Andersen's Fairy Tales - FULL Audio Book - by Hans Christian Andersen

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Andersen's Fairy Tales - FULL Audio Book - by Hans Christian Andersen ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES Hans Christian Andersen (Danish: [ˈhanˀs ˈkʁæsdjan ˈɑnɐsn̩]; often referred to in Scandinavia as H. C. Andersen; April 2, 1805 -- August 4, 1875) was a Danish author and poet. Although a prolific writer of plays, travelogues, novels, and poems, Andersen is best remembered for his fairy tales, a literary genre he so mastered that his works have been immortalized in children's world literature. Andersen's popularity was not limited to children, as his fairy tales—called eventyrs, or "fantastic tales"—express universal themes that transcend age and nationality. During his lifetime he was acclaimed for having delighted children worldwide, and was feted by royalty. 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. They have inspired motion pictures, plays, ballets, and animated films. - EARLY LIFE Hans Christian Andersen was born in the town of Odense, Denmark, on Tuesday, April 2, 1805. He was an only child. Andersen's father, also Hans, considered himself related to nobility. His paternal grandmother had told his father that their family had in the past belonged to a higher social class,[4] but investigations prove these stories unfounded.[4][5] Theories that Andersen may have been an illegitimate son of King Christian VII persist.[4] In any case, King Frederick VI took a personal interest in him as a youth and paid for a part of his education.[6] Andersen's father, who had received an elementary education, introduced Andersen to literature, reading him Arabian Nights.[7] Andersen's mother, Anne Marie Andersdatter, was uneducated and worked as a washerwoman following his father's death in 1816, remarrying in 1818.[7] Andersen was sent to a local school for poor children where he received a basic education and was forced to support himself, working as a weaver's apprentice and, later, for a tailor. At 14, he moved to Copenhagen to seek employment as an actor. Having an excellent soprano voice, he was accepted into the Royal Danish Theatre, but his voice soon changed. A colleague at the theatre told him that he considered Andersen a poet. Taking the suggestion seriously, Andersen began to focus on writing. - His initial attempts at writing fairy tales were rewrites of stories that he heard as a child. Andersen brought this genre to a new level by writing a vast number of fairy tales that were both bold and original. Initially they were not met with recognition, due partly to the difficulty in translating them and capturing his genius for humor and dark pathos. It was during 1835 that Andersen published the first installment of his immortal Fairy Tales (Danish: Eventyr; lit. "fantastic tales"). More stories, completing the first volume, were published in 1836 and 1837. The collection consists of nine tales that includes The Tinderbox, The Princess and the Pea, Thumbelina, The Little Mermaid, and The Emperor's New Clothes. The quality of these stories was not immediately recognized, and they sold poorly. At the same time, Andersen enjoyed more success with two novels O.T. (1836) and Only a Fiddler (1837); the latter novel was reviewed by the young Søren Kierkegaard. Andersen would continue to write fairy tales and published them in installments until 1872. His most popular works are listed below - LEGACY Andersen's stories laid the groundwork for other children's classics to come, such as Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame and Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne. His employment of the revolutionary technique of making toys and inanimate objects come to life (Little Ida's Flowers) would be a stratagem used later by such authors as Lewis Carroll and Beatrix Potter. In the English-speaking world, his fairy tales remain immensely popular and are widely read. The Emperor's New Clothes and The Ugly Duckling have both passed into English as well-known expressions. - If you enjoyed "Andersen's Fairy Tales - FULL Audio Book - by Hans Christian Andersen" please like this video and leave a comment. We really appreciate it Thanks for watching Andersen's Fairy Tales - FULL Audio Book - by Hans Christian Andersen. For more great audio books like Andersen's Fairy Tales - FULL Audio Book - by Hans Christian Andersen please subscribe to GreenAudioBooks.