An incredible accomplishment. Middleton interweaves 3 stories: Jacob Grimm at the end of his life, key moments throughout Grimm's life, and a stylized version (related to Grimm's life) of the fairy tale, Briar Rose. All three stories are richly interwoven and overlapped, so you are never quite sure which is influencing the other. Middleton uses wonderful pacing, beautiful language and a "well-spun" yarn to keep the reader thoroughly engaged. As a history buff, I appreciated Middleton's ability to include historical and cultural background to help explain the purpose behind Grimm's actions. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the history of fairy tales, German development during the early 19th century, the life and times of the Grimm's Brothers, or simply a well-told story.

Middleton's Grimm ranks with Angela Carter's bejeweled fairytale rewrites in BURNING MY BOATS. He weaves three plots into one story. First he tells of the life of Jacob Grimm in his last year as he takes a sentimental journey across Germany to an early home he shared with his brother during Wilhelm's marriage. He tells of Jacob and Wilhelm's youth and their mother's stories that burst with blood and suicide, and how these stories later lead into the the brothers collecting horrific children's tales. He tells of Jacob's tie to his late brother's daughter, who falls in love with their mysterious manservant, Kummel. And he tells the story of Sleeping Beauty as it has never been told before and which parallels Jacob's own life. All these stories are suffused with marvelous description and surreal imagery that at once rubs shoulders with gripping realism and such rich epithets as "Her face would split a pitcher." For me, this is a stunning invention and modern classic that follows the German soul into its darkest subterranean windings that lead later into jackboots on cobblestones. Do yourself a huge favor and dip in.

This is one of those books that is next to impossible to put down. Middleton places you right into the story and he won't let you out until it is all over. It is an amazing piece of art.

Knowing my love of old mythogies, especially Celtic ones, my aunt recently sent me a copy of this book that she'd found at a Library sale. It's a great attempt to show what it might be like to have an Old mythic being, Taliesin, (in Welsh mythology a magical poet and shapeshifter) involve himself with a young woman and her family in contemporary England. It has some odd shifts and mysterious happenings...in some ways akin to Fowles/THE MAGUS. After reading it, I immediately began to research Celtic/Welsh myth to try to better understand some of the elusive qualities/forms Middleton had his Taliesin take. Though, I have to admit,I'm still not certain Lacey WAS Taliesin. If you know Celtic myth (which Middleton did, and published another book on) you'll probably end up like I did...reaching for the old books to help you decide whether this mysterious stranger was a good old Being, or a dangerous troublemaker!

I started reading this and could hardly put it down! It had such a mysterious, other wordly feel to it, yet it is not fantasy. It takes place in modern England, but has a mythical feel to it and seems completely plausible. Was Lacy just an odd man, or is he something else?

This biography is an excellent resource for students who wish to learn more about Henry Ford. It explains Ford's love of machines from a young age and how his ideals shaped his company and career. The author discreetly addresses Ford's egotism and emphasizes his contribution to ordinary people's lives. The index and important dates enable children to practice using these resources for their research.