Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Victor Hugo, Franz Liszt, Richard Wagner, Henrik Ibsen, and Edvard
Grieg.
Despite his many famous friends, Andersen remained a lonely soul
who never married. Of uncertain sexuality, he had very close male friend-
ships and journaled about unrequited love affairs with several women,
including the famous opera star of the day, Jenny Lind, the “Swedish
Nightingale.” (For more on this aspect of his life, see the sidebar on here . )
Without a family of his own, he became very close with the children of his
friends—and, through his fairy tales, with a vast extended family of kids
around the world.
Though he wrote novels, plays, and travel literature, it was his fairy
tales, including The Ugly Duckling , The Emperor's New Clothes , The
Princess and the Pea , The Little Mermaid , and The Red Shoes , that made
him famous in Denmark and abroad. They made him Denmark's best-
known author, the “Danish Charles Dickens.” Some stories are based on
earlier folk tales, and others came straight from his inventive mind, all
written in an informal, conversational style that was considered unusual
and even surprising at the time.
Andersen's compelling tales appeal to children and adults alike.
They're full of magic and touch on strong, universal emotions—the pain
of being different, the joy of self-discovery, and the struggle to fit in. The
ugly duckling, for example, is teased by his fellow ducks before he fi-
nally discovers his true identity as a beautiful swan. In The Emperor's
New Clothes , a boy is derided by everyone for speaking the simple, self-
evident truth that the emperor is fooling himself. Harry Potter author J. K.
Rowling recently said, “The indelible characters he created are so deeply
implanted in our subconscious that we sometimes forget that we were not
born with the stories.” (For more on Andersen's famous story The Little
Mermaid —and what it might tell us about his life—see here . )
By the time of his death, the poor shoemaker's son was wealthy, cul-
tured, and had been knighted. His rise through traditional class barriers
mirrors the social progress of the 19th century.
Search WWH ::




Custom Search