Best Of The Grimm Brothers At Lakewood Library

My aunt’s visits to our home always warmed my heart when I was a child. She came prepared with many stories that took me to a different world. Whether “it was a quiet morning” or “a dark and spooky night,” she never hesitated to describe the climate of the tale. Many of the stories she’d memorized and recited to me were from the Grimm Brothers’ fairy tales. These stories were amazing, but what truly brought them to life was her narration.

On January 3, 2016 at 2 p.m. in the Main Library Auditorium, Lakewood Public Library welcomes Charles Kiernan. A wonderful story teller who is well known for his outstanding performance as Mark Twain, Kiernan has performed at theaters, libraries, art festivals and more.

In 1812 Germany, the brothers Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm wrote a collection of folkloric fairytales, Kinder und Hausmärchen. They inspired writers all over the world as their work was translated to over 70 languages. In an effort to better suit their young audiences, and to quell critics of the early editions who accused the tales of mature content, the Grimm brothers would produce multiple editions, adding and subtracting in each. One such change was replacing the evil mother in Snow White and Hansel and Gretel with a stepmother. Some sexual references were removed from Rapunzel. In the original tale, her stepmother noticed her tight dress after the prince’s visit, indicating pregnancy of course.

Certainly, children learned many life lessons from the Grimm’s tales. The primary lesson in Little Red Riding Hood, for example, is never to trust strangers. Believing in good deeds was another lesson we learned from these tales. In The Princess and the Frog, the kind kiss of the princess to the frog broke his spell. She was rewarded with a handsome prince who fell in love with her.

Kiernan is going to narrate the original version of the Grimm Brothers’ work, and he cautions: “Be warned, however, I do tell them in their original spirit, under the belief that the grimness of the Grimm serves a purpose, and should not be removed!”

Let’s escape our busy world of technology, turn off our phones, sit quietly and go back to the old days when the storyteller was the shining star of the night. Let’s live moments of inspiration and let our mind take us to new, different journeys all around the world. Yes, let us celebrate the oral tradition of storytelling at Lakewood Public Library to kick off the New Year.