The Brothers Grimm - 2nd Edition by J Zipes

Book Synopsis

Most of the fairy tales that we grew up with we know thanks to the Brothers Grimm. Jack Zipes, one of our surest guides through the world of fairy tales and their criticism, takes behind the romantics mythology of the wandering brothers. Bringing to bear his own critical expertise, as well as new biographical information, Zipes examines the interaction between the Grimms' lives and their work. He reveals the Grimms' personal struggle to overcome social prejudice and poverty, as well as their political efforts - as scholars and civil servant - toward unifying the German states. By deftly interweaving the social, political, and personal elements of the lives of the Brothers Grimm, Zipes rescues them from sentimental obscurity. No longer figures in fairy tale, the Brothers Grimm emerge as powerful creators, real men who established the fairy tale as one of our great literary institutions. Part biography, part critical assessment, part social history, the Brothers Grimm provides a complexand very real story about fairy tales and the modern world.

Review Quotes

'Jack Zipes does a marvelous job of digging out the way the stories were set up. They often reflect the early traumas of loss and desolation suffered by the Grimm brothers and their redemption by hard work and luck.' - The Boston Globe

'Zipes' eloquent and persuasive scholarship is enough to recommend The Brothers Grimm, but it is his witty and trenchant readings of the tales that will delight even the most hardened anti-Grimm reader.' - The Globe and Mail

About the Author

Jack Zipes is Professor Emeritus of German and Comparative Literature at the University of Minnesota, USA. He is the author, translator, and editor of dozens of studies and collections of folk and fairy tales. His recent books include "Why Fairy Tales Stick: The Evolution and Relevance of a Genre, "Relentless Progress: The Reconfiguration of Children's Literature, Fairy Tales, and Storytelling," and "The Enchanted Screen: The Unknown History of Fairy-Tale Films."