Hans Christian Andersen (often referred to in Scandinavia as H. C. Andersen) was a Danish author and poet. Although a prolific writer of plays, travelogues, novels, and poems, Andersen is best remembered for his fairy tales. Andersen's popularity is not limited to children; his stories — called eventyr, or "fairy-tales" — express themes that transcend age and nationality.Andersen's fairy tales, which have been translated into more than 125 languages, have become culturally embedded in the West's collective consciousness, readily accessible to children, but presenting lessons of virtue and resilience in the face of adversity for mature readers as well. Some of his most famous fairy tales include "The Little Mermaid", "The Ugly Duckling", "The Nightingale", "The Emperor's New Clothes" and many more. His stories have inspired plays, ballets, and both live-action and animated films.
Some of his most popular fairy tales include "The Little Mermaid", "The Princess and the Pea", "The Emperors New Clothes", "The Little Match Girl", "The Snow Queen", "Thumbelina", "The Wild Swans", "The Ugly Duckling" and "The Steadfast Tin Soldier".
Was interred in the Assistens Kirkegard in Copenhagen.
His birthday, 2 April, is celebrated as International Childrens Book Day.
A Shanghai theme park based on his fairy tales opened at the end of 2006.
Andersen made 30 long journeys in his life, which inspired his novels and fairy tales. He traveled to Germany, England, Italy, Spain and Turkey.
Two museums, "H.C. Andersen Hus" and "H.C. Andersens Barndomshjem", are dedicated to him and his work in his hometown Odense.
Unlike many writers, he was widely popular during his lifetime. In 1867, he was appointed Councillor of State in his native Danmark and became Honorary Citizen in Odense.
Andersen was born with dyslexia. Although he learned to read, he could never spell properly, and his manuscripts were littered with errors. His publishers corrected his mistakes.
Contrary to the movie versions, Andersens stories usually came to sad or unfortunate conclusions. "The Little Mermaid" committed suicide; "The Little Match Girl" froze to death; "The Steadfast Tin Soldier" melted; and although the heroine triumphed, "The Snow Queen" survives too!.
His mother was an alcoholic washerwoman.
Andersen had such a low opinion of his mother that he used her as the subject of a short story that he wrote, titled, "She Was Never Good for Anything".
His grandfather went insane.
His grandmother, as a young woman, was imprisoned for repeatedly producing illegitimate children, which was a crime at the time.
In 1833, on a visit to Paris, he paid a social call on Victor Hugo at his house.
Although known today for his fairy tales, Andersen also wrote 36 plays; six travel books; six novels; hundreds of poems, and approximately 170 short stories.
Among other 19th century celebrities, Andersen had a reputation as a groupie and a gate-crasher. German poet Heinrich Heine dismissed Andersen as a social climber.
Throughout his life, Andersen had a personal obsession with the Swedish opera singer, Jenny Lind.
Although Andersen had many crushes on women and several infatuations he never married, and actually lived alone.
Where words fail, music speaks.
Just living is not enough. . . one must have sunshine, freedom, and a,little flower.
My life is a lovely story, happy and full of incident.
Life itself is the most wonderful fairy tale.
Most of the people who will walk after me will be children, so make the,beat keep time with short steps.
Travelling expands the mind rarely.
Just living is not enough," said the butterfly, "one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.
To travel is to live.
To move, to breathe, to fly, to float,To gain all while you give,To roam the roads of lands remote,To travel is to live.
Life is like a beautiful melody, only the lyrics are messed up.
My life will be the best illustration of all my work.
Almighty God, thee only have I; thou steerest my fate, I must give myself up to thee! Give me a livelihood! Give me a bride! My blood wants love, as my heart does!,Death walks faster than the wind and never returns what he has taken.
Then your tail will divide and shrink until it becomes what the people on earth call a pair of shapely legs. But it will hurt; it will feel as if a sharp sword slashed through you. Everyone who sees you will say that you are the most graceful human being they have ever laid eyes on, for you will keep your gliding movement and no dancer will be able to tread as lightly as you. But every step you take will feel as if you were treading upon knife blades so sharp that blood must flow. I am willing to help you, but are you willing to suffer all this?""Yes," the little mermaid said in a trembling voice, as she thought of the Prince and of gaining a human soul.
But these are small troubles, people will say. Yes, but they are drops which wear hollows in the rock.
Where words fail, music speaks.
But a mermaid has no tears, and therefore she suffers so much more.
He looked at the little maiden, and she looked at him; and he felt that he was melting away, but he still managed to keep himself erect, shouldering his gun bravely. A door was suddenly opened, the draught caught the little dancer and she fluttered like a sylph, straight into the fire, to the soldier, blazed up and was gone! By this time the soldier was reduced to a mere lump, and when the maid took away the ashes next morning she found him, in the shape of a small tin heart. All that was left of the dancer was her spangle, and that was burnt as black as a coal.
Never had she danced so beautifully; the sharp knives cut her feet, but she did not feel it, for the pain in her heart was far greater.
Life itself is the most wonderful fairytale.
Just living is not enough. . . one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.
Travelling expands the mind rarely.
Life itself is the most wonderful fairy tale. .
