Struwwelpeter in English Translation | Heinrich Hoffmann

Struwwelpeter in English Translation | Heinrich Hoffmann | A Grim Delight

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Struwwelpeter in E...

	Struwwelpeter in English Translation Heinrich Hoffmann Dover Publications, 1995 - 32 pages average customer review:based on 26 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

There's a lesson in this....

It's hard not to burst into xenophobic raptures when contemplating this bizarre little book. I mean, where else could a children's book of such an austere and humourless moral tone have originated than nineteenth century Germany? Have you heard the story of Harriet who played with matches? She BURNS TO DEATH! What should happen to naughty Conrad who sucks his thumbs when his mother isn't looking? The Long Legged Scissor Man leaps out of a door and CUTS HIS THUMBS OFF WITH A HUGE PAIR OF SHEARS, OF COURSE! And what of Augustus, who wouldn't eat his soup? HE STARVES TO DEATH! Naturally!

The only thing more ghastly than reading this to your lovely child as she or he is tucked up in bed is reading it in the original German: fear not if you don't understand German; in fact it's even better that way: far more scary!

And all illustrated in the most grotesque fashion, sure to surprise, delight and permanently derange even the most pleasantly disposed child.

Well, it never did me any harm...

Olly Buxton

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A Grim Delight

I read this little gem in 4th grade--my best friend stumbled across it somehow and showed it to me and we were both fascinated and disgusted (and a little frightened) by the stories and, more directly, by the charmingly rustic drawings. The now infamous story of Little Suck-a-Thumb made us both very relieved that we were, neither one, thumb-suckers. (the Red Long-Legged Scissor Man haunts me to this day...such a vivid and menacing figure, doncha think?) With Augustus--many modern women wish it were so easy to "become a little string". And as far as Harriet and the matches--I only wish my kitties would cry for me as Harriet's did...But I recommend this book heartily for adults who love the grim aspects of the Grimm fairy tales and anyone who liked the any Victorian/Edwardian "fairy stories" as a child (the original "Little Black Sambo" is another good vintage child's book...anyone reading it will see the racial aspects of the book are virtually non-existent. It only makes me hungry for pancakes!). Parental cautions? I am buying this for not only me but for my 7-month-old daughter. As to whether she will get to read it or not...well, I dunno. I think I will also buy a copy of "Peter Rabbit" as well. Mr MacGregor is a little less scary than the nasty red-long-legged Scissor Man.

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Classic and disturbing with the original art

This edition has the original (so far as I know) artwork and it's still disturbing after more than a century. There's another edition with excruciatingly vile new artwork that's sure to shake up even a hardened MTV tube-head kid, but I'm a sucker for the classics. Makes a great gift with the biggest pair of scissors you can find.

Gesundheit!

My little sister and I were born in Germany (1950,1952), & our older sister learned German fluently. Mom brought this wonderful book (written in German) back from Germany and hid it in her closet, but we found it and frequently "read" it with great enjoyment, thrilled by the gruesome pictures of what happens to naughty little children who don't do as they ought. When Mom caught us she always scolded us. Over the years the book disappeared. We once reminisced, wondering what happened to this eccentric book, a link in our happy past. When I found it on the internet listed under German children's books, I bought several copies and passed them out - to everyone's delight & amazement.

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Twisted

For those with a twisted sense of humor, and who appreciate the more intense form of fable, you'll love this. My siblings and I always wondered which one of our child-hating relatives had given us this as a gift--we were sure we spotted Shock Headed Peter one day! As much as we feared the book as kids, as adults we still fight over our time-worn paperback copy, amazed that it was once given to us in earnest. My guess is that Heinrich may have been a key influence on a little German boy named Adolph.

reviews: 1, 2, 3, page 4, 5, 6

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