Today in Bookish and Literary History, December 20

1812 "Grimm's Fairy Tales" or "Children's and Household Tales" by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm - Germany

They are the stories we've known since we were children. Rapunzel. Hansel and Gretel. Cinderella. Sleeping Beauty. But the works originally collected by the Brothers Grimm in the early 1800s are not necessarily the versions we heard before bedtime. They're darker and often don't end very happily--but they're often far more interesting.

1845 The Cricket on the Hearth by Charles Dickens - UK

It is the third of Dickens' five Christmas books

1918 Moon of the Caribees by Eugene O'Neill - US

The title play, The Moon of the Caribbees, is a one-act drama set aboard the British tramp steamer Glencairn, anchored in the serene yet mysterious West Indies. Under the full moon, the crew's interactions reveal deep-seated emotions and conflicts, set against the backdrop of a melancholic West Indian chant. Through O'Neill's masterful dialogue and character development, readers are transported to a world where the sea is both a friend and a foe.

1926 Silver Cord by Sidney Howard - US

The Silver Cord is a play written by Sidney Howard, first published in 1926. The story follows the lives of a married couple, Robert and Christina, and their adult son, David. Robert is a successful businessman who is deeply devoted to his family, while Christina is a loving wife and mother who struggles to come to terms with her son's independence. David, on the other hand, is a young man who is eager to break free from his parents' control and start living his own life. As the story unfolds, tensions rise between the family members, with Robert and Christina struggling to maintain their hold on David while he seeks to assert his independence. The novel explores themes of family dynamics, love, and the struggle for autonomy in a changing world.

1944 O Mistress Mine or Love In Idleness by Terence Rattigan - UK

A young man with radical left-wing views returns from Canada to discover to his horror that his mother is in a relationship with a wealthy businessman currently serving as Minister for Tank Production.

2022 Queen of Myth and Monsters by Scarlett St. Clair - US

Isolde, newly coronated queen, has finally found a king worthy of her in the vampire Adrian. But their love for each other has cost Isolde her father and her homeland. With two opposing goddesses playing mortals and vampires like chess pieces against one another, Isolde is uncertain who her allies are in the vampire stronghold of Revekka.