Stories embedded in the DNA of popular culture like "Cinderella," "Hansel and Gretel," and "Rapunzel" come to new life in "The Annotated Brothers Grimm" (Norton, W.W. and Company, $35, 552 pp.). The tales are translated from the original versions and the book includes essays and notes by Tatar on each story, explaining the narratives and their significance through history, as well as color illustrations by various artists. "This reference [Hansel telling Gretel "God won't abandon us], along with other religious allusions, was added to the second edition of the tales by the Grimms," Tatar writes in one historic note within the story.
