3.93

4

Sep 28, 2014

http://openbooksociety.com/article/th...

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Omar

Just before the return of season four of Grimm this fall, The Mythology of Grimm: The Fairy Tale and Folklore Roots of the Popular TV Show by author Nathan Robert Brown came to us fans in waiting. The author and mythologist, Brown, helps us understand from where the idea of Grimm comes from, the popular and long lasting children books of the Brothers Grimm; and like the show says, actual Grimms.

As a fan of Grimm, you must http://openbooksociety.com/article/th...

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Omar

Just before the return of season four of Grimm this fall, The Mythology of Grimm: The Fairy Tale and Folklore Roots of the Popular TV Show by author Nathan Robert Brown came to us fans in waiting. The author and mythologist, Brown, helps us understand from where the idea of Grimm comes from, the popular and long lasting children books of the Brothers Grimm; and like the show says, actual Grimms.

As a fan of Grimm, you must think “I know all the Wesen so far,” if that’s true, then you are a hard-core fan and you know what a Dickfelling, a Siegbarste, a Mauvais-Dantes, and a Zauberbiest is. If not, there is no need to worry, the book comes with a glossary of the Wesen from season one and two, and another one with a glossary with terminologies that the show uses.

The author, Nathan Robert Brown, retells stories from the Grimm Brothers Kinder-und Hausmärchen (Children’s and Household Tales) and Charles Perrault’s Histoires ou contes du temps pause, avec des moralités (Tales and Stories from the past, with Morals) or Tales of Mother Goose. Some of these stories are the ones that the writers of the show use in the first season and are the most popular among children.

Speaking of children, author Nathan Robert Brown encourages readers to first read the book themselves before trying to read it to their children, this is because he uses the original work stories, and with the passing of the time those stories water down to suit children by taking away the accidents, blood, and morals.

In his retelling, Brown inserted funny and sarcastic comments in the precise moments needed, something that I really liked and made me laugh while reading the stories. His way of writing is more like he is telling you the tales personally in a normal conversation.

From the book I also liked that like in the show they use myth of other parts of the world outside the German tales and the author makes time to also retell some of these stories, like La Llorona, Lowen, Murcielago, and others.

If you are a fan of Grimm and would like to read from where the show get their ideas, I recommend you to read The Mythology of Grimm: The Fairy Tale and Folklore Roots of the Popular TV Show, you will have a fun time and relieve those stories that were once told when you were young, also if you like to read the original stories the book has a bibliography for further reading of folklore tales.

*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review* ...more

4

Sep 16, 2014

While readers may be familiar with either the oversimplified childhood fairy tales or the popular television series Grimm, it’s a cinch you haven’t seen the collected works of Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm retold with such tongue-in-cheek humor. This entertaining book begins with some fascinating history about the brothers Grimm and the political/social atmosphere of their time. Most people assume the brothers made up the stories but for the most part, they went throughout the German countryside While readers may be familiar with either the oversimplified childhood fairy tales or the popular television series Grimm, it’s a cinch you haven’t seen the collected works of Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm retold with such tongue-in-cheek humor. This entertaining book begins with some fascinating history about the brothers Grimm and the political/social atmosphere of their time. Most people assume the brothers made up the stories but for the most part, they went throughout the German countryside collecting the local folklore before it could be lost. And what a good thing they did because it would have been a tragedy to lose this treasure trove of stories which frequently were told as cautionary tales and contrary to contemporary versions, seldom ended well.

Brown’s retelling of the classic tales such as Little Red Riding Hood and Rapunzel are hilarious. The Grimm Words and Tasty Morsels side bars provide not only definitions but also the origin of common words and phrases. Brown goes on to compare Grimm’s original tales with matching television episodes pointing out differences and similarities along with the inspiration for the imaginative weapons shown. For Tolkien fans will enjoy the parallels between The Lord of the Rings trilogy and the much older German legend Nibelungenlied that tells of a cursed ring that drives its owners to madness. Readers need not be familiar with the TV series to thoroughly enjoy this highly amusing yet informative romp through the stories we all grew up with, rather like Rocky & Bullwinkle’s Fractured Fairy Tales for adults.
...more

5

Oct 07, 2014

Confession! I've never seen an episode of Grimm...I know, right? But I've always wanted too because I have a love of the dark side of fairy tales. What drew me to this book was the added historical background information the author includes about all the things that appear in the TV show.

If you are a history buff or trivia pursuer you are going to love this info packed book of all things Grimm and fairy tale. First you get the history of Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm's lives. I've never read up on Confession! I've never seen an episode of Grimm...I know, right? But I've always wanted too because I have a love of the dark side of fairy tales. What drew me to this book was the added historical background information the author includes about all the things that appear in the TV show.

If you are a history buff or trivia pursuer you are going to love this info packed book of all things Grimm and fairy tale. First you get the history of Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm's lives. I've never read up on these two so it was all new to me. Along with a bit about Charles Perrault (French version of the Grimm brothers and also who we know as Mother Goose) and Joseph Jacobs (English version of the Grimm brothers).

The author then covers all the weapons used in the TV series and gives a detailed background on the actual weapons the TV versions were based on. Most of the book then focuses on the actual fairy tales used in the TV show. First there is a retelling of the fairy tale such as Little Red Riding-hood. Then you get history and information about key elements in the fairy tale and then it is compared to the TV show episode about that particular tale.

This book is information overload, but the good kind for those who love it. You don't have to watch the TV show to appreciate this book. Just the love of fairy tale history.

5 "Grimm" Sheep
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5

Dec 27, 2014

As a book that I felt like I could have read for one of my courses in University, it was a really good book. I love how it retells the fairy tale/folklore, then compares it to the show. And then for some of the tales, it talks about possible origins of even the fairy tales. For anyone even remotely interested in the background of the Grimm TV show, this is a good read.

5

Sep 26, 2014

Amazing! Very interesting book both for fans of the TV show Grimm and for those readers who have never watched an episode. Learning the stories behind the stories of the fairy tales I grew up with is so enlightening. And the writing style of Nathan Robert Brown makes the book impossible to put down! I highly recommend this book... Then check out his other books as well. He is my favorite writer!

5

May 26, 2018

You may know that I’ve been into Grimm for a long time (I think I’ve watched the series TWICE despite the fact I have 123456 shows on my to watch list). Well, I finally got my brother into the series, which means that it’s my third time watching the series (no complaints) and more importantly, that I can buy Grimm-related books!

This actually came about two weeks back but I had quite a few library books to finish so I only got around to it today. Like the title says, The Mythology of Grimm is You may know that I’ve been into Grimm for a long time (I think I’ve watched the series TWICE despite the fact I have 123456 shows on my to watch list). Well, I finally got my brother into the series, which means that it’s my third time watching the series (no complaints) and more importantly, that I can buy Grimm-related books!

This actually came about two weeks back but I had quite a few library books to finish so I only got around to it today. Like the title says, The Mythology of Grimm is about the myths behind the show, focusing mainly on the Wesen in seasons one and two.

The book starts with an introduction of the Grimm brothers, Charles Perrault, and Joseph Jacobs then moves on to the various Wesen. It focuses mainly on the European ones, although the last two chapters talk about the non-European Wesen (Mostly Native-American and Greco-Roman Wesen). Each chapter compares a Wesen with a modern retelling of the traditional fairytale, as well as some discussion. In between, there are loads of quotes from the show and interesting nuggets of information.

Obviously, I enjoyed this book very much. I love the show AND I love myths and while lots of it wasn’t new to me, it was fun to see the comparisons. But if you’re into mythology, please note that the retellings are very, very casual. Personally, I find them to be fun but if you’re looking for something a little more academic, you might want to steer clear (but if you’re looking for something academic, why are you reading something inspired by a TV show?)

In short, fans of the TV show who want to know more about the myths behind it will probably love this. The text is extremely easy to read and conversational, so even if you’re not familiar with mythology and fairy tales, I think you should be comfortable with this.

This review was first posted at Inside the mind of a Bibliophile ...more

4

Feb 04, 2019

A good place to find Brothers' Grimm tales that relate to the Grimm TV universe. Well laid out, with each chapter the author discusses an episode, then a Brothers' Grimm tale that coincides with it, and then further discussion on how the tale directly relates to the details of the episode.

It's a good thing to have on your shelf if you're a Grimm TV fan - not as robust as it could be, but a fine starting point.

2

Jan 05, 2018

I am a big fan og Grimm, and I liked the idea behind the book.
But even if the content was ok, the language and the tone of the author was too colloquial and actually annoying. Like he was lecturing kids or thought his readers to be totally uneducated.

3

Oct 01, 2017

A fun way to catch up on some old folktales. Especially if you liked the TV show.

4

Dec 23, 2014

Review Posted on Reading Lark 12/26/14: http://readinglark.blogspot.com/2014/...

When Grimm made its debut, I was living in the Pacific Northwest. This is the perfect setting for Nick to be running around chasing various Wesen. The Pacific Northwest has such a gloomy mood to it than I always found myself daydreaming about what sorts of creatures might lurk among the evergreens. The region would be the perfect place for the paranormal and magical to reside. It is a place that will always have a Review Posted on Reading Lark 12/26/14: http://readinglark.blogspot.com/2014/...

When Grimm made its debut, I was living in the Pacific Northwest. This is the perfect setting for Nick to be running around chasing various Wesen. The Pacific Northwest has such a gloomy mood to it than I always found myself daydreaming about what sorts of creatures might lurk among the evergreens. The region would be the perfect place for the paranormal and magical to reside. It is a place that will always have a bit of my heart.

Once I moved back East, I found that the best way for me to stay connected with my beloved Pacific Northwest was through movies, tv, and fiction. While I have gotten off track watching Grimm, I hope to remedy that now that I can easily access past episodes digitally. I was interested to learn more about the folklore in the show. The Mythology of Grimm is a must for all the Grimm fans out there!

I found the opening chapter to be enlightening. I have always suspected that others collected folklore like the Brothers Grimm, but I have never spent time researching this assumption. The opening chapter focuses on the three main groups who gathered folklore and brought the stories into collections. The Brothers Grimm are perhaps the most recognizable. This German pair rose above poverty and social discrimination in order to rise through the ranks of higher education. They published their first collection in 1812. Lesser known to me were Charles Perrault and Joseph Jacobs. Perrault is the "French Grimm" who focused on fairy tales such as Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella. Jacobs is the "English" Grimm who published fairy tales from various cultures including English, Celtic, and Indian. I hope to look into stories collected by all three groups in the future. I am fascinated by the original versions of some of my favorite tales.

I couldn't help thinking about how interesting it was that people in various countries with different cultures were largely working with the same tales. I wanted to know how this came about and thankfully Brown does briefly discuss the theories on this concept. Most scholars of folklore in the time of Joseph Jacobs (mid-1800's) favored the polygenesis theory. This theory states that similar stories were found among differing cultures due to the universality of the human psyche. I can see why this theory holds weight. Cultures throughout the world differ greatly, but the human condition is largely the same. Joseph, on the other hand, supported the monogenesis theory. This theory stated that each story was a created by a single entity and that the story spread throughout different cultures. As the story was passed along, variations were added to suit the cultural norms and needs of the adopted culture. I can also see the validity of this theory. I'm not sure which theory I feel holds greater weight, but I would like to do further research to help me form a more solid conclusion.

While I found myself drawn to the history and theories in the opening chapter, the rest of the book is more focused on the mythology used in the tv show. Brown compiles various stories used in the show and highlights his retelling of the original work. I liked that there is ongoing commentary via the tasty morsels inserts throughout each chapter. I also liked the quotations from the show throughout the novel. I enjoyed working my way through the various chapters to gain more insight into the Grimm folklore. I am even more excited to jump back into the show after reading this one.

One complaint I have is that I found some sections more entertaining than others. That is bound to happen in a book of this sort. I preferred to linger with the chapters I enjoyed the most while quickly reading through the chapters that didn't hold my interest. I also was slightly irked when the author slipped into a more colloquial style of writing. It certainly fit the intended audience and provided some comedic relief, but I suppose I wanted more scholarly writing - especially after the first chapter. These two minor issues didn't derail my overall enjoyment of this book.

One Last Gripe: The chapter on weapons was tedious for me, but I know others will enjoy it. In fact, my younger brother is excited to get his hands on this one to read that particular chapter. I preferred the stories and history.

Favorite Thing About This Book: The historical information

First Sentence: Once upon a time, there was a man who loved writing and mythology... and fandoms... and Grimm. ...more

3

Sep 06, 2015

For fans of the NBC show "Grimm" this is a neat little reference for the origins of some of the "Wesen" characters that are at the core of each story. Nathan Robert Brown uses the stories from the series as a guide and creates an easy accessible reference book.

If there's a down side, it's that his attempt at a breezy, conversational tone simply becomes annoying after a while. It's an odd and irritating version of "author intrusion" that really detracts from the book.

Even if you've never seen the For fans of the NBC show "Grimm" this is a neat little reference for the origins of some of the "Wesen" characters that are at the core of each story. Nathan Robert Brown uses the stories from the series as a guide and creates an easy accessible reference book.

If there's a down side, it's that his attempt at a breezy, conversational tone simply becomes annoying after a while. It's an odd and irritating version of "author intrusion" that really detracts from the book.

Even if you've never seen the show (I am a fan, so I recommend catching it), this book offers a nice introduction to the real "Grimm's Fairy Tales" which are utterly unlike the Disney versions we were raised on. ...more

2

Oct 12, 2014

Actual rating: 2.5 stars. While I wasn't a big fan of the colloquial tone the author took, I liked that the format was different from what I expected. Even though he gives the Grimm brothers too much credit, the background information and included fairytales are a nice touch. However, major points deducted because the third season wasn't included. I know they were working off a tight timetable but this is out of date before it even publishes.

5

Feb 21, 2016

Great read,and very informative

I just love Grimm, and the information in this book helped explaining a lot. Really enjoyed the humor too. I know I'm going to refer to this again.

3

Dec 18, 2014

i thought this would be essays about the show. instead it was one author looking at the mythology of the series. good, but not what i expected. should have read the reviews more closely.