Hans Christian Andersen
European Witness
Published on 30. April 2014
Book
Hardback
496 pages
978-0-300-16923-2 (ISBN)
Description
A new account of the brilliant and prolific Danish writer whose works captivated readers across Europe
Rarely does an American or European child grow up without an introduction to Hans Christian Andersen's "The Ugly Duckling," "The Princess and the Pea," or "Thumbelina." Andersen began publishing his fairy tales in 1835, and they brought him almost immediate acclaim among Danish and German readers, followed quickly by the French, Swedes, Swiss, Norwegians, British, and Americans. Ultimately he wrote more than 150 tales. And yet, Paul Binding contends in this incisive book, Andersen cannot be confined to the category of writings for children. His work stands at the very heart of mainstream European literature.
The author considers the entire scope of Andersen's prose, from his juvenilia to his very last story. He shows that Andersen's numerous novels, travelogues, autobiographies, and even his fairy tales (notably addressed not to children but to adults) earned a vast audience because they distilled the satisfactions, tensions, hopes, and fears of Europeans as their continent emerged from the Napoleonic Wars. The book sheds new light on Andersen as an intellectual, his rise to international stardom, and his connections with other eminent European writers. It also pays tribute to Andersen's enlightened values-values that ensure the continuing appeal of his works.
Rarely does an American or European child grow up without an introduction to Hans Christian Andersen's "The Ugly Duckling," "The Princess and the Pea," or "Thumbelina." Andersen began publishing his fairy tales in 1835, and they brought him almost immediate acclaim among Danish and German readers, followed quickly by the French, Swedes, Swiss, Norwegians, British, and Americans. Ultimately he wrote more than 150 tales. And yet, Paul Binding contends in this incisive book, Andersen cannot be confined to the category of writings for children. His work stands at the very heart of mainstream European literature.
The author considers the entire scope of Andersen's prose, from his juvenilia to his very last story. He shows that Andersen's numerous novels, travelogues, autobiographies, and even his fairy tales (notably addressed not to children but to adults) earned a vast audience because they distilled the satisfactions, tensions, hopes, and fears of Europeans as their continent emerged from the Napoleonic Wars. The book sheds new light on Andersen as an intellectual, his rise to international stardom, and his connections with other eminent European writers. It also pays tribute to Andersen's enlightened values-values that ensure the continuing appeal of his works.
Reviews / Votes
`Both a novelist and probably our most distinguished writer on Scandinavian literature and culture, Binding has produced his best work to date in this study, and I recommend it to all who are interested in the creative process, the Nordic imagination and Anderson himself.'-Amanda Craig, Literary Review -- Amanda Craig * Literary Review * `Binding, as a scholar of English and Scandinavian literature, is uniquely placed to set Anderson's work in its wider context.'-Juliet Townsend, The Spectator -- Juliet Townsend * The Spectator * 'Binding has a deep insight'-Suzi Feay, The Guardian -- Suzi Feay * The Guardian * "A satisfyingly interior portrait [built] around close readings of Andersen's immense body of work."-New Yorker * New Yorker * `His study offers detailed commentaries on his subject's novels, travel writings and autobiographies alongside the more familiar stories, in a sustained attempt to reclaim Anderson's work for grown-ups.'-Dinah Birch, TLS -- Dinah Birch * TLS *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Product notice
Cloth over boards
Dimensions
Height: 235 mm
Width: 156 mm
Weight
957 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-300-16923-2 (9780300169232)
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Schweitzer Classification
Person
Paul Binding is a leading British literary critic and novelist and a renowned expert in Scandinavian literature. Among his books are studies of Ibsen, Lorca, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Eudora Welty. He lives in Shropshire, UK.