If you thought you knew the story of Hansel and Gretel, you were wrong! The story doesn't begin with bread crumbs or end with the oven. Here is the true, unabridged story of the two children, complete with an intrusive narrator to guide through this new tale.
What I thought: Wow! Gidwitz has done something that I don't think I've ever seen done with fairy tale retellings (unless you count Eudora Welty's The Robber Bridegroom). I went back and skimmed the original tales that Gidwitz wove together so skillfully. They go together perfectly. I think A Tale Dark and Grimm will revolutionize fairy tale retellings as we know them. Gidwitz wasn't joking about the dark and grimm part. This story is truly gruesome in parts. I almost stopped reading, but the narrator egged me on. I don't think I've ever met such an intrusive narrator, but it worked (sort of like The Princess Bride movie). I can't wait to see what Gidwitz writes next.
(Dutton, 2010)
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