Synopses & Reviews
On the bicentennial of Hans Christian Andersenandrsquo;s birth, this collection takes Andersen out of the nursery and places him squarely in the literary pantheon. While Andersenandrsquo;s tales continue to seize the imagination with their singular blend of simplicity, eccentricity, and charm, English-language readers have until now had to content themselves with inaccurate retellings and inadequate translations. Diana Crone Frank, a Danish novelist and linguist, and Jeffrey Frank, a novelist and editor at the
New Yorker, offer a much-needed modern translation.
In this collection are twenty-two tales that best represent Andersenandrsquo;s literary legacy, including such classics as andldquo;The Little Mermaid,andrdquo; andldquo;The Ugly Duckling,andrdquo; andldquo;Thumbelisa,andrdquo; and andldquo;The Emperorandrsquo;s New Clothes,andrdquo; as well as largely unfamiliar stories like andldquo;By the Outermost Sea.andrdquo; Illuminating notes clarify references in the tales. And in an introductory essay, the Franks explore the writer and his times, placing the enigmatic and often bizarre figure of Andersen among his literary contemporaries, such as Charles Dickens and Sandoslash;ren Kierkegaard, with whom he crossed paths; and they bring to life Andersenandrsquo;s fascinating relationship with the United States. Illustrated with the delicate and beautiful drawings that accompanied the original Danish publication, The Stories of Hans Christian Andersen will delight readers of all ages.
Review
andldquo;A superb book of Andersenandrsquo;s tales, lively to read and true to the originals. . . . [It] is a perfect place to start for anyone interested in understanding the complex nature of Andersen and his writings.andrdquo;andmdash;Jack Zipes, professor of German at the University of Minnesota, in the Minneapolis Star Tribune
Review
andldquo;Hans Christian Andersen, in aesthetic eminence, is comparable to Dickens and the later Tolstoy. In the cultural dumbing-down represented by the Harry Potter phenomenon, adults and children alike need the actual Andersen, here made brilliantly available by the Franks.andrdquo;andmdash;Harold Bloom, editor of Stories and Poems for Extremely Intelligent Children of All Ages
Review
andldquo;The translation of Andersenandrsquo;s tales by Diana Crone Frank and Jeffrey Frank is cause for real celebration. This edition is far superior to other collections.andrdquo;andmdash;Maria Tatar, author of Off with Their Heads! Fairy Tales and the Culture of Childhood
Review
andldquo;This is the real Andersen, restored to life, in the flavor of Danish. He was a perpetual traveler and guest who left behind only this work, and here at last you will find him.andrdquo;andmdash;Garrison Keillor
Review
andldquo;This beautiful and useful volume combines new translations of the canonical stories with some of the original illustrations. The introduction and annotations are clear and helpful.andrdquo;
Synopsis
A modern, accessible, and accurate translation of Andersen’s beloved stories which effectively captures Andersen’s conversational and ironic tone and lends itself to use in the classroom.
About the Author
“A superb book of Andersen’s tales, lively to read and true to the originals. . . . [It] is a perfect place to start for anyone interested in understanding the complex nature of Andersen and his writings.”—Jack Zipes, professor of German at the University of Minnesota, in the Minneapolis Star Tribune“Hans Christian Andersen, in aesthetic eminence, is comparable to Dickens and the later Tolstoy. In the cultural dumbing-down represented by the Harry Potter phenomenon, adults and children alike need the actual Andersen, here made brilliantly available by the Franks.”—Harold Bloom, editor of Stories and Poems for Extremely Intelligent Children of All Ages“The translation of Andersen’s tales by Diana Crone Frank and Jeffrey Frank is cause for real celebration. This edition is far superior to other collections.”—Maria Tatar, author of Off with Their Heads! Fairy Tales and the Culture of Childhood“This is the real Andersen, restored to life, in the flavor of Danish. He was a perpetual traveler and guest who left behind only this work, and here at last you will find him.”—Garrison Keillor
Table of Contents
Introduction: The Real H. C. Anderson 1
The Tinderbox, 1835 39
Little Claus and Big Claus, 1835 47
The Princess on the Pea, 1835 61
Thumbelisa, 1835 64
The Little Mermaid, 1837 78
The Emperor's New Clothes, 1837 105
The Wild Swans, 1838 111
The Swineherd, 1842 131
The Nightingale, 1844 139
The Sweethearts, 1844 152
The Ugly Duckling, 1844 156
The Snow Queen, 1845 169
The Red Shoes, 1845 207
The Little Match Girl, 1845 215
The Happy Family, 1847 220
The Shadow, 1847 225
By the Outermost Sea, 1855 240
Hopeless Hans, 1855 244
Kids' Talk, 1859 250
Father's Always Right, 1861 254
The Gardener and the Aristocrats, 1872 260
Auntie Toothache, 1872 269
Acknowledgments 285
Bibliography 287
About the Translation 295
About the Artists 295