ANDERSEN, That's Me!

[filkertom]

Today is the birthday of one of the great masters of horror: Hans Christian Andersen. I mean, jeez, what that guy did to mermaids, matchgirls, and steadfast tin soldiers. I think Denmark became open-minded and progressive in therapeutic response to this guy.

So, what's your favorite Andersen story, and why? I've got a partiality to The Snow Queen.

Comments

[brithistorian.livejournal.com]

I've always been rather partial to The Emperor's New Clothes.

[brithistorian.livejournal.com]

Oops - accidentally posted before I could finish that comment.

I like The Emperor's New Clothes for two reasons, only one of which actually has anything to do with the story:
1. I like it's message about speaking truth to power.
2. It was one of the books that my grandmother kept at her house for me to read, and consequently always brings back memories of being there. (I'm fond of Huckleberry Finn for the same reason.)

[mamadeb.livejournal.com]

I like The Tinderbox, because, among other things, it's great fun to tell.

[catalana.livejournal.com]

That's my favorite one as well! My mother used to read it to me all the time when I was young.

[roina-arwen.livejournal.com]

It's a toss-up between the Little Mermaid and the Steadfast Tim Soldier. I used to have a pop-up book of The Steadfast Tim Soldier when I was growing up, but later on I definitely preferred The Little Mermaid. :)

[cadhla.livejournal.com]

...I will actually love you forever just for calling Anderson one of the great masters of horror. Not that I didn't love you already? But now, forever.

And I'm very partial to The Little Mermaid, for the inevitable hopelessness of the original. The sea witch wasn't bad, the prince wasn't evil; what happened just...happened.

[annearchy.livejournal.com]

Mine is probably THE UGLY DUCKLING, simply because I remember Danny Kaye singing that song long, long ago.

[catmcroy.livejournal.com]

The one about the princess who turns into a black swan and flies to visit a demon every night in the mountain.

It was my favourite when I was a kid :)

[beldar.livejournal.com]

"Steadfast Tin Soldier." I'm still furious about what Disney did to it in Fantasia 2000. Yeah, it's what Disney does, but aren't fantasia's supposed to do things differently than you normally do them? Besides, the HCA ending of STS was already happy (for an Andersen tale), the soldier and the ballerina end up together for eternity.

[venusinblue.livejournal.com]

The Marsh King's Daughter.

Anderson fairy tale that haunts my nightmares

[russj.livejournal.com]

For me it must be "The Red Shoes" (http://hca.gilead.org.il/red_shoe.html)
Don't let the Disney version fool you--I can never forget the part that goes:
"She danced, and was obliged to go on dancing through the dark night. The shoes bore her away over thorns and stumps till she was all torn and bleeding ..."