Fiander (English, U. of Alberta) examines themes that lurk beneath the uncensored versions of the Grimm brothers' fairy tales, and how those themes have informed the works of Murdoch, Drabble, and Byatt. She finds the tales and the novels share dark elements, such as childhood anxiety, and fear of violence and incest. However, she also finds they share positive elements, such renewal of energy, hope, the resolve to best challenges, and a realistic expectation of triumph even if only in a limited way. She also notes that both sets of works also address more general issues such as the place of the individual in community, differentiating the powers that help from those that harm, and finding healing for fundamental, personal, and societal breakdowns. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)