The Brothers Grimm: From Enchanted Forests to the Modern World » (2nd Edition)

Jack Zipes is Professor of German at the University of Minnesota. His many books on fairy tales and folklore include Breaking the Magic Spell, Fairy Tales and the Art of Subervsion, and The Great Fairy Tale Tradition.

Zipes (German, U. of Minnesota) has substantially revised his study of the Brothers Grimm, their lives, work, and the subsequent, often radical, re-interpretation of the fairy tales for which they're known. The fairy tales are described, with attention to their origins and the psychological and social interpretations of the Grimms and later interpreters. A new section discusses the legacy of the Brothers Grimm in Germany since the Berlin wall came down in 1989. Annotation (c)2003 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Meredith Kiger, Ph.D. - Children's Literature

This scholarly volume is an updated version by the author, a noted fairy tale and Grimm brothers' authority. According to the author, "Fairy tales in their oral, literary, and mass-mediated forms have enabled children and adults to conceive strategies for placing themselves in the world and grasping events around them (pg. 62)." Is there anyone in this country who has not been instructed or entertained through the use of fairytales? We have the Grimm brothers of Germany to thank for that. This complex book on Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm critically reviews their scholarly work in collecting and rewriting the peasant tales of old Germany as well as takes a comparative look at original versus later versions. Critical responses to the tales and the Grimm's methods are discussed both by the author and other well-known scholars both here and abroad. The historical account of their lives is fascinating, as is some of the criticism, especially the declining popularity of the tales due to their sexist content. The lengthy comparison of individual tales is monotonous at times, but will appeal to those involved in scholarly work. The commercial reworking of tales by Disney and others in the media industry makes interesting reading and food for thought as these stories of good and evil are reworked for young children's consumption even today. The small print requires perseverance, but overall it is an interesting examination of stories that we have come to adopt as part of our cultural heritage. 2002 (orig. 1998), Palgrave Macmillan, Ages Adult.