Today, Hans Christian Andersen would be given drugs and therapy, and then more drugs. He would be put into a study about repressed homosexuals and boys with a mamma fixation. All this because of his stories. Andersen’s stories are also not very happy when you truly think about them. For every happy story, like “The Ugly Duckling”, there are at least two sad stories.tYet Andersen, at least in American circles, is considered a children’s author. Whether this is due to those editions or retellings of Andersen’s stories that make the ending happy, I don’t know. I do know that I have read Andersen more times than I have read the Brothers Grimm and that Andersen speaks to more people than the Grimm brothers ever will.tThe Grimms were interested in collecting folktales and folklore. Andersen is interested in telling stories. Outside of Demark and other northern countries, he is known for his stories, in particular for his fairy stories. This is misleading for Andersen also wrote plays and poems as well as travelogues and autobiographies. His first success wasn’t with his fairy stories. His poem about a mother mourning her dead children is touching (and a theme that enters into one of his tales). Even just considering his stories, people are misled. Everyone thinks they know “The Little Mermaid,” “The Ugly Duckling”, or “The Little Match Girl”, fewer people know the stories how they actually are and even fewer know more of Andersen’s work, such as “The Shadow” or ‘”The Storks”. This does Andersen a huge injustice.tAndersen was heavily influenced by several things in his writing. It is common knowledge that he was influenced by folklore and the stories told to him by his grandmother, but he was also influenced by the German writers that predated him or who were his contemporaries. While it is not apparent in his better known tales, he had a strong love of country (even though he always seemed to be traveling away from it) as well as a good dose of patriotism. He was also religious, though this seems to come though in his tale more than anything else.tSeveral critics have pointed out that Andersen has a cult of suffering. His leads his heroes and heroines always suffer. The Ugly Duckling gets frozen in water, the Little Mermaid feels as if she is walking on knives (or broken glass); the Marsh King’s Daughter is transformed into a frog, the little Match Girl freezes to death, the money pig breaks, the storks deliver dead babies. Andersen’s characters seem to suffer far more than those people in the Grimm’s tales (though that isn’t a cake walk either). Andersen, however, is still a considered a children’s author because of the tone, his use of sound (read his tales aloud if you don’t believe me), of putting himself in a child’s shoes (who doesn’t imagine the flowers coming to life). tToo often people look at Andersen in the simplest terms. Take “The Little Mermaid” for example. Many today know the story not as Andersen’s but as Disney’s. They think that the mermaid marries her prince and everyone lives happily ever after. While the cursory reader of Andersen knows that this is not the ending, a deeper reading reveals, if not a happy ending, perhaps a slightly hopeful one as well as a few details about the prince. In the mermaid’s story, Andersen presents a people where the women seem to help each (the witch, the mermaid’s sisters, the mermaid herself) and where the only male who does anything is the prince himself. The mermaid and her sisters are desexualized (she loses her voice, they their hair). The prince treats the mermaid like his pet dog. The mermaid, however, wants a soul more than a prince. She acts more as if she has a soul more than prince. By taking “The Little Mermaid” and reducing the plot to a love story, the adaptor or reader does Andersen a disservice and dismisses the larger issue. In the story, it is the non-humans, the merfolk, who appear to have those virtues that humanity claims – compassion. The mermaid might eventually get her soul though she doesn’t get her prince. Today, there is a movement to de-religion stores (look at Narnia in both the movies and the exhibit), but to do so to Andersen guts this story.tOr take “The Marsh King’s Daughter”, one of Andersen’s lesser known popular tales. Fairy Tales always treat rape as a non issue or blame the victim. Sleeping Beauty, for example, in some versions is woken by the birth of twins, yet never seems to feel any emotional upheaval. Andersen is one of the few fairy tale writers to deal with the issue of rape and not fully gloss over it. Like the Grimms, who buried the incest theme of some tales, Andersen glosses over the attack that starts “The Marsh King’s Daughter”. The daughter of the title is the offspring of the Marsh King and the Egyptian princess who he attacks. This daughter is full of rage and pain except at night when she becomes a frog. Part of the story is about the daughter coming to terms with this rage. Where else would the rage come off except for the attack on the mother?tMany of Andersen’s tales are concerned with relationships, in particular those of mothers and children. Many critics have discovered or argued for the presence of Andersen’s own relationship with his mother in these tales. Andersen’s mother, who gave birth to a bastard daughter before marrying Andersen’s father, comes off looking less like a saint and more like a drunk if this is true. But then, there is a tale like “She Was a Good for Nothing” where the mother is a drunk who dearly loves and cares for her son. In this story, Andersen contrasts public view versus private life, of how the upper class views the lower class.tAndersen is often concerned with class in his tales. The upper classes tend to be dismissive of the lower classes, though it is the lower classes that exhibit more of those human virtues. Sometimes, like in “The Tinderbox”, Andersen even seems to attack the royalty, seemingly suggesting that the old order must give to the new. Even in his class stories, Andersen also shows a great love and knowledge of his country. Some of his stories are about the humble beginnings of Great Danes (no, not the dogs) like Thorvaldsen, whose work Andersen seemed to love if Andersen’s stories are anything to go by. It should also be noted that in some of stories, especially in stories where different classes of children met, Andersen suggests more of equality than out and out class warfare.tAndersen’s stories aren’t all for children; in fact, as he wrote more stories, Andersen saw himself as writing more for adults and this would example the class conscious stories, but also the longer stories like “The Ice Maiden” or “Ib and Little Christine”. It is in the longer stories that one can see the German romantic influence on Andersen. While the tales are more adult, they also consider several of the same themes that inhabit his more child friendly stories. While “Ib and Little Christine” can be rather annoying if you are female reader, it is impossible to describe the creeping feeling of unease that stories such as “The Ice Maiden” and “The Shadow” inspire.tAndersen borrowed from more than his grandmother and the Germans. His “The Rose Elf” presents a revenge minded “Pot of Basil”, a twist on a familiar tale presented by Boccaccio but also used by Keats among others. Andersen’s variation of the “Seven Swans” makes far more sense than other versions, even if it is chaster than those other versions.tAndersen’s most famous story might be “The Ugly Duckling”, a story that many critics, rightly it seems, consider to be Andersen’s most autobiographical work. This isn’t to say that the similar theme of belonging, of fitting in, doesn’t appear in other works. There are shades of “Duckling” in “Thumbelina” as well as some of the class conscious Andersen short stories. “The Ugly Duckling” is more memorable because the plot of the story could happen. The plot of “Thumbelina”, not so much. We believe in the duckling becoming the swan because of the way Andersen sets up the story – a mistake could happen. Today, even with all our supposed advancements, you still have hospital mix ups.tIn most of Andersen’s stories, the reader can meet actual places and people that Andersen knew or admired. Edvard Collin, Andersen’s man crush, appears, as does Jenny Lind. Even smaller characters in Andersen’s history, less well known to the average reader, seem to appear. Andersen’s teachers, the women Andersen felt rejected him (or whom Andersen allowed himself to be rejected by); all seem to appear. Copenhagen is a time honored companion in the stories, but so is Andersen’s love of Italy. This sense of place gives another level of reality to the tales, a level that seems to be missing from the works of the Grimms or Perrault.tWhile many of Andersen’s tales have “morals” or lessons, they are not spelled out as in the work of Aesop or Fontatine. Andersen respects his reader, be that reader a child or an adult, and knows that his reader can follow his lesson without the moral being directly spelled out. Perhaps it is this reason that examines Andersen’s staying power even among, or especially among, female readers.Andersen’s female characters do seem to get punished at far steeper rate than his male characters. While it is true that the Ugly Duckling freezes, his end is far different than those ends of the girls in “The Little Match Girl”, “The Red Shoes” or “The Girl Who Trod on a Loaf”. To say that Andersen was sexist would be a mistake. Even in stories where the girl is horribly punished there are good women – the grandmother, the girl who prays for Karen. More importantly, one of Andersen’s most famous stories, “The Snow Queen” presents two strong willed girls, one of whom keeps her independence; another of women is helped by more women than man when she quests to save her childhood fan who also is perhaps her adult love or husband.The statue of the Little Mermaid, which just recently had its birthday, in many ways, is a fitting and unfitting memorial to Andersen. Like Andersen himself, the statue has survived various attempts to deface it. Andersen faults against those who mocked him, who tried to educate the imagination out of him, or who ignored him because of his class. He survived the fact that he would not be able to fulfill his first dream, to be a dancer. The statue of the mermaid has overcome beheadings, defacing, and veils to still exist as a tourist attraction. But like the works of Andersen’s own works, few people who see the statue know true story of the character the statue is based on, few know the story of the statue itself or of the Kasslett located nearby. Fewer know that it is not the only statue in Copenhagen depicting a merperson that has connection to Andersen (he wrote a story based on the Forsake Merman). Perhaps it is this sense of mystery that keeps Andersen’s popularity. We are introduced to him at two points in our lives. The first time when we are children. The second time when we are older, perhaps after seeing the statue or reading a story to a child. We can have two different readings of Andersen, the man and his work.
Strangely, despite four decades on Earth, I have almost no familiarity with this gentleman Hans. If I can live another 4 decades, I doubt I'll forget about him from here on out. What is most generally striking/perplexing to me is how these stories came to be known as children tales, came to be widely accepted and popular rather than scorned. I don't think it's just my glasses that view Hans Christian Andersen as a soul that senses more darkness than light. “Yes, every year the trees have new, fresh leaves, but that is not true of the human heart.” (From a Window in Vartov) HCA desperately wants and loves beauty, yearns for music and poetry and life and innocence, and so we get this at the center of so many of his tales, but at the same time it is mostly apparent that these ideals are but dreams that we must continually reach for, work for, cherish when they sparingly come, because what this world is really filled with is darkness. He seems to say, feel both beauty and evil, know them both, accept them both, but my heart pains that the former will never have the upper hand. Throughout his tales I find his dreamy poetics are amazingly served with a shimmering personal touch; they are not distant, community-built folktales. There are also wonderful juxtapositions, magical paradoxes, and a communicative simplicity that can travel, like a drop in the lake, as deeply as the reader wishes to take things. At the same time, there are many stories of a different breed which will never make it to Disney. Stories like Two Virgins/Two Maidens, In the Duck Yard, and The Cock and the Weathercock dish out satire as sharp as any I've ever encountered. Sharp not only in its depth of understanding, but also in both heavy-handedness and bitterness. Word play, symbolism, and connections in these stories are as far from innocence and naivete as you will find.Other not so well-known stories such as A Drop of Water and The Shadow are probably my favorites so far. Both are extremely intense and particularly revelatory regarding how HCA views human behavior and human nature. Very direct, dark and twisted, but done in unique and colorful ways, they continue to show that HCA was not a simple children's man or the one-trick pony that permeates much of his recognition.And at some point, I don’t recall exactly when, I began to think a lot of Kafka while reading HCA. What are the connections? In a time when the construction of myths and fairy tales is practically extinct, when even the originals are mostly watered down and considered antiquated, Mr. Andersen delivered his most pleasant winds not so long ago and they stretch back to not only the earliest of human experience, but also connect just as strongly to us sensitives amongst moderns. This is a tome to keep bedside, never finishing, never repeating.
What do You think about The Complete Fairy Tales (1996)?
When it comes to fairy tales, there are three big names that come to mind - the Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Andersen, and Andrew Lang. Depending on what you are looking for and the age range of your child, you could read any or all of these and have enough tales to last you for days. Today, I will be reviewing the Canterbury Classics version of Hans Christian Andersen's Complete Fairy Tales. The book is a pretty edition in that it is hardcover, leather, gold-edged pages, and comes with a ribbon bookmark. The pages are a little thinner than I expected, so there is a little bleed through of text when reading. Also, there are sadly no illustrations, literally zero. This gives me the feel that the book is more geared toward teens or adults, and not younger children.What leads more to the idea that this book is geared for an older audience is the introduction. In addition to basic information about his life, there are comparisons between the tales of the Brothers Grimm and those of Andersen. "Andersen's stories were also much more Christian in orientation that Grimms'." The introduction goes on to state that "Andersen also uses religion to give his most tragic stories a "happy ending." After these brief introduction, we dive into the fairy tales. The fairy tales themselves are arranged chronologically and start with a recently discovered one entitled "The Tallow Candle." This one was written sometime in the 1820s with the others being written from the mid 1830s to the early 1870s. Within these tales, there are a lot of stories I don't recognize but also a bunch of my favorites like "The Emperor's New Clothes" and "The Ugly Duckling." There are also a bit depressing versions of stories you thought you new, like "The Little Mermaid." Way different than Disney spun it to be!Overall, this is an impressive volume that's only negative is that it is lacking in illustrations. Aside from that, it is a worthy edition to the Canterbury Classics line of books. If you are looking for classics in an attractive format that will look good on your shelf and will hold the test of time, this is a great selection of books that include other tomes like Bulfinch's Mythology and The Arabian Nights.
—Stuart
Hans Christian Andersen is one of my all-time favorite authors (and age will never be a factor when I declare this). His stories are full of meaning, morals and depth. The philosophy behind every character is incredible, the narrative is nothing short of beautiful, the story line = fantastic and the overall life-lesson that can be learned is heart-moving. Many people comment and say that his stories are too dark for children, but I find that to be utterly wrong and for someone to forbid it, is plain stupid.The story of Ib and Little Christina was kind of a mind-twist for me back then, and still is now, because it shows how deep the roots of shallowness run and how we can be socialised into the importance of material possessions above all other things. The story of The Steadfast Tin Soldier always makes me cry at the end because of how the life of the toy soldier goes into a full circle. And these are only two of the fantastic tales that this great and imaginative mind has created (excuse the poor description, but I wanted to prove a point without spoiling the stories).I love this author's stories more than any other fairy tales, and I truly believe that even when I will be in my thirties or forties and even in my eighties, they will still inspire me or teach me something new
—Jena Hemsworth
These tales are certainly longer than the Grimms’. I was reading from one collection which organized the tales into genres, but I realized that it was far from complete so moved onto another collection. Though either they became less interesting or else I was burned out on fairytales by then so had fewer thoughts to spare about them.Artist and SocietyNightingale: “In China the emperor is Chinese, and all the people around him are Chinese.” - Sure, okay. Gardener and Gentry: Er, I don’t see the point of this. His bosses are moderately dicks.Flying Trunk: He can’t get to her cuz he can’t bother to walk there, or cuz doing so would show his lack of godliness?Will o’the Wisps: How meta. And incredibly dull and convoluted.Something: Eh, the brothers part is whatver and is the bulk of the story. Yeah yeah critics are evil. I do enjoy the bit about the old woman. What One Can Think Up: Oh look another one about critics being suck.The Most Incredible Thing: Oh I like this. Good proper fairytale ending.Cripple: There sure are a lot of fairytales embedded within the fairytales. “‘I want to hear the one I know.’” - Oh look commentary. Also, fiction is better than clothing apparently. Oh that story about the wife who wants to be God is in Grimms. Mmm, I dunno what to make of his miracle.FolktalesTinderbox: So it’s okay to behead people who help you, and to murder those who would prosecute you for your crimes. There’s also a bit here about false friends which seems a bit random.Little Claus and Big Claus: What obnoxious, psychotic asses. The bit with the sexton is in one of the Grimm tales...ah, The Little Farmer, the notes say. What is with the destruction of elderly corpses around here?Traveling Companion: Pretty good I would say. Though I’m unsure by what mechanism the princess is evil in the first place. Hmm, the notes say that it shows misogyny; interesting. It is a bit much for him to dunk her head under the water three times, but there is a magical zombie involved, so.Wild Swans: So the 6 Swans in another version. The bit about brown=ugly is kinda racist. I don’t like the ending; it’s too abrupt, and the king isn’t punished for being such a doubter. Plus it’s too blase about the youngest brother’s wing.Swineherd: I have to wonder, given how far he’s willing to go, if he eventually marries her. Or if he’s just awful. Hmm, the notes discuss how the lesson is patriarchal and sadistic towards “shrews.”OriginalsLittle Mermaid: Disney’s version is one of my favorite films ever. The original is also gorgeous, but so sad.Thumbelina: So love at first sight, an ode to shallowness, and forgetting the existence of parents asap. The Shadow: Very clever tale, and while the shadow is a big a-hole, he is completely believable as a character. The ending is fitting.Bronze Pig: Mmm, kinda nice, but what an abruptly tragic ending.Rose Elf: How morbid. The romance is very...Andersen, as far as I’ve been able to read. Ib and Little Christine: Melancholy mood in a way that again fits the author very well. Ending certainly makes sense. I wonder if the nuts are supposed to be magical or prophetic or what.Galoshes of Fortune: Good beginning; very promising and not what I would expect. But the series of disjointed anecdotes is just...okay. Bottle Neck: Such a melancholy, full tale with nice twists and turns. Andersen so far seems to excel more when he goes for saddening the heart. Fir Tree: A bit too sad for a protagonist I can’t bring myself to care about.She Was Good for Nothing: Hmm. The romance is pretty typically Sad-Andersen. The mayor’s a big ass.The Little Match Girl: A classic, and sad, but very short.The Neighboring Families: The matricide seems to be forgotten/ignored pretty quickly.Portugese Duck: Racist with a grisly ending.The Porter’s Son: It’s a very full tale, but the ending seems pretty abrupt like Andersen just didn’t feel like any more buildup before the happily ever after. And I don’t entirely see the connection with the couple.What is with the book’s obsession with Thorwaldsen? Never even heard of him.Red Shoes: Hmm I don’t remember the renditions I’ve read being so super-Christian.Under the Willow Tree: Andersen pulls this ending (or something similar) a bit too much. Ugly Duckling: Never cared for the message of the story, but the original is way more abusive and upsetting than I’ve ever heard. People are so awful.The Top and Ball: Somehow, I take it that the last sentence makes very clear the human misogynist bent. Brave Tin Soldier: Yet another gloomy, depressing tale.Shirt Collar: What a perv.Snow Man: Oh no, Olaf!Storks: Uh, a bit insensitive about miscarriages I must say.
—Jason
