Notre-Dame de Paris by Victor Hugo - Illustrated by Nicolas Eustache Maurin

Victor Hugo's celebrated gothic novel Notre-Dame de Paris (The Hunchback of Notre-Dame) was first published in Paris, 1831. This initial edition was illustrated with a single frontispiece in black. Three years later in 1834, François Bulla published a new edition with six colour lithographs commissioned to Nicolas Eustache Maurin. Capitalizing on the success and popularity of this novel, Bulla and Maurin collaborated once again in 1841 to produce eight additional lithographs. These striking illustrations set this volume apart from the many editions that soon followed; especially at a time when printing technology was just beginning to flourish. Below are twelve of those lithographs with two very similar ones omitted. Despite being almost two centuries old, these illustrations still hold up very well when compared to modern depictions.

Gris Grimly's Tales from the Brothers Grimm

There are countless books based on the fairy tales written by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. Readers have a plethora of choices from picture books to larger volumes. Gris Grimly's Tales from the Brothers Grimm has my attention. It is a selection of forty tales translated from the German Household Stories by Margaret Hunt. There are a few popular tales but most are not well-known and all very short; being only a few pages in length. It is no surprise that some of the stories may be too gruesome and violent for a modern child's reading but it is also this dark fantasy that draws the reader in. Most of the stories here build up to a doom and gloom atmosphere but all end happily.

There are many illustrations throughout the book with nine of them in colour, drawn by the incredibly talented Gris Grimly. His stylistic art adds quirky charm and lightens the mood of the stories quite a bit. My favourite illustration from this book is the witch at the candy house from Hansel and Gretel; that sinister smile! Gris Grimly is a pseudonym for this American artist whose other works include illustrations for classics from Edgar Allan Poe, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Mary Shelley.

The deckle edges are a nice touch as is the foil stamping on the inside cover and spine. It's a thick book but fits nicely in your hands. Recommended for ages 9+.

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HarperCollins Publishers 2016
Hardcover 288p
7"× 9"