Hans Christian Andersen: A Great Life in Brief, Volume 4Fairy tales! Stories for children and world-wide fame? It did not seem likely, but this was Hans Andersen. In England and America, Andersen is something of a myth; at the mention of his name, a sentimental faraway look comes into people's eyes. The stories seem so much a part of our heritage that we forget they were ever written and worked over, by a man who was a hard-working writer and a Dane. Andersen's tales are writing of existence, and potent existence at that; for all their fantasy, they are life, universal, eternal; for all their lightness of touch, they are serious. It is difficult for us abroad to realize this, because no writer has been more mutilated by his translators. Andersen's own writing has economy and strength, an inexorableness that is sometimes so cruel that it is not for children at all; it is witty, ironical and humorous, and, though it can be intensely poignant and poetical, it is always crisp. -- Introduction. |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
Agnete Alfsol Ander Anne Marie asked beautiful began called child Chris Christian Andersen Christian knew Copenhagen critics Danes Danish Denmark dersen Dickens dinner Directors dreamed duckling Edvard Emperor's Nightingale eyes fairy fairy tales father feel felt flowers friends garden gave Hans Andersen Hans Christian Andersen happy heard heart Helsingör Henriette Wulff Ingemann Iversen Jenny Lind Jonna King lady Le Locle letter Little Mermaid lived looked Madame Schall Meisling mother never night nightingale novel Odense Oehlenschläger once palace perhaps play poems poet Poet's Bazaar poor Princess R. P. Keigwin Rahbek rector Riborg rigsdaler round Royal seemed sent shoes Siboni sing Slagelse soon stay stork story street talk tears tell Theater things thought tian told traveled trees Ugly Duckling walked whole wonder word writing written wrote young دو