قصة الكتاب :
Hans Christian Andersen was a Danish poet and author best known for his fairy tales. Although these stories made him hugely popular among children, his popularity was not limited to children. His stories called “eventyrs” or “fantastic tales” embody themes that transcend boundaries, which made them popular among a wide audience that comprised of both ordinary folk and royalty. Andersen’s Fairy Tales comprise more than 156 stories across 9 volumes and have been translated into more than 125 languages. The hugely popular tales have become culturally embedded in the West’s collective consciousness and present themes of morality and resilience that resonate even with a mature audience. The stories have, across the ages, inspired motion pictures, plays, ballads and animated films.\r\n
\r\nAndersen’s stories were published in America much before they were in his native place, Denmark. He was born into poverty and spent a lot of his younger days listening to old women spin their yarn and trade stories with each other at the asylum. This culture of peasant storytelling became his laboratory of listening and imagination, both of which would come into play later as he created his own tales. He is regarded as the patron saint of the fairy tale genre. Some of the Andersen’s most beloved fairy tales include The Emperor’s New Clothes, The Ugly Duckling, The Little Mermaid, The Snow Queen and The Princess and the Pea among others. Andersen was quite exceptional among his peers when it came to the art of story-telling. What made him special was the fact that his stories were authentic and his own. He came of age as a mere peasant whose ingenuity combined with his craft helped him climb the ranks and make his mark in the European culture hub, where stories were used as entertainment as well as moral education.\r\n
\r\nAndersen’s stories understandably occupy a huge place in Danish culture. However, the Danish poet is equally popular in New York, where a 10-foot tall bronze statue of him stands a little away from Central Park’s Conservatory Lake. It was erected on his 150th birthday to commemorate his life and work, especially his hugely popular work – The Ugly Duckling. When he wrote in that particular tale that “being born in the duck yard does not matter, if only you are hatched from a swan’s egg”, he was making an indirect reference to his own life. It was this ability to listen completely and to remain in touch with his undying child-like openness to experience the world that made him able to create his magnificent tales. Andersen’s Fairy Tales are a masterpiece of visual craftsmanship and will remain a timeless treasure of storytelling. \r\n