Overview

Grimm Language addresses a number of issues in the Grimms’ fairy tales from a (Germanic) linguist’s point of view. In sections dealing with the Grimms’ use of regional dialect material, various grammatical constructions, and specific nouns and adjectives in their Children’s and Household Tales, the author argues that the Grimms were consciously or unconsciously following a number of objectives. These included reinforcing the overall Germanic impression of the tales (though we now know that many of them had French inspiration), striking the right balance between archaic and colloquial language to arrive at an ideal narrative style for what was arguably a new genre, and promoting or at least reflecting stereotypes concerning the proper roles for boys and girls. The book will be of interest not only to those interested in fairy tales, and the Grimms’ in particular, but also more generally to those interested in the intersection between linguistics and literary scholarship.

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9789027233448

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Reviews

Grimm Language offers an unapologetically evidence-based analysis of gender and genuineness in a collection of German stories with powerful global impact. With philological finesse and scholarly insight worthy of the Brothers Grimm themselves, Orrin Robinson slams the brakes on irresponsible interpretive moves and lays the foundation for greater precision in the field of fairy-tale studies. He takes us back to the artfully contrived artlessness of the words with which the tales are told, all the while deepening their magic. -- Maria Tatar, Harvard University

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