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Hans Christian Andersen: His Fairy Tale Life
This beautifully illustrated biography commemorates the bicentennial of Hans Christian Andersen’s birth. Written by one of Denmark’s best-known children’s authors, Hjørdis Varmer, the book chronicles the fairy-tale like story of Andersen’s life, describing how the eccentric Andersen came from a poor family, was ridiculed by other children, and struggled for many years before finally finding world-wide fame writing fairy tales such as The Ugly Duckling, Thumbelina, and The Nightingale.
Award-winning illustrator Lilian Brøgger’s highly original illustrations bring out the true spirit of the famous storyteller and incorporate many of Andersen’s own paper cuttings and drawings, making this children’s book one to be cherished.
Award-winning illustrator Lilian Brøgger’s highly original illustrations bring out the true spirit of the famous storyteller and incorporate many of Andersen’s own paper cuttings and drawings, making this children’s book one to be cherished.
- GenresBiographyNonfiction
112 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2005
34 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
August 20, 2021
Sad.
Was he depressed? Did he have a diagnosable medical condition? I felt so sorry for HCA; he was pathetic -- the words 'cry' and 'weep' were used repeatedly. He would have been a difficult person to be around.
I did not like the illustrations; they added little to the story. The book jacket states that the illustrations "include many of Andersen's own paper cutouts and drawings" but I didn't find anything that indicated which art was his and which were done by Brogger. Then I turned to the internet, and found a site in Odense that had posted many of his sketches -- most of which were of buildings and views. I didn't spot any that were in this book. A few of those sketches were similar to the ones in this biography, but none of his more realistic art is included.
Apparently he was very fond of writing poetry, but no examples are provided. (Maybe they aren't easily translated.) There's minimal mention of his fairy tales.
p 13, early 1800s
At that time Odense had a population of only five thousand, but even so it was the second-largest town in Denmark. Its narrow streets were paved with cobblestones and lined with small crooked buildings. The gutters were filled with garbage, and there was constant noise from the horse drawn wagons clattering down the lanes.
Also: Too many names! Often introduced but never referred to again.
Was he depressed? Did he have a diagnosable medical condition? I felt so sorry for HCA; he was pathetic -- the words 'cry' and 'weep' were used repeatedly. He would have been a difficult person to be around.
I did not like the illustrations; they added little to the story. The book jacket states that the illustrations "include many of Andersen's own paper cutouts and drawings" but I didn't find anything that indicated which art was his and which were done by Brogger. Then I turned to the internet, and found a site in Odense that had posted many of his sketches -- most of which were of buildings and views. I didn't spot any that were in this book. A few of those sketches were similar to the ones in this biography, but none of his more realistic art is included.
Apparently he was very fond of writing poetry, but no examples are provided. (Maybe they aren't easily translated.) There's minimal mention of his fairy tales.
p 13, early 1800s
At that time Odense had a population of only five thousand, but even so it was the second-largest town in Denmark. Its narrow streets were paved with cobblestones and lined with small crooked buildings. The gutters were filled with garbage, and there was constant noise from the horse drawn wagons clattering down the lanes.
Also: Too many names! Often introduced but never referred to again.
Read
April 23, 2021I picked up this book randomly at a Half Price Books. I find fairy tales fascinating and collect all kinds of fairy tale books, much to the dismay of my checkbook and credit card. Of course I was interested in this book. Hans Cristian Andersen seems to have lived a somewhat awkward and sad life. I felt uncomfortable for him while reading the book. He fell in love several times, but sadly his affections never seem to have been returned. The book is filled with unusual illustrations and really paints an interesting picture of his life. I am inspired to want to read a longer book about his life.
December 25, 2019
People say his life was like a fairytale. Considering that fairytales are filled with emotional, sensitive and melancholy characters who rely on fate to bring them success, I guess that’s a fair assessment. This illustrated biography is charming but barely mentions the full scope of his literary contributions.
December 7, 2020
Children's biography of Hans Christian Andersen. Great illustrations.
December 2, 2023
I for sure learned a lot about H.C. Andersen I didn’t know, like how he grew up and the challenges he went through. I felt the pictures were a bit random, even if they were a nice touch.
June 26, 2012
Varmer, H. (2005). Hans Christian Andersen: His fairy tale life. (T. Nunnally Trans.). Toronto: House of Anansi Press.
088899690x
Today is technically Hans Christian Andoerson's birthday. If he were still alive, he'd be super old!!!!!!!!! Yay for being born over 200 years ago in 1805!
PLOT SUMMARY: This is a longer (111 pages) picturebook that shares the complete biography of author Hans Christian Anderson. The book does emphasize his youth and the fact that he was often ostracized by...oh, EVERYONE.
While this is a text-heavy book that's split into eleven chapters, there are still highly-stylized illustrations on just about every page. Also, portraits of Andersen are incorporated here or there.
I found this biography to be an engrossing narrative of Andersen's life, with lots of details. I felt like I got a good idea of who Hans was as a child, dreamer and artist. As with many of Andersen's fairy tales, it was hard not to root for him since he was such a pitiable and rejected figure.
ACTIVITIES:
This is a good recommendation for a student who has to write a biographical sketch on Andersen or for a student who is interested in learning about the man who created some of western culture's classic stories. A few pages here or there could be incorporated into a lesson on the history of Denmark.
Aside from being used as a straight forward biography, chapters of His Fairy Tale Life could be read aloud to emphasize the fact that, like Hans, students can overcome rejection, having few resources, being ostracized by others, having lost a parent, dealing with a parent who drinks, etc.
But seriously all of the obstacles Varmer shows Andersen overcoming and all of the perseverance he showed throughout his youth is SUPER-DUPER-TIMES-1,000 inspiring. For reals, I've been dealing with email rejections on my stories, but reading this book helped me remember that I can endure. The same could happen with students who feel like they don't fit in, are applying to advanced school programs or college. This is also a good book to encourage a love of literacy, since Andersen prioritized reading and getting books above unnecessary stuff like, you know, eating food. Why ingest food when there ideas afoot?
QUOTES OF NOTE:
"In the spring of 1805 a baby boy named Hans Christian Andersen was born in the kingdom of Denmark.
For the first few days after his birth his mother, Anne Marie Andersdatter, lay in bed while his father read aloud to her. Whenever the newborn child cried, his father would say, "Go to sleep now, or listen quietly" (p. 6).
"He lived in the world of his imagination, where there was always plenty of food and everything was radiant and abundant.
But when he walked down the street with his eyes closed, the neighbors started to talk. "That boy must have bad eyes," they said. They couldn't understand what was the matter with Hans Christian. He wasn't like other children" (p. 13).
"But Hans Christian had other plans for his future. He was still reading a great deal, and he especially liked reading about men who had grown up poor and then became rich and famous. He was convinced that his own life would turn out the same way" (p. 36).
"At long last he managed to have the first scene printed in a magazine. Seeing his name in print was a much greater even than seeing his name on a theater handbill. Hans Christian Andersen--author!" (p. 60).
TASTY RATING: !!!!
088899690x
Today is technically Hans Christian Andoerson's birthday. If he were still alive, he'd be super old!!!!!!!!! Yay for being born over 200 years ago in 1805!
PLOT SUMMARY: This is a longer (111 pages) picturebook that shares the complete biography of author Hans Christian Anderson. The book does emphasize his youth and the fact that he was often ostracized by...oh, EVERYONE.
While this is a text-heavy book that's split into eleven chapters, there are still highly-stylized illustrations on just about every page. Also, portraits of Andersen are incorporated here or there.
I found this biography to be an engrossing narrative of Andersen's life, with lots of details. I felt like I got a good idea of who Hans was as a child, dreamer and artist. As with many of Andersen's fairy tales, it was hard not to root for him since he was such a pitiable and rejected figure.
ACTIVITIES:
This is a good recommendation for a student who has to write a biographical sketch on Andersen or for a student who is interested in learning about the man who created some of western culture's classic stories. A few pages here or there could be incorporated into a lesson on the history of Denmark.
Aside from being used as a straight forward biography, chapters of His Fairy Tale Life could be read aloud to emphasize the fact that, like Hans, students can overcome rejection, having few resources, being ostracized by others, having lost a parent, dealing with a parent who drinks, etc.
But seriously all of the obstacles Varmer shows Andersen overcoming and all of the perseverance he showed throughout his youth is SUPER-DUPER-TIMES-1,000 inspiring. For reals, I've been dealing with email rejections on my stories, but reading this book helped me remember that I can endure. The same could happen with students who feel like they don't fit in, are applying to advanced school programs or college. This is also a good book to encourage a love of literacy, since Andersen prioritized reading and getting books above unnecessary stuff like, you know, eating food. Why ingest food when there ideas afoot?
QUOTES OF NOTE:
"In the spring of 1805 a baby boy named Hans Christian Andersen was born in the kingdom of Denmark.
For the first few days after his birth his mother, Anne Marie Andersdatter, lay in bed while his father read aloud to her. Whenever the newborn child cried, his father would say, "Go to sleep now, or listen quietly" (p. 6).
"He lived in the world of his imagination, where there was always plenty of food and everything was radiant and abundant.
But when he walked down the street with his eyes closed, the neighbors started to talk. "That boy must have bad eyes," they said. They couldn't understand what was the matter with Hans Christian. He wasn't like other children" (p. 13).
"But Hans Christian had other plans for his future. He was still reading a great deal, and he especially liked reading about men who had grown up poor and then became rich and famous. He was convinced that his own life would turn out the same way" (p. 36).
"At long last he managed to have the first scene printed in a magazine. Seeing his name in print was a much greater even than seeing his name on a theater handbill. Hans Christian Andersen--author!" (p. 60).
TASTY RATING: !!!!
June 7, 2013
This is a very nice biography of Hans Christian Andersen with creative drawings by Lilian Brogger. His life was one of hardship and loneliness, but his stories live on as some of the best fairy tales of all time.
August 25, 2009
This was a very interesting introduction to a very unique (and sometimes downright strange) man. I learned a lot of things about Mr. Andersen that I never knew.
April 2, 2010
I really liked this fascinating little biography. Andersen was an interesting guy, and I was surprised (and sometimes shocked) at his incredible persistence.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews