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Reading Notes : Hans Christian Andersen, Part B

ANOTHER FAVORITE. The Little Mermaid is such a classic, and the original slaps. I guess I am old and beaten down now, but this version is my new favorite. The Disney version will always have a special place in my heart and be a part of my childhood, but his original version is so poetic. It is definitely more my style; it leaves an impression when the heroine doesn't get to live happily ever after, which is okay too! The world Hans Christian Andersen weaves is glorious. I could feel the mermaid's pain, urgency, and suffocating need to love and be loved. This is a story that will never get old, part of it due to how beautifully it is written.

One of my favorite parts is when he describes the five older sisters and the things they experienced going to the surface for the first time. The scenes he paints makes me feel like I am experiencing those beautiful landscapes for the first time, too. Often time mermaids are fantasized, and it was interesting seeing it from the other perspective. Mermaids may have long lives, but they disappear to nothing. Whereas humans have short lives on the earth, but have immortal souls that exist in the universe after they die. What a beautiful thought. This whole thing was written so poetically and the themes woven in are very raw and beautiful. Reading this again, the evil witch did not seem that evil. Rather, she seemed like a catalyst for what the little mermaid wanted. Everything she did seemed like fair trade, and the little mermaid was willing to endure it all because she believed the gift of love would outweight all the suffering. Sadly, like most realistic love stories, this ended up not being the case. But her courage and dedication is heartwarming and truly a joy to read about.

The Little Mermaid


Hans Christian Andersen, Fairy Tales and Stories. Translated by H. P. Paull (1872). Web Source.
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  1. Rose BlushApril 29, 2019 at 2:31 AM

    Hi Moriah,
    I also did my reading notes on the Little Mermaid. As you said it is a classic we all know, but the original story is so much gorier. It is still beautiful, in a way only Hans Christian Anderson can truly pull off. I am glad you got to reread this story.
    Good luck with finals!
    Best,
    Ann

    ReplyDelete
  2. BradyJusticeMay 2, 2019 at 11:11 PM

    Hey Moriah,

    I also read the Little Mermaid, so I was curious to see what someone else thought about it. Like you, I enjoyed how Hans told the stories about the sisters' impressions of the world above. I can totally envision the youngest mermaid being jealous of her older sisters and their experiences above the water. I think my favorite part of the story was the sisters being willing to lose their hair to save the sister.

    Brady

    ReplyDelete

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