Andersen's Fairy Tales

Hans Christian Andersen (1805–1875) was a Danish author who wrote plays, novels, poems and travel books, but who is remembered above all for his fairy tales. He began publishing them in the 1830s, in small booklets, and went on to write more than a hundred and fifty over the next few decades. Some he based on folk tales he had heard in childhood; many he invented himself, which was unusual among the major fairy-tale collectors of his day.

The collection recorded here is a selection of eighteen tales. Andersen’s style was a departure from the conventions of the time. He used spoken language, he addressed both children and adults, and he often allowed himself an ironic or even melancholy tone. Many of the stories deal with themes of loneliness, vanity, longing and sacrifice, and they do not always end happily. Some are wry observations of human weakness, others are almost religious in feeling. The best are very short, but they leave a strong impression.

The tales have been translated into well over a hundred languages, and they have shaped generations of children’s literature, film and theatre. This recording presents eighteen of them, among them The Emperor’s New Clothes, The Snow Queen, The Little Match Girl and The Red Shoes, in 18 sections that run to nearly six hours. The variety of readers gives each tale its own character.

Why listen now? Because Andersen’s stories are among the most durable ever written, and because they work as well read aloud as on the page. They are suitable for families and for adults on their own. Whether you know them or not, this selection has something to offer.