Grimms Still Frightening Adults

 

Oh my! The list is interesting although I think Westing Game is a far, far stretch for this list as much as I adore that book. I just gave my niece a copy this summer and reread part of it with her at bedtime. Not scary to us! I guess Neil Gaiman is too recent to include on the list instead. But for readers here, I think number 2 will be the most interesting pick.

From 10 Children's Books That Are (still) Frightening To Adults by Meredith Borders:

2. 'Grimm's Fairy Tales' by The Brothers Grimm

A collection of stories by those macabre bros, including such classics as "Rapunzel," "Hansel and Gretel," "Cinderella," "Little Snow White," "Little Briar Rose" and other stories co-opted and cleaned up by Walt Disney.

Why it scares adults:

Although Disney films have turned the concept of fairy tales into innocuous love stories filled with singing birds and happy endings, the Grimm Brothers were all about bleak moral lessons and cruel punishments for the wicked. It's somewhat disturbing to consider that these stories in which children are eaten, princesses are comatose, and hearts are devoured were written for kids.

Just imagine if Wilhelm Grimm hadn't edited the tales over the years as they saw their young audience grow...