Hans Christian Andersen's Fairy Tales

by Erik Christian Haugaard (Editor), F. Murray Abraham (Narrator)

Unlike the Brothers Grimm, who collected and retold folklore and fairy tales, Hans Christian Andersen adopted the most ancient literary forms and distilled them into a genre that was uniquely his own. His fairy tales are remarkable for their sense of fantasy, power of description, and vivid imagination. They are like no others written before or since.
Recognizing the literary merit of Andersen's own simple colloquial language, Erik Haugaard has remained faithful to the original text in the translation from Danish to English. Listeners will rediscover Hans Christian Andersen's best-known fairy tales, and find new favorites.

Stories:

The Princess and the Pea
Thumbelina
The Little Mermaid
The Emperor's New Clothes
The Steadfast Tin Soldier
The Wild Swans
The Nightingale
The Ugly Duckling
The Snow Queen
The Little Match Girl
"The Will-o'-the-Wisps are in Town," said the Bog Witch
The Rags
The Adventures of a Thistle
Luck Can Be Found in a Stick
The Days of the Week

Cast:

F. Murray Abraham
Edoardo Ballerini
Marisa Calin
Cynthia Darlow
Ari Fliakos
Dion Graham
January LaVoy
Jennifer Lim
Euan Morton
Robert Petkoff
Rebecca Soler
Marc Thompson

Genres: Classics, Fairy Tales

Audiobook

First published January 1, 1812

About the author

Erik Haugaard was born in Denmark and has traveled extensively in the United States, Italy, Spain, and Japan. Called "a writer gifted in the art of the storyteller" by the BOSTON GLOBE, he is internationally known for his accomplishments as a playwright, poet, and translator.

Haugaard has written a number of acclaimed works for young adults that transport readers back to a time and place in history that placed upon children burdens nearly unimaginable to the contemporary North American adolescent. Religious strife, World War II, and feudal Japan are just some of the settings Haugaard has explored in his books, which usually feature a child whose hardships are made all the worse due to the loss of parents or other guardians.

Reviews

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This audiobook featured a collection of Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tales. While I enjoyed the narrators voice and way of reading, I preferred the epub version by Tatar we had been reading because of its choice of words and literary(?) translation.

However, I wanted to share the starting time for each story included in this audiobook:

1:00 The Princess and the Pea

3:42 Thumbelina

30:12 The Emperor's New Clothes

41:05 The Steadfast Tin Soldier

52:03 The Ugly Duckling

1:16:33 The Little Mermaid

2:16:30 The Little Match Girl

2:22:36 The Wild Swans

3:02:57 The Nightingale

3:28:15 The Snow Queen

4:49:30 “The Will-o’-the-Wisps Are in Town,”  Said the Bog Witch

5:24:33 The Rags

5:29:46 The Adventures of a Thistle

5:39:29 Luck Can be Found in a Stick

5:45:32 The Days of the Week

[Mioree · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

Goes without saying that some fairytales in this collection are 5⭐️ but I’m rating all of them plus the performances of the voice actors. Its a great audiobook!

[Aaronlisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read quite a few of Hans Christian Anderson’s stories before when I was younger. That said I am more familiar with the Grimm Brothers when it comes to fairy tales or retellings

I am not sure if it’s the version of the fairy tales that I had read, but I wasn’t aware how short some of the tales are. Nor was I aware of how Christian in morality these tales are. It is very clear that these stories are largely intended on how to teach children how to behave. Unlike the Grimm Brothers, Anderson’s stories are largely sweet and innocent. That’s not to say death doesn’t happen, but you don’t have any step sisters hacking off a toe or heel to fit their foot in a glass slipper. Nor is there any gore at all. The little match girl dies of neglect and cold, and the little mermaid sacrifices herself out of love but their deaths are largely painless and without violence and there is the hint of salvation at the end of their stories.

I wouldn’t be opposed to reading a more complete collection of his fairy tales or something more scholarly that discusses his fairy tales.

[Rick Fifield · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was surprising to me, I did not realize that many of these stories were ones I learned as a child. There are 27 stories in this book.

[Caro Robson · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was fascinating to discover these tales in their gory, original forms.

[Tessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was so nice to revisit the fables I remember from childhood. Andersen really knew how to paint a scene, and the magic he brings to his stories is second to none. The brilliant F. Murray Abraham voiced this audiobook, and while he does an excellent job, I found myself getting lost in the melody of his voice and losing focus on the stories themselves. I sure hope these stories are still being read to children these days. They're just brilliant and one of a kind; even if some of them lean towards the darker side of the spectrum.

[Aidan Macdonald · Rating 3 out of 5]

A really nice collection of fairy tales. I must admit that I do prefer hans Christian Andersen's work over the complied Grimm tales. I find these stories to be better fleshed out with much more understandable character motivations. I also like how there is a clearer set out moral to many of the stories. Great to listen to to fall asleep aswell. Definitely something I'll pick up again when I can't face a full novel.

6.75/10

[Carolyn Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A perfect audiobook performance of Hans Christian Andersen's Fairy Tales. The Little Mermaid and the Little Match Girl are especially moving. My favourite is The Ugly Ducking, which Andersen reputedly wrote about his own experiences. Some of the later fairy tales in the audiobook have not aged as well. The Snow Queen is too long and The Days of the Week ends the collection on a very whimsical note.

[Jessica Lange · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the perfect listen on the long flight back home from Denmark. While visiting Denmark I learned a lot about Hans Christian Andersen and even enjoyed a theme park ride based on his stories at Tivoli Gardens. But it had been ages since I'd read his stories. This was a great collection with great narration.

[Lana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listened to with my 7 year old granddaughter while driving her to and from school. She loved them, especially The Ugly Duckling and The Little Mermaid. Narration was excellent.

[Patrick Trent · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 Stars A collection of fairy tales by Hans Christian Andersen. Some of them are famous, others are not top notch...

[julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great to read actual translations of stories we think we know… far more big c Church influence than expected!

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

A limited selection of lesser-known stories.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Exactly what you’d expect.