Reviews

The Complete Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen

ine_c's review against another edition

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slow-paced

1.0

aquila_raven's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny lighthearted mysterious relaxing sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

lamusadelils's review against another edition

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5.0

Aunque soy muy fan de los cuentos de hadas creo que nunca había leído todos los de Andersen, a lo mucho unos 15 o 20. Son simples pero con pequeños detalles que convierten historias obvias en cosas ligeramente más retorcidas. Si bien muchos de los elementos parecen mucho más oscuros en las historias de los hermanos Grimm, creo que la retribución personal que obtienen los personajes está mucho más aterrizada y no solo dejada al azar.

Cómo todo cuento, estas historias son más caóticas a lo que está uno acostumbrado al solo conocer una o dos versiones populares.

La edición es físicamente hermosa y un magnífico complemento a la que ya tengo de los hermanos Grimm.

blueyorkie's review against another edition

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5.0

Andersen's Tales are not tales. The proof is that sometimes it ends badly. Those who know the Walt Disney version, a cartoon for popcorn eaters, have not had access to the universe of this Danish storyteller who flirts with the unconscious of his readers by dragging them into his dreams and nightmares.
Populated by street children, fabulous animals, and hideous or evil creatures, his tales are closer to Edgar Poe than to the world of Care Bears.
Andersen talks about our anxieties, desires, and difficult path to beauty and truth, pure souls who struggle against discouragement, fear, darkness, stupidity and contempt.
He does it as a poet, not as a moralist or a philosopher; he does it with humour, irony, tenderness or melancholy. He speaks to the hearts and the imagination with shepherdesses, tin soldiers, nightingales, and swallows.
Eye Ole Farm Week or Little Ida's Flowers are my favourites.
They open the door to the imagination for those who want to make themselves small enough and enter it.

goldsundrops's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

kellyxmen's review against another edition

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5.0

Would be 5-stars even for the Little Mermaid alone

tyrariley's review against another edition

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4.0

3.75 ✨

While some of these stories were exactly how I expected them to be, others were totally not at all (Big Claus and Little Claus, for example.) I had expected them to be dark, but not nearly as nonchalantly dark as they actually were. But I also did really have fun reading these tales, despite how long it took me.

magnetgrrl's review against another edition

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5.0

What's not to like about Anderson's Fairy Tales? All your favorite Disney movies are based on them. I suggest finding a good illustrated edition. The edition I have is okay... but I think there are probably better ones out there - both for content (original versions of stories, more stories, et cetera) and for the quality of the illustrations. I think there's a D'Aulier or whatever the name is edition out there. I would love to get that.

justahussyfromakron's review against another edition

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3.0

for every good hans christian andersen story, there's an equally horrible over sentimental piece of crap. here, you get it all! the good stuff and the crap!

thank god romanticism didn't stay in fashion.

on the plus side, there are some great lesser known works and even the well known ones (the little mermaid) are probably much different than the version you were told. i highly recommend the red shoes. it's twisted...messed up...and just kind of awesome.

becca_osborn's review against another edition

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4.0

Though many of his longer fairy tales are fabulous, I think I prefer the Grimm Brothers as a whole. However, Andersen's collection holds many of my longtime favorites -The Little Mermaid, The Ugly Duckling, The Brave Tin Soldier, The Little Match girl, Thumbelina, The Goloshes of Fortune, The Story of the Wind, The Garden of Paradise, etc! I like the (Germanic?) adaptations by the Grimm brothers better, though I suspect Andersen may have stayed more true to the story origins - or at least had a slightly more positive outlook. ;) I'm not sure who began collecting first - I need to research this more.

Aside: I have been looking for these Wind stories since I was in single digits, and it makes my heart so happy to find them again!! I had read them a few times as a child LOVED them and am so glad that I've found them. I hope to get a complete copy someday so I can read them over and over. <3