Hans Andersen's Fairy Tales (2010) - Plot & Excerpts
It's a good idea to go back and reread fairy tales as an adult, because they tend to have dimensions that go over a child's head, or different endings that were bowdlerised for the children's edition. Many of them are just good stories, and fantastic in a way that modern literature rarely is. This collection probably isn't the best choice to go back to, though.If you're looking for fairy tales in general, Andersen is probably a worse choice than Grimm or Perrault to begin with, because so many of his stories are pointless and dull, and while this collection includes pretty much all of his most famous ones (Emperor's New Clothes, Ugly Duckling, Little Mermaid, Snow Queen, &c.), it also includes a lot of dross. The editors pride themselves on the translation maintaining a story-teller flavour rather than favouring readability, which is a pretty mixed bag.Still, the stories themselves are all short and easy to get through. Saw this on the shelf at my library yesterday when I was browsing the audiobook selection, and used my Goodreads barcode app to scan it in from when I listened to it several months ago. I mostly enjoyed this, although I didn't love all the stories and I kept falling asleep on others as I listened (a hazard associated with listening to audiobooks at bedtime). Listening to 'The Little Mermaid' brought back that sense of sadness and poignancy of reading this much-loved story as a child. There are other stories in this volume that are equally sad, such as "The Steadfast Tin Soldier,' which gives me some serious heartache. Although Andersen's stories are for a younger crowd than say, Grimms', there are some adult subject matter and themes here. At the same time, that sense of awe and enthusiasm that marks Hans Christian Andersen's storytelling gives these stories a lighter feel than the often gruesome and dark tone of many the real fairy tales (not the Disney versions). But I honestly think that fairy tales are almost essential to giving a child cultural development. It's nice to know that there is the option to play some of these fairy tales as audiobooks, although nothing beats reading a book with a child. I wasn't able to finish this, since it was due back, but I listened to the bulk of it, and I feel I should be able to count it as read. I was glad to see this at my library and that I had the opportunity to enjoy it.
What do You think about Hans Andersen's Fairy Tales (2010)?
Completely changed my view of a lot of classic fairy tales! it was an awesome read.
—Genius
Wonderful collection of fairy tales. Great illustrations.
—love1234
a great collection of pictures and prose
—annamonkey54
