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The Snow Queen and Other Winter Tales
This is an Alternate Cover to Book ISBN: 9781435160699
The Snow Queen and Other Winter Tales collects 100 fairy and folk tales from around the world that share the winter theme of Hans Christian Andersen's classic story, "The Snow Queen."
In addition to tales by Andersen, the Brothers Grimm, Charles Dickens, Louisa May Alcott, and Oscar Wilde, and selections from Andrew Lang's colorful fairy books, this volume includes Alexandre Dumas's The History of a Nutcracker, the story adapted for the famous Christmas ballet, The Nutcracker.
Although these tales are set in the heart of winter, they offer reading pleasures that can be enjoyed the whole year round.
The Snow Queen and Other Winter Tales collects 100 fairy and folk tales from around the world that share the winter theme of Hans Christian Andersen's classic story, "The Snow Queen."
In addition to tales by Andersen, the Brothers Grimm, Charles Dickens, Louisa May Alcott, and Oscar Wilde, and selections from Andrew Lang's colorful fairy books, this volume includes Alexandre Dumas's The History of a Nutcracker, the story adapted for the famous Christmas ballet, The Nutcracker.
Although these tales are set in the heart of winter, they offer reading pleasures that can be enjoyed the whole year round.
724 pages, Leather Bound
Published August 31, 2015
8 people are currently reading
91 people want to read
About the author
Hans Christian Andersen
7,817 books3,545 followersHans Christian Andersen (often referred to in Scandinavia as H.C. Andersen) was a Danish author and poet. Although a prolific writer of plays, travelogues, novels, and poems, Andersen is best remembered for his fairy tales. Andersen's popularity is not limited to children; his stories — called eventyr, or "fairy-tales" — express themes that transcend age and nationality.
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. Some of his most famous fairy tales include "The Little Mermaid", "The Ugly Duckling", "The Nightingale", "The Emperor's New Clothes" and many more. His stories have inspired plays, ballets, and both live-action and animated films.
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. Some of his most famous fairy tales include "The Little Mermaid", "The Ugly Duckling", "The Nightingale", "The Emperor's New Clothes" and many more. His stories have inspired plays, ballets, and both live-action and animated films.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 21, 2019
In 1911, the British publisher Hodder & Stoughton published an edition of Hans Christian Andersen's fairy-tales, accompanied by twenty-eight gorgeous full-color illustrations by Edmund Dulac, a "Golden-Age" illustrator whose work has been compared to such artists as Arthur Rackham. This collection, published in 1976 by Doubleday, contains five of the original seven tales - The Garden of Paradise and The Real Princess (AKA The Princess and the Pea) have been omitted - and fifteen of the original twenty-eight plates. Readers looking for an edition more faithful to the original, should check out the recent facsimile printed by Calla Editions.
Here the reader will encounter faithful, albeit rather stiff and old-fashioned, translations of The Snow Queen (in all seven parts!), The Emperor's New Clothes, The Wind's Tale About Waldemar Daa and His Daughters (the first time I have seen this anthologized!), The Nightingale, and The Little Mermaid. No information as to translator is given, nor can I discover any online, which is rather frustrating.
Still, I imagine that most readers' primary interest in this volume will be the Dulac paintings, which are beautiful, despite the poor reproductions. The cover shows Gerda and the reindeer kissing, an image that attentive readers will recognize from The Annotated Hans Christian Andersen (upper right-hand corner). I think my favorites, of the illustrations, were this one (of Gerda and the reindeer), the one of Waldemar Daa's youngest daughter, Anna Dorothea, gathering herbs, and the depiction of the Snow Queen hovering above the city. That said, I'm not sure I'd recommend this title, either to Andersen or Dulac fans, as the complete edition is available from Calla. Still, those who stumble across it will undoubtedly find much that appeals to them, in its pages.
Here the reader will encounter faithful, albeit rather stiff and old-fashioned, translations of The Snow Queen (in all seven parts!), The Emperor's New Clothes, The Wind's Tale About Waldemar Daa and His Daughters (the first time I have seen this anthologized!), The Nightingale, and The Little Mermaid. No information as to translator is given, nor can I discover any online, which is rather frustrating.
Still, I imagine that most readers' primary interest in this volume will be the Dulac paintings, which are beautiful, despite the poor reproductions. The cover shows Gerda and the reindeer kissing, an image that attentive readers will recognize from The Annotated Hans Christian Andersen (upper right-hand corner). I think my favorites, of the illustrations, were this one (of Gerda and the reindeer), the one of Waldemar Daa's youngest daughter, Anna Dorothea, gathering herbs, and the depiction of the Snow Queen hovering above the city. That said, I'm not sure I'd recommend this title, either to Andersen or Dulac fans, as the complete edition is available from Calla. Still, those who stumble across it will undoubtedly find much that appeals to them, in its pages.
September 11, 2019
Picked this up at an antiquarian book fair. Edmund Dulac’s (1805-1875) illustrations are gorgeous, and reproduced well in this volume. His style reminds a little of Arthur Rakham, though not as grotesque. The book contains five tales selected from a 1911 collection of Hans Christian Andersen tales. Of course, the main reason to read this edition is the illustrations, which are rich and detailed, I'll include a favorite illustration from each tale below.
“The Snow Queen” was long, making up almost half the book, and is rather tedious, the plot seeming to meander. It feels more like a novella than a fairy tale. But it was interesting to read.
“The Wind’s Tale” was also rather dull.
The Emperor’s New Clothes was ok. I knew this tale well, and it's relatively short with just one illustration.
I enjoyed “The Nightingale” which is a tale I wasn’t familiar with. It's set in China, and the part about a mechanical bird reminded me of 19th century mechanical birds I saw at the Musical Wonder House, a museum in Wiscassett, Maine. The birds had tiny bellows inside and really sounded like real birds, though not nearly as elaborate as what is described in the tale.
My favorite was “The Little Mermaid” which has such vivid descriptions. This is the original version which ends tragically, and which has a Christian theme about souls running through it.
Overall, based on my level of enjoyment, I'd give the tales a 3 and the illustrations a 5, so will average my rating at 4.
“The Snow Queen” was long, making up almost half the book, and is rather tedious, the plot seeming to meander. It feels more like a novella than a fairy tale. But it was interesting to read.
“The Wind’s Tale” was also rather dull.
The Emperor’s New Clothes was ok. I knew this tale well, and it's relatively short with just one illustration.
I enjoyed “The Nightingale” which is a tale I wasn’t familiar with. It's set in China, and the part about a mechanical bird reminded me of 19th century mechanical birds I saw at the Musical Wonder House, a museum in Wiscassett, Maine. The birds had tiny bellows inside and really sounded like real birds, though not nearly as elaborate as what is described in the tale.
My favorite was “The Little Mermaid” which has such vivid descriptions. This is the original version which ends tragically, and which has a Christian theme about souls running through it.
Overall, based on my level of enjoyment, I'd give the tales a 3 and the illustrations a 5, so will average my rating at 4.
July 31, 2014
These stories were not what I anticipated. The Snow Queen was charming in some ways, perhaps because love triumphs over lies and evil. The translation doesn't make you feel as if you really are in the story, but as though you're hearing a distant, simplified version (being unable to read the original, I couldn't compare.) The creativity reminds me of some of my favorite George MacDonald stories, but the story is so much shorter that you don't get to know the characters or enter into vividly described scenes. I found The Wind's Tale depressing, The Nightingale easily anticipated, The Emperor's New Clothes familiar (doesn't everyone know that one?) and The Little Mermaid is grotesque and horrific in some parts. The stories are undeniably creative, but enjoyable only if you like weird stories, and I am usually quite fond of fantasy. I would be too much like the court officials in "The Emperor's New Clothes" if I said not what I think.
March 10, 2010
I gave this book 1 star because it's a folklore story and I'm not a big fan of folklore. It wasn't really exciting and it didn't capture my attention. It's a children's book so it was an easy read but I needed to read a folklore book. I only read the Snow Queen story of this book. There are more stories, I just didn't read them. It was kind of inspiring that the girl kept looking for her friend. She never gave up looking for him.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 14, 2013
The Snow Queen and Little Mermaid in its original form are some of my favorite fairytales. The Emperor's Clothes and the Nightingale were good. But I didn't much care for The Wind's Tale. I never seemed to get into it.
April 8, 2015
One of several translations of this masterpeice I like--and definitely with my favorite illustrations by the great Edward Dulac.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews