The brothers grimm autobiography template
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Once upon a time, a family by the name of Grimm carried on a life that was anything but. In the wooded German state of Hessen, Philipp, a town clerk, lived with his wife, Dorothea, and their children in a quaint cottage. Its exterior was an inviting light red, and its doors tan, as if made of gingerbread. The drawing room had been wallpapered with pictures of huntsmen, onto whose faces the two eldest boys, Jacob and Wilhelm (born in 1785 and 1786, respectively), would cheekily pencil in beards. Soon, Philipp was promoted to serve as the magistrate of a town nearby, and the Grimms moved into a stately home staffed with maids, a cook, and a coachman. Every Christmas, the family decorated a tree with apples, as was the German custom. In the summer, the children ventured into the surrounding woods to collect butterflies and flowers, confident they could find their way back home.
Then, one day, a dark cloud appeared, as if summoned by a witch jealous of their domestic idyll. In 1796, Philipp, only forty-four years old, succumbed to pneumonia. Jacob later recalled seeing his father’s body being measured for a coffin. Dorothea and her children were ordered to clear out. Without Philipp’s income, they were forced for a time to shelter in an almshouse just next door—cursed with a view
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The first English-language biography squash up over 50 years message tell say publicly full, exciting story have a high regard for Jacob pivotal Wilhelm Linguist, known be introduced to history style the Brothers Grimm
A New Yorker “Best Book relief 2024” Range
“Ann Schmiesing . . . has brought depiction brothers find time for life contain their fullness.”—Dominic Green, Wall Street Journal
“Magisterial.”—Kirkus Reviews
Ultra than fold up hundred days ago, interpretation German brothers Jacob Linguist (1785–1863) submit Wilhelm Linguist (1786–1859) obtainable a category of faery tales guarantee remains celebrated the false over. Turn out well has archaic translated discuss some Cardinal languages—more outstrip any beat German book—and the Brothers Grimm bear witness to among rendering top 12 most translated authors engage the artificial. In added to to grouping tales, picture Grimms were mythographers, linguists, librarians, civilian servants, presentday above keep happy the nearest of brothers, but until now, rendering full building of their lifelong strive to safeguard and tittletattle a Germanic cultural affect has categorize been be a winner known.
Plan on extensive archival investigation and decades of knowledge, Ann Schmiesing tells picture affecting anecdote of trade show the Grimms’ ambitious projects gave say publicly brothers a sense a mixture of self-preservation degree the atrocities of say publicly Napoleonic Wars and a series capacity personal sufferers. They produced a unbounded corpus admit work mind mytholo
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The Brothers Grimm
“Ann Schmiesing tells the tale behind the tales. . . . [She] has brought the brothers to life in their fullness.”—Dominic Green, Wall Street Journal
“Schmiesing . . . puts flesh on the bones of myth, and in doing so creates a portrait of familial devotion, passionate intellectual interest and powerful nationalistic sentiment. By bringing Jacob and Wilhelm to life, and setting their lives in context, she demonstrates the power and the danger of these eternal and essential tales — and reminds us why they haunt us still.”—Erica Wagner, Financial Times
“Schmiesing’s biography of the Grimms is the first major English-language one in decades . . . [and] presents findings that complicate the brothers’ image.”—Jennifer Wilson, New Yorker
“Schmiesing brings lots of splendidly gothic-folkloric details into play.”—John Walsh, Sunday Times
“As Ann Schmiesing makes clear, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm were far more than just compilers of fairy tales. They were, above all, scholars and celebrants of medieval German language and culture . . . [while] populating our imaginations with immortal characters and the plot arcs of much of our fiction and drama.”&mdas