Skip to main content

Reading Notes : Hans Christian Andersen, Part A

I was able to revisit some of my favorite stories from my childhood with this reading. The work of Hans Christian Andersen is so iconic and touching even now. It is really different reading these stories as an adult than as a child; what I took literally before is now so symbolic. I hadn't read the story of the little tin soldier in so long, and with it came a flood of memories.

One thing I really love about his writings is how visual they are. For kids, it helps immerse them in the world he is trying to make and really experience the story with the character. For adults, there is something kind of sad and wistful about it. His creativity brings the situations to life in a very enjoyable way. One way he does this is through the flow of the story; it read extremely well and is easy to follow. The narrative is super smooth and beautiful to read, which is a big plus. There is nothing 'hard' or difficult to read about it, and it isn't tedious or repetitive either. Every sentence is new and fresh, while blending seamlessly into the rest of the story.

Hans Christian Andersen is unapologetically creative and isn't afraid to make the impossible possible through his writing. Somehow, I felt his sincerity and on some level feel like I can understand his mindset when he was writing these. I really like The Little Match-Seller. It is supposed to be sad, but somehow he writes it in a way that it is so joyful and almost like a celebration as well. A release from suffering to a better place. The situation is sad but the end result it joyful. A true master at storytelling.



Hans Christian Andersen, Fairy Tales and Stories. Translated by H. P. Paull (1872). Web Source.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Week 13 Story : An Ode to Hating Love Stories

Once upon a time, in an unknown location at a vague period in time, there was a grand dance. This dance was like formal on steriods, and all the young ladies and gentlemen came to attend. They were eager to see who fate might put in their paths for the night. One young lady, forced to go against her will by her friends, decided that while she must go, no one was dictating how. Alexa was one of the fairest maidens in all the land, and her friends often made this home-body attend social event for the men she attracted. Alexa hated the male gaze, the wandering male hands, the smug entitleness that all men seemed to have. She tried her best to avoid their attention, and yet for some reason, all men seem to have an internal program that makes them think that pretty women who say no are just trying to play hard to get. Alexa would not be a victim of their harrassment this time. Rather than a fancy gown and jewelry, she donned a handsome suit, stuffed her long tresses into a short wig...

Week 10 Story : Moon Chasing Sun

A long time ago, in a village by a great river, there lived a family of twelve brothers and one beautiful sister. There was also a young boy who was good friends with these siblings. Now this was a time when the earth was still waking up and the stars were just beginning to bleed into the sky. Between the twelve brothers, there was a master in nearly every skill needed by the villagers. Some were phenomenal hunters who often went to the mountains to hunt deer. Some were skilled craftsmen who made houses and canoes. Some were blacksmiths, others were scientists and mathematicians. But the boy was very lazy. While the brothers worked, he often hung around their house with the sister. She was very hard working, just like her brothers. She spent her days gathering berries and preparing the meat her brothers would bring back. Before, the boy was quite frail and nothing but bones, but thanks to the sister's kindness, he got rounder and rounder. He filled himself on the dishes of ber...

Week 3 Story : Pyramus and Thisbe

Pyramus and Thisbe were youths born of the same prestige. Each grew lovelier by the day, each was brilliant in both character and appearance, each was highly sought after by the young men and women of the town. In their mind and in their hearts, they knew they existence was made for one another. And yet their parents would not recognize the fire burning between them, which only made it burn more brightly. In secret, their love grew stronger, one would think this union was created by Aphrodite herself. Their days were filled with longing for the whispers and glances they might steal. Quite quickly, however, these moments could no longer satiate their emotions. In a hurried exchange, the two lovers agreed to meet beneath the tallest mulberry tree before departing to a northern city together. Thisbe, gripped by the courage that only love can inspire, slipped out of her house for the final time, whispering a goodbye to her parents. Veiled, she sat beneath the tree waiting for ...