Obviously I was familiar with Perrault’s fairytales before reading this book (I mean, we all grew up with these stories), but obviously the selling point was Gustave Dorè’s woodcut prints which illustrate each tale. This edition could have done a better job at placing the illustrations with their corresponding text, but we’re all so familiar with the stories and the scenes depicted that it didn’t matter that much. The real benefit was the size that they chose to print at, because with pages larger than 8.5 x 11 cm we get to see every detail that Dorè carved. Dorè’s style is very romantic and classical in its depictions (borderline antiquated with some of the costuming and hair styles), but it somehow suits these stories quite well. Some of the characters’ antics (I’m looking at you Puss-in-boots) are absolutely unbelievable except in simpler times, so Doeè’s style heightens the drama while clearly placing the tales in context. There’s surely great modern interpretations of these classic stories, but sometimes a bit dose of visual nostalgia is still well placed! ( )

This is a brilliant book, with amazing but terrifying engravings by Dore. This edition of Perrault's fairy tales also include morals which read like rhyming verse, my favourite was the LRRH moral. This book is well worth the money if you are interested in fairy tales and the associated illustrations.
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The stories are beautiful enough, but the Dore illustrations are breathtaking... ( )

When I was very young, my grandmother had a set of very small books with uncut pages. One of the books was an early edition of Charles Perrault's fairy tales with hand-printed woodblock prints. Naturally I cut the pages and read the stories which were bloody and didn't always have nice endings and at least one of the ugly sisters tumbled into a well to be devoured by snakes. These stories, before Disney got them, were wonderful. Children like blood and guts as much as they like marshmallows and cuddly bears, but today everything is sanitised for them. I wonder why - the policy has not decreased the amount of violence in the world by one jot.

My grandmother, not very pleased at my cutting the pages on these valuable books, gave them to me and for years they were stored in my attic. But when I sold my flat in London, they were either thrown out for trash or stolen. Sad. ( )