The Brothers Grimm: Two Lives, One Legacy
What emerges most clearly in this biography of the men who preserved "once upon a time" for generations of readers is their distinctly different personalities and enduring friendship. The elder Jacob Grimm proved the natural scholar, writing widely on poetry, music and language, while Wilhelm possessed a gift for teaching and storytelling. The two were inseparable; even after Wilhelm married, Jacob lived with the couple. With conversational language and colorful historical references, Hettinga (Presenting Madeleine L'Engle) makes the account accessible ("Once upon a time, a very real time in fact, a time when George Washington was still General Washington and was just thinking about becoming the first president of the United States," he begins). He effectively places the brothers' childhood in the context of what is now Germany, but at the time was one of numerous fiefdoms within the Holy Roman Empire thus explaining the many mentions of kings and queens in the tales the siblings collected. The brothers did not turn to studying the German fairy tales that would endure as their legacy until the French-controlled government forbade all Germans from working and writing in their own language. "They collected the fairy tales because they hoped the stories would help remind their countrymen of what it meant to be German," the author asserts. Black-and-white etchings, paintings and drawings round out the volume, which ably portrays the personalities of the two brothers and those who influenced them. Ages 9-14.Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.