Hans Christian Andersen: The Life of a Storyteller

by Jackie Wullschlager

Others before him collected and retold folk stories and fairy tales, but Hans Christian Andersen was the first to create them himself. The universal familiarity of such stories as “The Ugly Duckling,” “The Little Mermaid” and “The Emperor’s New Clothes” shows how successful he was. By the time he reached middle age in the 1840s, in fact, he was probably the most famous writer in Europe, on familiar terms with kings and princes and eagerly read by a huge audience.
Yet the image of Andersen that has come down to us—that of the amiable, childlike storyteller—is bitterly at odds with the reality. In this groundbreaking biography, the first serious and comprehensive study of Andersen and his work to be undertaken in English, Jackie Wullschlager brings out the true nature of his life. Born the son of a dirt-poor cobbler and an illiterate washerwoman in a provincial Danish city, he indeed fought his way to fame in spite of his circumstances. But if his rise was astonishing, it was rarely happy. Lonely, sexually confused, vain, anxious and hypochondriacal, Andersen was driven by ambitions that, despite the power and brilliance of his work, prevented his ever being satisfied. A signal achievement of Wullschlager’s account is to show with great clarity how Andersen’s art—darker and more diverse than previously recognized—emerged directly from the complexities of his life.
Jackie Wullschlager has returned to all the original sources in Danish and German, and has followed Andersen’s footsteps across Europe. Her evocation of his world—Golden Age Copenhagen, the princely courts of Germany and the country villas of the Danish aristocracy, the languid warmth of southern Italy, which released his creativity—is unforgettable. She has recovered censored passages from his letters and journals that make plain how his deepest personal relationships, though often frustrated, were with other men. In her words, Andersen emerges in all his fascinating, cross-grained charm and gawkishness, his desperation and his occasional joy, as a writer—and a man—quite unlike any other.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, History, Biography Memoir, LGBT, Fairy Tales

512 pages, Hardcover

First published April 24, 2001

Reviews

[Boze Herrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Last summer I read a book about famous writers in history who were likely autistic—among them Emily Dickinson, Hans Christian Andersen and Lewis Carroll, for whom I have an intense affinity. (The Alice books were my favorite books growing up). The author wrote a brief sketch of Andersen’s life and personality which suggested that we were kindred souls separated by time, and Jackie Wullschlager’s biography, The Life of a Storyteller, cements this conviction. There’s joy in discovering someone else who gets you, a literary icon who harbored the same aspirations and attained success in his craft despite being dreamy, eccentric and socially awkward. Growing up I wanted to be Charles Dickens, and I suspect that Andersen did, as well—he wrote Dickens passionate letters to which Dickens eventually stopped responding and famously stayed at his house for five weeks, weeping on the front lawn because he was so overcome with emotion. These days I realize that my personality is much closer to that of Carroll or Andersen—both of them writers of fairy-tales, both foppish and effeminate, both more at ease around women than men, both sexually timid bachelors who never dated and died virgins. Andersen was convinced from a young age that he had a God-given vocation to write fantasy stories. He had an intense sympathy for the Jewish people, who were still being persecuted in early nineteenth-century Denmark. He flirted with girls by telling them he was a faerie changeling who would one day own a castle. (If he were on twitter, people would accuse us of stealing each other’s tweets). He memorized whole scenes from Shakespeare and recited them to himself as he walked the snowy streets of his hometown. He held that imagination was more important than formal education, could be very aggressive in defense of imaginative literature and would burst into tears at the slightest criticism. He developed intense crushes that were never returned with the same intensity, often liked two people at the same time, yearned for companionship over sex, loved to stoke speculation about his infatuations while also denying that he liked anyone, relished the posture of the hopeless lover and was inevitably crushed when the objects of his affection chose to marry respectable middle-class men instead of quirky writers. Very rude of him to be dead because I suspect we would have a lot to chat about and, unlike Dickens, I would always write back.

[Kyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is perhaps the best and only authoritative biography of Hans Christian Andersen available today, and the only one that sheds any light on his bisexuality. A must-read for those interested in this master storyteller.

[Elfik · Rating 5 out of 5]

andersen umarl ☹️☹️☹️☹️☹️
bardzo ciekawa, obszerna biografia, napisana w bardzo przejrzystym i codziennym stylu, wiec czyta sie przyjemnie, mysle ze moge teraz przeczytac basnie z pelniejszym zrozumieniem psychiki autora

[Rachel McMillan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it

[Abram Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful read about a great writer of tales that both children and adults can enjoy. No other biography will come close to this one in telling the story of this man's eccentric and interesting life. He was unmarried his whole life, traveled extensively, and came from very poor beginnings. He was passionate, emotional, and moody. Unlike some other authors of his era, he lived long enough to bask in his international fame.

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Weird fact: Andersen had a weird phobia about being buried alive, so when he was sleeping, he would leave a note by his bed that said "I only appear to be dead," in case someone mistakenly tried to bury him! I texted this fact to a friend, and she wrote back: "But was that the weirdest thing about him?" No, it definitely wasn't!

This was a thorough and insightful biography. The author brings Andersen alive with an unflinching eye yet also plenty of tenderness. Would definitely recommend if you're interested in fairy tales, literature, class mobility, or the story of a quirky queer storyteller with an outsize personality who never felt he found a place to fit in.

[Giddy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is over all excellent. Wullschlager writes with great sensitivity of his passions, creativity and foibles. However, and to many this may seem a quible, she is curiously insensitive to his physical ailments. There's evidence of Marfan syndrome as well as OCD. All of his teeth had been pulled by the time he died and he seems to have complained of incessant toothaches. At one point the author says of his toothaches they were "comic" (perhaps she meant that he used it comically.) Instead to me, it read as if he was in near constant pain, if only from his teeth, and fears. (For example, he wouldn't travel on a ship or boat unless he had a rope with him so he could escape a burning ship.) In dealing with his death from liver cancer, she seems to not understand that the physical symptoms can present themselves long before an actual diagnosis would have been made. (Especially in the 1870s!)
Overall however the portrait presented is very rare and memorable. One finds oneself having great sympathy for him (and for some of his friends too, for putting up with him.) He definitely felt great love and friendship which was largerly returned, another aspect of his genius.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good biography of the author, even for those not well versed in his writings. Author does an excellent time telling the story of his early life, his desperate attempts to achieve fame, and his eventual time as an established author with worldwide fame.

[Valerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating.

[kikbim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Comprehensive, exhaustive biography of Hans Christian Andersen told in an engaging style.

[hihihoho · Rating 5 out of 5]

The perfect H.C. Andersen biography. Loved it

[Jon B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great. This is a long, sad, detailed, and meticulously well-researched look at one of the premier writers of the 19th century. I wanted to read a biography of HC Andersen ever since listening to a great podcast that speculated on the possibility that he was autistic (a LOT of his stories have very obvious autistic themes/characters) and his history certainly seemed to point in the direction that he very well may have been autistic. Anyway, very thorough and well-written book. Thank you.

[Richard Thomas Carey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book, to begin with, finding out things that I never knew, but I did find it to be rather long as it was becoming a bit samey at times

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful biography. I didn't expect this.

Andersen was born in 1805 and died in 1875. This was the generation of Dickens and that was a surprise for me. I thought he was one or two generations later. He was a strange, tragic misfit but his talents became recognised and his oddnesses allowed. It could have so easily gone another way. Totally alone and only really a child he arrived in Copenhagen and made his way and a sort of living by knocking on front doors and performing a frantic tap dance when the door was open. Sometimes people let him in or gave him food. He managed to survive but it was perilous. His strange stories took a long time to register. They were derivative and Hans Christian's mark on them relies on his own retelling and the language he uses. I was persuaded that most translations are badly done and I am not going to be able to read them in the original.

He gained sponsors but he was such a demanding and difficult person that they could only stay the distance by keeping him at arms' length. And his need for friendship and love was constantly being met with rejection. I felt angry with those who took him in and helped him but refused the friendship he craved so much but I could see how his needs would suffocate anyone who let him get close.

His sexuality was uncertain and unresolved. Had he been able to express it freely it would surely have been same sex but he had passions with people with both sexes and true closeness was always denied to him.

I feel grateful to his time and place that such an unusual person was able to survive and thrive and become loved (at a distance). How would such a person survive today?

I still find his stories too sad to enjoy. But towards Hans the person I feel the strongest warmth. A lovely man, interesting and vulnerable and too gentle for the world.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hans Christian Anderson was so depressed, it's hard to get through the book. Although very well written, Anderson's constant need for encouragement and fame is annoying, to say the least. He dined with Kings but could never get over his lifelong need to be coddled every moment of the day. The author is terrific, and I would read anything she writes.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely well written. Paints Andersen in a completely different light and gives his tale a much better context than just poor translations of "children's stories". Very depressed and attention needly, overly self-congratulatory but still a remarkable artist who lived as one of his own tragic heroes during an inspiring era of Danish history.

[Fawn]

such a melancholy life! I can't find on here the edition of his fairy tales that I used to have, but obviously I loved those too.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good biography of Andersen and contains several good critical comments on his fairy tales. Wullschlager writes in a veru engaging way and the book never bores.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating.

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ponderous telling of the life of Hans Christian Anderson, the Danish fairy tale writer.

[Tanis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good bio. Such a shame he was a bit of a twat but then who would come across well in a biography? Makes me glad to live in a time when you don't have to be scared to admit your sexuality.

[Jonathan Barker · Rating 2 out of 5]

I struggled to keep interested in him.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very in-depth biography of the life of Hans Christian Andersen.
It’s not a fast rapid read so I read it slowly.
I learned so much about this very interesting poet, author and story teller.