboding: tales - as haunting as they are profound - of powerful princesses, helpless men, lecherous villains, virtuous girls, witches, giants, at least one female serial killer, mer-people, shape-shifters and talking beasts - a kaleidoscope of wonders both familiar and entirely new; rich and strange.
Dawson and Tanaka's dark and lively take on von Schönwerth's collected tales will appeal to fans of Mike Mignola's classic fantasy comic-book series Hellboy.

Genres: Fantasy, Fairy Tales, Short Stories, Fiction, Folklore, Graphic Novels, Adult

144 pages, Hardcover

First published April 15, 2018

Reviews

[Manybooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yes indeed, alongside of my review for White as Milk, Red as Blood: The Forgotten Fairy Tales of Franz Xaver on Schönwerth (published in 2018, translated from the German by Shelley Tanaka and with accompanying artwork by Willow Dawson) I am also going to be reposting my musings regarding Prinz Roßzwifl und andere Märchen, which is Erika Eichenseer's (and of course German language) compilation of one hundred and thirty six of the over five hundred folk and fairy tales collected in the mid 1800s in the Upper Palatinate (Oberpfalz) region of what is now Germany and the province of Bavaria (Bayern) by Franz Xaver von Schönwerth (1810-1886), which Eichenseer rediscovered languishing away in an archive in 2009 and of which White as Milk, Red as Blood: The Forgotten Fairy Tales of Franz Xaver on Schönwerth contains nine stories, with the remaining fourteen tales featured in White as Milk, Red as Blood: The Forgotten Fairy Tales of Franz Xaver on Schönwerth coming from von Schönwerth's three volume Aus der Oberpfalz: Sitten und Sagen (published from 1857 to 1859). And with me having read Prinz Roßzwifl und andere Märchen but not having read as yet Aus der Oberpfalz: Sitten und Sagen (but of course now really wanting to), I thus perused the nine stories of White as Milk, Red as Blood: The Forgotten Fairy Tales of Franz Xaver on Schönwerth taken from Prinz Roßzwifl und andere Märchen very specifically and also bien sûr comparing and contrasting with the originals found in Prinz Roßzwifl und andere Märchen.

Prinz Roßzwifl und andere Märchen

After having read online (in 2012 and featured in The Guardian) about the 2009 discovery (or rather the rediscover) by Erika Eichenseer of Franz Xaver von Schönwerth's massive (over five hundred strong) trove of collected (but unlike his contemporaries the Brothers Grimm also never extensively edited, adjusted, and thus also not ever sanitised) Upper Bavarian (Upper Palatinate) folk and fairy tales, I eagerly sought out and purchased Prinz Roßzwifl und andere Märchen (the corresponding German language collection of one hundred thirty six of these tales, and yes, Prinz Roßzwifl und andere Märchen actually also proved a bit difficult to locate and as such took some research and perseverance). However, while I was indeed eager to share my musings and considerations about Prinz Roßzwifl und andere Märchen after reading and very much enjoying the featured tales, I then somehow lost track of Prinz Roßzwifl und andere Märchen and only recently relocated it under a huge pile of what I had erroneously believed to consist of only perused and reviewed academic folklore and history tomes (which is one of the main reasons why this here review for Prinz Roßzwifl und andere Märchen has taken more than ten years to fully materialise and this is in my opinion also kind of ironic considering the just related and so intriguing backstory).

Now generally speaking, Prinz Roßzwifl und andere Märchen (and with the noun Roßzwifl being a local Upper Palatinate dialect term for dung beetle, and also the title of one of the presented tales, featuring a prince who has, you guessed it, been magically transformed into such a creature and is saved from this enchantment, which was actually a justified punishment meted out because as a child he had been nastily abusive to a dung beetle, by a young and beautiful girl whom he then and of course also marries) is an extensive and in all ways more than adequate introduction to Franz Xaver von Schönwerth oeuvre (and also somewhat to his life and times). However and of course, since the rediscovered archive of the latter's tales contains more than five hundred stories (see above), editor and compiler Erika Eichenseer obviously had to pick, choose and impose a limit (and as already mentioned above, Prinz Roßzwifl und andere Märchen thus contains one hundred thirty six of von Schönwerth's collected stories, a varied, enjoyable and also much enlightening array of magic, animal, legendary and equally also often quite humorous story offerings). But indeed, I definitely do hope that Prinz Roßzwifl und andere Märchen is considered but a good and decent starting point and that more and more of von Schönwerth's archive of collected folk and fairy tales will end up being published in book form (and also meticulously annotated, analysed etc. like has been the case with Prinz Roßzwifl und andere Märchen), as it would definitely be sad if that were not the case, because we really would not want to have to wait another hundred and fifty years for the remainder of Franz Xaver von Schönwerth's collected tales to reach the general public of readers and folk tale enthusiasts.

And yes, the featured tales of Prinz Roßzwifl und andere Märchen are eclectic, interesting, and while they do often very much and logically represent pan-European (and even pan-global) folk and fairy tale themes and types, Prinz Roßzwifl und andere Märchen also offers many unique and local Upper Palatinate stories, or more to the point, local variants where a common ATU folklore theme has been rendered into an exclusive and different set-up (for example, in Die drei Köngistöchter which is a story about a witch who has kidnapped three princesses, when the youngest escapes with an equally kidnapped prince, while this is definitely based on ATU 313, the magic flight, and is also somewhat similar to the Brothers Grimm tale of Fundevogel, the manner in which the princess finally saves herself and the prince after both of them have been swallowed by the witch is very much one-of-a-kind, as she literally cuts herself and the prince out of the witch's insides, thus both killing the witch once and for all and saving everyone, including her still enchanted older sisters, and is a conclusion to the tale of the magic flight that I have never encountered in similar versions of that particular folktale type I have read to date, and that frankly, even though Die drei Königstöchter is I guess pretty violent and gruesome, when I read this story, yes, it made me personally rather laugh and giggle with major glee).

Furthermore (and for me on an intellectual and folkloric level, most importantly and essentially), the selected and presented tales of Prinz Roßzwifl und andere Märchen in and of themselves very clearly and precisely, stridently demonstrate the main and yes the groundbreaking differences between how Franz Xaver von Schönwerth and his more well known and famous contemporaries the Brothers Grimm approached collecting and compiling folklore. For Von Schönwerth tended to mostly compile his folk and fairy tales from a wide variety of individuals (in different localities, from all walks of life, but the vast majority being small town or rural based), while Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm primarily asked their often and generally quite highly educated upper middle class Kassel friends and neighbours for contributions (and since many in their social circle were of French Huguenot background, much of the Grimms' folklore and folktale collections was actually and in fact often more of a French or at least of an increasingly cosmopolitan than of a specifically rural German background, kind of ironic, and even perhaps a bit hypocritical considering the nationalistic, anti-Napoleon, and thus vehemently anti-French philosophy and Weltanschauung of the two brothers).

And while the Grimms' stories and anecdotes have had to face, have gone through multiple publications and as such also many stylistic and content based changes and editing, appearing now as rather polished, literary and thus meant for a reading, for an educated public (and also specifically now conceptualised for children, for parents reading these stories to their children, even though the collection was at first not really intended for children, in so far that the Brothers Grimm originally meant their collection and compilations of folk and fairy tales more for adults), von Schönwerth simply collected his trove of tales and stories as is so to speak and did not in any way or at least did not much adjust and change or attempt to sanitise, edit or stylise what he had been told, what he had collected. Therefore, with von Schönwerth's collection of tales, they do tend to appear in a much earthier, unadorned and even visceral, sometimes even perhaps off-color and grotesque manner and form, which has also and very much and thankfully been retained in Prinz Roßzwifl und andere Märchen (as aside for some minor spelling changes and that a few of the tales were given new titles, editor Erika Eichenseer has NOT really changed these tales, has simply published them as she found them in the archive). But for me personally, one of the highlights of von Schönwerth's collection is that in these tales, there also appear not only considerably more women and girls as main and primary characters, they are also as a rule or at least more often than not presented as being much stronger, less passive and often more inherently positive than how females are described, how they are approached and shown in the Brothers' Grimm collection (or for that matter, in many European folk and fairy tale collections, and by many authors and/or compilers). And no, I am in no way insinuating that in von Schönwerth's compiled and gathered Upper Palatinate folk and fairy tales there appear ONLY positively characterised, strong and resourceful female characters, but simply that there is a considerably larger number of positive and personally strong and independent females present in Prinz Roßzwifl und andere Märchen than are in the tales of the Brothers Grimm, Charles Perrault, Joseph Jacobs, Andrew Lang et al (with the one main exception to this general rule probably being Ludwig Bechstein, who in his fairy tale collections, and rather similarly to von Schönwerth, also includes quite a goodly number of active and very much nicely positively constructed female characters).

Now introductions, afterword and commentary notes for Prinz Roßzwifl und andere Märchen, these are lovely added bonuses, and really, to call these a folkloric treasure is actually a bit of an understatement, as especially Nicola Paulson's notes are truly amazing in every way, not only demonstrating the specific sources and geographic localities of where von Schönwerth collected the individual tales, but also showing and presenting the types of folktale each individual story represents (in other words, their ATU designation, as well as possible correspondences to the Grimms' fairy tale collection). Most highly recommended and a well-deserved five star ranking for me is Prinz Roßzwifl und andere Märchen although truth be told, I do kind of wish that Daniel Drascek's informative and enlightening afterword on Franz Xaver von Schoenwerth's life and folkloric legacy could for one be a bit more expansive in scope and for two and more importantly, would also feature footnotes and source acknowledgements (in other words, it would really be nice to have some bibliographical suggestions for further reading and research included regarding Franz Xaver von Schönwerth, since he is in many ways as unknown as his collected folklore).

Finally (I do promise), Barbara Stefan's accompanying black and white silhouette style illustrations for Prinz Roßzwifl und andere Märchen are expressive and visually lovely. But while I have aesthetically enjoyed them, I also (and delightfully so) tend to not pay all that much attention to them either, as I do consider Stefan's artwork more a decorative trim and not all that essential for my textual enjoyment and appreciation of Prinz Roßzwifl und andere Märchen. And yes, my everlasting gratitude to especially Erika Eichenseer for both rediscovering Franz Xaver von Schönwerth's folklorically so important archive of collected Upper Palatinate folk and fairy tales and also for bringing them to us, to the reading public, to folklore enthusiasts in general (and just to also point out that for me, Barbara Stefan's pictures for Prinz Roßzwifl und andere Märchen being more ornamental and as such not really visually mirroring the presented folktales all that much, this is actually a very much and appreciated positive, as they provide some minor decoration but never ever do they in any way interfere with or visually overwhelm the text, never do they get in the way of the printed words, of the themes and the contents of the collected stories).

White as Milk, Red as Blood: The Forgotten Fairy Tales of Franz Xaver on Schönwerth

Definitely, certainly, with regard to White as Milk, Red as Blood: The Forgotten Fairy Tales of Franz Xaver on Schönwerth (and to be sure, most of my words regarding the generalities etc. from my above posted review of Prinz Roßzwifl und andere Märchen, they also and pretty much do completely pertain to White as Milk, Red as Blood: The Forgotten Fairy Tales of Franz Xaver on Schönwerth as well), I have to admit that I am and remain a bit textually (and also even more so visually) conflicted.

Yes, my comparison of the nine stories that Shelley Tanaka has taken from Prinz Roßzwifl und andere Märchen very nicely and even quite spectacularly shows and demonstrates that Tanaka's translations in White as Milk, Red as Blood: The Forgotten Fairy Tales of Franz Xaver on Schönwerth work really well and as such also totally and successfully mirror the original German language (Upper Palatinate) tales collected by Franz Xaver von Schönwerth and that I also therefore am going to assume that her English language renditions of the thirteen stories taken from Aus der Oberpfalz: Sitten und Sagen will more than likely be of similar high quality, with Tanaka totally capturing the spirit of the original tales and also keeping the unadorned, earthy and un-stylised feel of the originals (and as such major kudos to Shelley Tanaka for not altering, for not making the tales she has chosen for White as Milk, Red as Blood: The Forgotten Fairy Tales of Franz Xaver on Schönwerth more polished etc.).

However, and for me personally, this is a rather annoyed and frustrated however, considering that Prinz Roßzwifl und andere Märchen (and I am going to be assuming the same for Aus der Oberfpalz: Sitten und Sagen) contains not just tales featuring violence and gruesomeness, but also rather a lot of humorous stories and indeed simple anecdotes that are not really all that violent and often in fact rather sweet, I do find it rather hugely problematic how Shelley Tanaka has basically ONLY selected violent and creepy tales for White as Milk, Red as Blood: The Forgotten Fairy Tales of Franz Xaver on Schönwerth (and that illustrator Willow Dawson in her otherwise enlightening and interesting introduction even claims that ALL of Franz Xaver von Schönwerth's collected folktales are gruesome and nasty, which if I look at the stories of Prinz Roßzwifl und andere Märchen is simply and absolutely not the truth, is not the case). And therefore, my star rating for White as Milk, Red as Blood: The Forgotten Fairy Tales of Franz Xaver on Schönwerth will and can only be three stars (albeit still quite warmly recommended but with certain and for me necessary caveats).

For yes, the violence of the included stories in White as Milk, Red as Blood: The Forgotten Fairy Tales of Franz Xaver on Schönwerth is definitely a bit one-sided and as such (at least for me) only partially shows what von Schönwerth's collection of tales is actually and truly like. And well, and truly, Willow Dawson's pictures for White as Milk, Red as Blood: The Forgotten Fairy Tales of Franz Xaver on Schönwerth, although definitely lush and interesting, they are also much too creepy and often quite too violent for my personal aesthetics and equally tend to visually overwhelm Shelly Tanaka's translations and to in fact therefore make the featured stories of White as Milk, Red as Blood: The Forgotten Fairy Tales of Franz Xaver on Schönwerth often appear even more violent and more creepy than they actually textually are, with this all making White as Milk, Red as Blood: The Forgotten Fairy Tales of Franz Xaver on Schönwerth also not really all that suitable for readers younger than twelve or thirteen years of age. Therefore yes and in my humble opinion, while with Prinz Roßzwifl und andere Märchen and indeed also with the other main English language translation (by Maria Tatar), with The Turnip Princess and Other Newly Discovered Fairy Tales, there are most definitely more than enough tales that would work nicely enough with younger children, and that Barbara Stefan's black and white pictures for Prinz Roßzwifl und andere Märchen are equally neither too creepy nor too violent, this is in my humble opinion and rather unfortunately so not really the case with Willow Dawson's often gruesome and rather all encompassing visual accompaniments for White as Milk, Red as Blood: The Forgotten Fairy Tales of Franz Xaver on Schönwerth (and the the all or at least mostly violent tales selection and choice by compiler and translator Shelley Tanaka also makes me not consider White as Milk, Red as Blood: The Forgotten Fairy Tales of Franz Xaver on Schönwerth as being young reader friendly fare).

[Feliks · Rating 3 out of 5]

This handsome, slim, hardbound volume with choice cover-art taken from the bounty of wonderful graphic illustrations inside (every couple pages) makes a fine item to lay out on one's coffee-table. Really striking and colorful.

The fables themselves are --on average --as short as just 2-3 pages. Unfortunately, they do not quite live up to the glowing accolades and fawning blurbs paid to them by commentators and reviewers such as Philip Pullman (who is Philip Pullman?) who showers praise in his foreword to the edition.

These are more like faint 'premises' for fuller-length fables to be taken up by someone else someday. They're scraps. Personality and character are not what we are all used to seeing. Characters are: 'princess' or 'witch' or 'prince'; but no distinction or uniqueness; just 'princess', or 'witch', or 'prince'.

There's a few intriguing twists-and-turns; a pursuit-across-the-countryside or two; and there is some graphic sexuality; (more awareness of the human body than you find in most fables). An earthiness; some pungency sprinkled in.

But the stories are really so brief; so truncated ...they hardly get off-the-ground. Fragment-like. So I can't recommend the book for having much 'meat' to it overall; and therefore the illustrations really come into play and this is the reason why.

Something to keep around for a while -- then send to charity --or gift to a young person, or a fantasy completist; or a horror aficionado. We all know those kinds of readers.

I'll conclude with a tip --for those passionately keen on folklore, I would recommend the great Krylov instead of this. Now there was a storyteller.

[stefiereads · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a big fan of fairytales, this book is purely amazing. It’s dark, creepy, have witches, revenge, a bit disturbing, and it is juicy. I loveeee this collection a lot! I think if you love fairytales you NEED to have this book on your shelf. Besides it gorgeous cover, the content of this book is also amazing! Soooo all the stars ✨✨✨✨✨

*Thank you so much Penguin Canada for this lovely book! :)

[Riley · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Really interesting intro, beautiful illustrations. It's really fascinating to read folk tales that were never updated to fit more modern tastes and morals like the Brothers Grimm stories were. They are truly macabre and seemingly lacking any point other than 1) women should be obedient and chaste, 2) don't trust old ladies in the woods, and 3) men are pretty much always colossal jerks only out for themselves.

[Yvonne Olson · Rating 5 out of 5]

My eyes are hearts.
HEARTS I TELL YOU.

Not only are these "forgotten" fairytales a breath of fresh air, because they are different, but the illustrations that accompany them in this book are PERFECTION.
I cannot stop staring at them.
They're so gorgeous.

[Sabrina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Do not look for me, for you will not find me, even if you walk until you wear out these iron shoes.

Okay, so as someone who hard-core LOVES fairytales, I was So. Hyped. when I saw this in a bookstore! And...it just wasn't as amazing as the reviews, synopsis and illustrator's introduction made it out to be.

I was expecting to be wow-ed, and I just didn't really know if I enjoyed reading this...my overall reaction is just - meh. I don't feel enough about this book as a whole to say if I liked or disliked it. The best part of this book was probably the illustrations, as well as the introduction, also written by the illustrator.

My illustration research focused on modern-day serial killers and the overgrown places where many take their victims. An old mill hidden deep in the wood is the perfect setting for murder, the kind of death that the beautiful flowers feed off, the flowers the insects feed off, the insects the small animals feed off, the small animals the carnivores feed off, and the earth that drinks it all back up again. Mother Earth - the great abductor, the most prolific serial killer of all.

THAT WAS SO CREEPY, but also made such poetic sense! Sadly, the chill-inducing lyricism didn't quite manifest in the stories themselves. The introduction makes the stories sound like they're shockingly different to the fairytales we know today...and they're not, really. I remember laughing when the introduction stated: "You will not find any 'Once upon a times...'"...and then I turned to the first tale that opened with "Once there was a wicked old witch..."

(That story did end up being one I liked, though, so fair do's.)

That's not to say that there weren't specific tales I did enjoy! I liked 'The Gardener's Son' (which had my favourite illustration in it), 'Outwitting the Witch', 'The Two Brothers' and 'The Enchanted Crow'. Some tales are like warnings or fables, and were pretty entertaining, while others made little 'sense', seemed rather random or abruptly cut off...or were simply boring.

I respectfully disagree with the Goodreads synopsis that describes this collection as 'timeless' - in fact I think it is essential to remember that it represents a frozen time capsule of European society in that period. It's definitely not been embellished for modern reading, for example with the Moor character in 'The Flax Sisters', so it's definitely worth bearing that in mind so you won't accidentally be offended.

...she was poisoned by her envy and grew so ugly that the Moor, who now saw her as his equal, rushed up to her and offered her his hand, which she shoved aside in anger.

The illustration style was beautiful, though sometimes I didn't quite understand what they depicted - such as in 'The Clever Bride'. However, I just accepted that there will be many things in this book that I don't 'get', and maybe that's part of the whole collection's point. (I will say that there seemed to be an inordinate amount of illustrated nipples in this book! Not a criticism by any means, just something that started cracking me up the more I noticed them.)

Overall, I'm sorry to say I was disappointed on an entertainment level, but from a research and historical point of view, a collection like this is truly fascinating.

[Anna (lion_reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great little collection of fairy tales. Each seems familiar, but also fresh. Makes me wonder what else is in the Franz Xaver von Schönwerth archive. I like that he intentionally didn't alter the stories he collected, unlike the Grimm brothers. I also love all the powerful women in this selection—some of them are monsters, some are princesses who save the princes themselves. Willow Dawson's illustrations are fantastic. I could stare at them all day. They add to the dark, violent mood of the stories. Shelley Tanaka's translation is amazing—the greatest compliment to which is that you can't even tell these were originally written down in German. The size of the collection is also great, as the stories don't get too repetitive and tiring as they might in a 500-page volume of fairy tales. I recommend this to anyone who is at all intrigued by the idea of fairy tales for adults.

[Chella]

I have had a pattern recently of reading books with lovely illustrations, and with words that turn out to be somewhat incomprehensible. At least incomprehensible for me. Maybe it IS just me - who knows! This is one of my first forays into traditional fairy tales, and maybe this is just how they are - which is to say, they are disjointed and fragmented, and don't feel quite likes stories but are more like outlines or ideas for what could later become complete works...

I did especially enjoy "The Two Brothers," which is one of the longer stories and is located towards the end of the book. And, really, there IS something charming here, though. The book is lovely; it cannot be denied! It's just sort of like waking up from bizarre dreams; you have lots of images and ideas that don't necessarily form a larger or cohesive picture.

[Kristina Romero · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of lost Fairy Tales by Franz Xaver von Schonwerth is beautiful beyond words. They've selected a good number of interesting and varying tales with crisp, haunting illustrations by Willow Dawson. My favorites are The Bloody Paw, The Clever Bride, and Ashfeathers (a version of Cinderella).

[Jaclyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written within the same vein as Grimm brothers and Angela Carter, these fairy tales are most definitely not for children. But good for adults who need to be reminded how not to be a horrible person.
The illustrations were very subtle and cool, I was v into them. Sometimes they were the entire page and I was like :O

[Marieke · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was exquisite.

[ellis · Rating 4 out of 5]

gorgeously illustrated. i wish there'd been more.

[Mii · Rating 3 out of 5]

Creepy but not as creepy as I thought it would be. And oh..what a gorgeous art.

[Samantha Hehr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fairy tales for adults. An inspiring collection for those who are not faint of heart. Please translate more forgotten fairy tales!

[Jaimie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve already read the Penguin collection of von Schönwerth’s fairytales, so the stories in this collection weren’t new by any means, but I had to pick it up because of the gorgeous illustrations. Willow Dawson did not disappoint, providing eerily lovely drawings alongside the small selection of stories from von Schönwerth’s archive. I’m sure she won’t be the last artist to officially illustrate his work, so I hope that this book sets a tone for future illustrators; just because many of the Grimm’s stories have been Disney-fied doesn’t mean that we have to start treating von Schönwerth the same way. Bring on the darkness that much folklore hides (or doesn’t in some cases) and give us something to really think about!

[Meghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the most beautiful book, the illustrations and typeface and the feel of the pages are all perfect. Adult dark fairy tales collected in Germany in the 1850s by Franz Xaver von Schonwerth, a contemporary of the Grimms.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This brought back memories of reading fairy tales as a kid. Dark, gritty, horrifying, satisfying.

[Nicole Westen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this collection. Like a lot of people, I'm very familiar withe the fairy tales of the brothers Grimm, but I wasn't aware of any other collectors of fairy tales. The art was a nice touch, reminding me of the illustrated fairy tale books I read as a kid. But as the preface states, this book is not for children, unless you want to terrify them. I loved the first story the most, I think. Not only does the princess save the prince and kill the wicked witch but, and I quote 'She granted the prince her hand in marriage'. What was also fascinating is you can still see vestiges of pagan culture in some of these stories. There is frequent reference to 'forest maidens' and 'water maidens'. Although the water maidens, more often than not, appear to be malicious while the forest maidens are more benign or helpful. But both reminded me of the worship of old goddesses and gods, in which many of the ones associated with the earth or woods were female. But at the same time there is also strong Christian imagery, indicated a transition period. The 'cinderella' tale in this book has the girl, Ashfeather, wanting to go to church, instead of a ball. And there is the use of holy candles or other holy items to thwart malicious forces.
If anything, this book has renewed my fascination with fairy tales. After all, I still believe in 398.2

[Cassandra L. Manna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fairy tales, or folk tales, are so chaotic and random. The lesson isn’t always clear and jt makes you curious to know if humans would ever truly act the way they do in these tales. But that’s what makes them fun.

This was a great read, full of unique tales that were dark and dangerous, magical and manic. It was extra enjoyable to know these tales had not been told for over a hundred years, as they were newly discovered in a deep archive in Germany.

WARNING: Some racist assumptions and statements are included in the tales, as they were recorded as they were orally told at the time of their telling, in the 1800s.

Rate Procedure:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - I loved the book so much I would reread it again and would recommended to a friend or, even if I would not reread it, it was so good it deserved nothing less than 5 stars!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - Thoroughly enjoyed the book, could not do put it add down, would recommend to a friend, but do not need to read again.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ - Probably a good book that I enjoyed but there was something about it I did not love (e.g. The writing style, the POV, etc.). I would only recommend to a friend if it was their "type" of book.
⭐️⭐️ - A book I have below average feelings for and it would not come with a recommendation from me but I would mention it in conversation if related to the book topic at issue.
⭐️ - I finished the book but I hated every second of it.

[Dori · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m not a big fan of fairy tales to begin with, but the illustrations in this are interesting and the stories, though often abrupt, are contextually thought-provoking.

These are German stories collected in the 1800s from oral tradition and only recently translated. Three cheers to the archivist who unearthed these, by the way. I have noticed that German/Northern European tales focus heavily on the rewards of wealth or power (becoming royalty) for behaving well. While reading these I contrasted them with what I know of Greek myths and Aesop, Native American folklore, and African tales (ie anansi). The Greeks practically reward no one because the gods/universe is cruel and impetuous. The African and Native American stories focus more on animals (a oneness with nature) and the rewards for behaving are less materialistic. This tells me a lot about the early love of capitalism and colonialism/power in European countries. This collection refers to the church, so although the tales might have started in pagan times, they morphed into what we now know as Christian regions. The whole thing just made me feel ick, as I cannot at all relate to the motivations and morals driving these stories. But hey look it made me have thoughts!!

[Bryce Kirkham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being a big fan of the Brothers Grimm, this was a big delight to stumble upon. Schonwerth was considered a contemporary of the Brothers Grimm but he never modernized his fairy tales or made them lighter as the Grimms ended up doing later on. And while you could certainly notice similarities in the style and execution of both of these writers, it is apparent that Schonwerth's tales are the uncut versions. There were some very stark and startling images depicted in some of these tales and a lot of the subject matter is quite dark and twisted. Of course, any reader of the old fairy tales will know that's what they are all really like but Schonwerth in particular seems to have a penchant for violent images and morally dubious characters. And speaking of images, the artwork by Willow Dawson is gorgeous and the book is worth getting for that alone. But I certainly enjoyed all of these stories and I'm sure any fan of the Grimms or fairytales in general will as well. The ones that really stuck out to me were The Bloody Paw, The Three Giants and The Two Brothers. Also, I will never get tired of the overly blunt nature of fairytales and the sly humor that a lot of them have. Overall, this was a very fun time with some fantastic illustrations to go along with it. Recommended for sure!

[Mariana Pereira · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the most beautifully illustrated books, with haunting imagery that perfectly encapsulates the tone of the stories.

White as Milk, Red as Blood rides the line of being simple fairy tales told for pleasure with some didactic sometimes undertones, and at other times is the whole point of the story. In most cases, the stories are warning to women to remain pure or to mind their own business like "The Moon and the Maiden, "to not take a man into her bed until she's married; and "Countess on a Hedgehog is extremely to the point to not go spreading her husband's secrets or face the consequences. "The Night and the Forest Maiden" is more of a didactic tale for both men and women, the man being blamed for his evildoings towards woman, and the maiden being told:

"Wait , child, think
The rest of your life
Have patience, my child
And you'll be the knight's wife."

Although outdated, didactics aside, they are well told fairy tales that lean on the darker side.

"Ashfeathers" is a variation of the Cinderella story, which first started as an oral folk tale. But interesting to see this take.

[Mabearbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

The collected, long forgotten tales of Franz Xaver Von Schonwerth discovered in German archives and brought to life by the talented team of Willow Dawson and Shelley Tanaka.This is an interesting collection of dark fairy tales written for adults by a contemporary of The Brothers Grimm. The tales themselves are captivating enough, although very similar to other fairy tales, wherein they contain the usual characters of royalty ( kings, queens, prince's, prncesses etc), virtuous maidens and hard done by, simple working men. The book features a forward by Philip Pullman, who describes the book as being"" ferocious,funny, moving and delightful." While this is true of some of the tales, for others, not so much as some are quite short and brisk and seem to end abruptly. Overall I did enjoy this collection of tales, enough to keep turning the pages. The illustrations are well done, bold and vivid, and definitely add to the dark elements of the book.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Decent But Not All That Memorable Collection

I'm all about fairy tales and when the news came out that "New" fairytales had been unearthed, I was excited. This book features tales and new illustrations to match them. This isn't a graphic novel, but it does have spooky pictures.

The stories themselves are a mixed bag. Some of them barely stories at all, short and abrupt. If these were the best discovered, then most of them deserve to be forgotten. Most have already faded from my mind, with a couple standing out.

This isn't a bad book, but it's hardly a standout collection. It's a fairly quick read, so if you're curious, it's not like you'll waste too much time if you don't like it.

[JLenCarstairs · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been searching for this book in bookstores around my city for quite a while. When I finally found it, I didn't have the money to get it. So when it was given to me as a gift a few weeks ago, I was jumping for joy and did the happy dance.

I'm a sucker for fairy tales, particularly those not widely known in mainstream media. I've loved them as a child and I've loved them more when I read a book fanfiction written in a format of and inspired by an old German folktale. The way it was written made it feel magical and it pulled me into the world of wonders.

The illustrations of this book were amazing. You could see how simple and how much thought was put into it.

I'm so glad they compiled it for us to enjoy.

[Selena · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is beeeeeaaaauuutiful. The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous, Willow Dawson did such a stunning job and almost makes the book worth a look for those alone.

The tales themselves are a pretty meh, whatever. I think the collection is let down a little by the fact that the stories are all essentially the same. Three brothers/sisters complete X task, spell broken, Welcome to Bonetown and happy ending. I mean, I know they're fairytales and all, it's a tried and true formula, but it's exhausting and boring to read them back to back like this. Also considering von Schonwerth supposedly had "hundreds" of previously unpublished tales, if this is the best of them, yike.

Still, a nice addition for a collector probably, just on the strength of the aesthetics.

[Regan Strehl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have an appetence for any stories told in the style of old fairytales, especially if they put a twist on the more classic tales we're familiar with (The little mermaid, Goldilocks, Hansel and Gretel, etc). Imagine my delight when I learned a whole collection of forgotten fairytales had been unearthed and published as a collection?

Many of the tales in "White as Milk, Red as Blood" were short, only one or two pages long. However, many were new and not another version of the Grimm Brothers stories; this made all the difference. My imagination was refreshed and my appetite for new fairytales satiated (for now).

[Pusang_Gala · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve had this book for quite some time now and recently decided to finally read it. The compilation of forgotten German tales piqued my interest. Some of the collections were short stories and I was left hanging. Hanging, but equally curious.

This is the kind of fairy tale that does not start off with once upon a time and ended with a happily ever after. Some may have a realistic tragic ending and some may even have those happily ever after. But overall, these stories are definitely not for the typical child in you that still believes in fairy tales, fairy godmothers, handsome princes to the rescue, happily ever afters and the like.

[Maggie Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was attracted to White as Milk because of the stunning illustrations by Dawson (and the fact that my copy is signed by her might have helped a bit too!). She captures these truly creepy and wicked fairy tales so well, adding to the dark and fantastical atmosphere perfectly. These are definitely not Disney-style fairy tales, nor do these feel as polished as many of the fairy tales we are familiar with. But they are weird and disturbing and a delightful reflection of the culture and norms of the time they came from!

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

The tales were like any good Germanic or Slavic folk tales - grim, and violent - but they read like a child was telling them. "And then this happened, and then this happened, and then this happened, oh and this happened too! And then they all died." It's not the fault of the translator, or editor - it's because these are verbal folk tales that have been written down, and they just don't translate from oral to written as well as they should. The aesthetics of the book, however, more than made up for that. The illustrations are gorgeous.