Hans Andersen's Fairy Tales: Retold by Naomi Lewis

by Naomi Lewis (Translator, Adapter), Hans Christian Andersen, Jan Pieńkowski (Introduction)

Hans Andersen's Fairy Tales is an enchanting collection, retold by writer and critic Naomi Lewis, and contains twelve of Hans Christian Andersen's magnificent stories including Thumbelina, a little girl no more than a thumb-joint high, The Emperor's New Clothes, the tale of a man who cares only for his appearance and The Little Mermaid, who longs to one day marry a human prince.

With a wonderful introduction by award-winning picture-book creator Jan Pienkowski.

The book includes a behind-the-scenes journey, including an author profile, a guide to who's who, activities and more..

The Puffin Classics reissue includes:
A Little Princess
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Alice's Adventures Through the Looking Glass
Anne of Green Gables series
Black Beauty
Hans Andersen's Fairy Tales
Heidi
Journey to the Centre of the Earth
Little Women series
Peter Pan
Tales of the Greek Heroes
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
The Adventures of King Arthur
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
The Call of the Wild
The Jungle Book
The Odyssey
The Secret Garden
The Wind in the Willows
The Wizard of Oz
Treasure Island

Genres: Classics, Childrens, Fantasy, Short Stories, Fiction, Fairy Tales, Middle Grade

200 pages, Paperback

First published August 12, 2014

About the author

British poet, essayist, literary critic, anthologist and reteller of stories for children. She is particularly noted for her translations of the Danish children’s author, Hans Christian Andersen, as well as for her critical reviews and essays. She was a recipient of the Eleanor Farjeon Award.

Reviews

[ліда лісова · Rating 5 out of 5]

найвеличніший із казкарів! все серце в синцях, але як прекрасно

[Mily Cruz · Rating 3 out of 5]

8th pick from this year’s TBR challenge

[Jordan Bailey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some were good some were lackluster but I can see how Hans Christian Andersen stories has lived on.

[Gina · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's difficult to rate a collection in aggregate when some of these are so standout. For instance, The Nightingale is my new absolute favorite work of Andersen's, while I don't think I fully understand The Happy Family. This may very well be a translation issue; I have another collection of Andersen works to get through yet, so we'll see! Suffice to say, though, these are all (if nothing else) entertaining and worth the read.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this mostly as a must read. Was amazed at how much of literature is based in these and other tales. Also, how through the years the stories have changed. The "Little Mermaid" for example ends quite differently from the Disney version. This version brings to mind messages paying the ultimate price for disobeying a father, for wanting to explare and go outdside of known community-- Not in the beauty and empowerment of following ones own path or the strength of true love.

Also many many fairy tales - I had never heard of that were interesting. It was noted in the intro and I concur that HCA had a consistent struggle with being an outsider not accepted within the upper elites and yet having a profound respect for the same upper elites. It shows in much of his work.

All in all, one of those books any reader, writer, or just member of society should read for a better understanding of the basis for much of Western literature.

[Sarah Gardner · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this is closer to a 3.5 for me. Some of these I enjoyed a lot more than others, but all were still entertaining! The narration was great and I think my favorites were The Little Mermaid, Thumbelina, The Nightingale, and The Snow Queen. It was interesting listening to the Snow Queen and noticing things that must have inspired CS Lewis while writing LWW. I think I was expecting to see more elements of Frozen in the Snow Queen but it's very loosely inspired by it so that's not too surprising.

Audiobook available on Goodreads isn't the most recent version but I listened to the 2022 edition narrated by Jonah Hauer-King

[Reagan Formea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I tried to savor this beauty bit by bit. There’s a special place in my heart for “children’s stories” as these were originally categorized. I think there’s something so precious about teaching life’s lessons through fun tales (hence my love for bluey). This also was my first time reading the original little mermaid and I was entranced. The translator did a wonderful job of connecting these stories to HCA himself and making them meaningful to the reader.

[Gwen · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐4.5

[Katy (whatkatyreadnext)]

Came for The Snow Queen, stayed for the rest!

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened on audio as a family & then got to see the stories come to life at the Hans Christian Andersen Hous & Museum in Odensee! 😍

[Sagar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Original fairy tales with original (mostly horrific) endings.

[Cats W. Bats, Esq. · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5

narration: 5
content: 3.5

not all of the stories were for me. hauer-king was a good narrator and very listenable.

(the only available audiobook version is the older one. i listened to the more recent edition with actor jonah hauer-king reading the book.)

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was ok, i had really high expectations i think because the adaptions of these stories that i know and love are so detailed and elaborate and this are really just basic outlines which i guess is kind of the point when writing a story for little children, i guess i just didn't know they were targeted to such young kids, i was expecting more middle grade maybe? idk but cute none the less, the snow queen was my favorite of course, the little mermaid was interesting too

[Ashley Lamb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fairy tales are a must, and this is a great compilation. Though, as an avid Little Mermaid fan, the cover art is really what coerced me to buy it. My favorite thing about a book like this is that it doesn't take real long to read one of the fairy tales, making it a perfect before-bed treat (for any age, really).

[Suzie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this compilation ostensibly for The Little Mermaid, which was in the Classic Group short story read for the month. I quite enjoyed all these tales, but especially liked that the heroine in The Snow Queen was a girl, and also enjoyed The Steadfast Tin Soldier

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great collection of fairytales that inspired many Disney movies! I loved them all! Anderson’s writing is so magical!

[Manouka · Rating 4 out of 5]

well..classics for a reason.
Firstly I have to say I am so proud to have finished a book!!! yayayayyy hoorayyy
I have been in such a slump/having too much to do to be able to focus and relax into a book, and also I've found it so annoying this past year that I keep picking up books, enjoying them, but never finishing them and starting a new one hoping it'll get me out of the funk. so here we are, a short story collection, fairytales, vibes, and I'm back hopefully.
I read this on the eurostar and in oxford visiting my sister, and have been using beautiful red leaves as book marks because we'd walk around and I'd get stumped by one and just leave it in there. So it seems the fairytale has seeped out of the book or it more likely highlights what is already there. What is the difference, really.
(reviewing the versions in this book specifically rather than how I personally know the stories but also compared to that a bit)
The Princess and the Pea *4.75/5
Thumbelina **4/5
The Emperor's New Clothes 4.5/5
The Little Mermaid ***4.5/5
The Steadfast Tin Soldier 3.5/5
The Nightingale 4/5
The Ugly Duckling ****4.5/5
The Snow Queen *****4.5/5
The Shepherdess and the Chimney Sweep 2/5
The Happy Family -!-3.5/5
The Goblin at the Grocer's -!!-4/5
Dance, Dolly, Dance 3/5

*classic and short so not much to say, but the imagery in my head is so much more colourful so i miss that on paper a bit
**barbie version is so good I'm missing some of that character here, it's also very different in really nice whimsical ways but I do wish the relationship with the animals was somewhat more positive (unless I'm missing something)
***the imagery was so vivid so although I prefer the less gory, sillier version, cant deny it was good
****it's such a simple classic story so its funny to say but I think I understood it better
*****if I could ignore the robbers who ruined the vibes it would be a 5
-!- liked the pacing in this and thought it felt mindfully crafted
-!!-some nonsense but loved the imagery with the tree and the student reminds me of my dad

Some of these stories really have shaped/shape my identity in many ways, a lot of the time aesthetically because of really good editions I've read since I was a little kid. (The Princess and the Pea-mattresses, Thumbelina-barbie..everything, the little mermaid-iconic and i love the sea and want to be a mermaid so relatable/nonrelatable lol, the snow queen-terrifying movie i used to watch, literally traumatising).

Really happy to write a review again and hopefully my next read feels as magical and engaging as this :)

[Andrew Ives · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although Naomi Lewis has made a decent job of the translations/retelling of these stories, I actually preferred her introduction and notes at the back, to the stories themselves. Apparently, Andersen wrote 156 stories, 12 of which appear in this 'best of' collection. I started with the shorter ones - The Princess & the Pea, the rarely-found Dance, Dolly, Dance, the Steadfast Tin Soldier, the Goblin & The Grocer, The Emperor's New Clothes, The Nightingale, The Happy Family, and arguably my favourite here, The Shepherdess & The Chimney Sweep. All of these were very slight and only mildly charming in a peculiar, Victorian kind of way, many of which, even at such a short length, still rambled or repeated themselves in a rather annoying way. Of the longer stories, Thumbelina, the Little Mermaid, and the never-ending Snow Queen, I suppose The Ugly Duckling was my favourite, albeit rather unhappy for the most part. I found The Little Mermaid particularly miserable (much preferring the Oscar Wilde version that it apparently inspired). The Snow Queen tested my patience beyond breaking point. It could've run forever, or it could've finished in 10 pages. I can't say I share Naomi's enthusiasm for these works, not even for reading as bedtime stories, and I dread to think what the other 140+ stories are like. Just about 3/5.

[Shelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

The tales inside are timeless, though, as with many classic fairy tales, not every story resonated with me equally. While some, like Thumbelina and The Little Mermaid, stood out as personal favorites for their charm and emotional depth, others didn’t capture my attention as much. That said, the collection as a whole is undeniably valuable for its historical and literary significance.

Some readers noted that they find certain themes, like marriage and gender roles, to feel outdated or even misogynistic. Many of Andersen’s tales reflect the values and norms of the 19th century. However, this historical context is key to appreciating these stories as artifacts of their time, showcasing the cultural and moral frameworks that shaped them.

Overall, this collection offers a mix of enchanting, poignant, and occasionally dark tales that reflect Andersen’s unique voice and storytelling legacy. Whether you’re revisiting childhood favorites or exploring these stories for the first time, this edition is an excellent choice for fans of classic fairy tales.

[Angi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I very much love most of his fairy tales in this book. My favorite still is the snow queen. I just dearly love the story about Gerda going through lots of hardships to get back her beloved one.
Something else I absolutely loved about this book is that you get a little introduction to the life of Hans Christian Anders. That makes me want to read more about him.
By the way I don’t like every fairy tale in this book, therefore not a full 5 stars.

[Ananya · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75!
It was such a treat to finally read the original tales of the Little Mermaid, Ugly Duckling. These are so original and I get why Andersen is considered a genius by many. These are such intelligently told.
My favourite were Ugly Duckling, Princess and the Pea, the Emperor's Clothes, Thumbelina, Nightingale, the Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Snow Queen.

[Karina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hans Christian Andersen had a very unique writing style and a brilliant imagination.
I loved many of these stories, some I just liked and I'm glad I disliked none.

All the fairytales were beautiful and had many important metaphors, perfect for adults to reflect on them.

Looking forward to read more fairytales.

[Erika · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciated that the author chose some of Anderson's stories that I haven't read before in addition to some that are more well known. It did whet my appetite to read more of the lesser known ones. Her editing of the flowers' stories in snow queen was very good- enough to capture the feel of it but edited to be a bit more succinct than some I've read.

[Lanternlittle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read these over a period of time, and I found some to be my favourite and others not.
The best for me being the nightingale and the little mermaid.
Would definitely recommend to enjoy for anyone of any age. 🧚🏾

[Arthur Valaer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Timeless, imaginative fun for all ages. My Puffin edition came with a great cover, a moderate amount of black & white illustrations, and lots of supplementary text. For fans of Ende, Lewis, Baum, et al. Buy or borrow on sight. An easy read, too, at under 200 pages. Will re-read with pleasure before cashing in.

[Alyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did enjoyed half of the story, but the other half I just really didn't care for it

[Marquise · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fine adaptation by Naomi Lewis, but the illustrations leave much to be desired and are dull.

[Sanjana · Rating 5 out of 5]

love the stories.

[Aggie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liked some of the stories more than others. The Ugly Duckling was my son's favourite. I liked finally reading the original version of The Little Mermaid.

[Camille · Rating 1 out of 5]

Print
So, so misogynistic.... no wonder people update these stories, they're terrible