Hans Christian Andersen

Hans Christian Andersen

Hans Christian Andersen has written at least 241 books. Their most popular book is Hans Andersen's Fairy Tales: A Selection with 185 saves with an average rating of 4.18⭐.

Author Bio

Hans Christian Andersen was born in Odense, Denmark, to a father who claimed to be related to nobility. After school, he worked as a weaver's apprentice and as a tailor's assistant. At 14, he moved to Copenhagen to be an actor, and was accepted into the Royal Danish Theatre. His career ended when his voice changed, and he decided to become a writer. He published his first story, The Ghost at Palnatoke's Grave, in 1822. An acquaintance paid all expenses to send him to grammar school in Slagelse. He also attended school at Elsinore until 1827. He later admitted that his school years were the darkest and bitterest of his life.

After school, Andersen resumed writing. In 1829, he started to see his first successes, publishing a short story, "A Journey on Foot from Holmen's Canal to the East Point of Amager", and a collection of poems. In 1833 he received a traveling grant from the King and set out to travel through Europe. He published his first novel, The Improvisatore, in 1835. He also published the first set of Fairy Tales, following up with more stories in 1836 and 1837. Although they were not initially successful, they have become his best-known works. He wrote a well-received poem, Jeg er en Skandinav, which celebrated Scandinavism, in 1839.

In 1857, following a visit to Charles Dickens in England, Andersen met Danish actor Lauritz Eckardt and Danish ballet dancer Harald Scharff in Paris. In 1860, he met them again in Bavaria, and the three of them spent a week in Munich together. Anderson fell in love with Scharff, and started corresponding with him when Scharff and Eckardt left Munich. They were united when Andersen returned to Copenhagen in 1862. Their affair lasted for over a year before it was ended by Scharff, and Andersen did not have another serious relationship.

In 1872, Andersen was injured in a fall, and he died of his injuries in 1875.

Hans Andersen's Fairy Tales: A Selection

Hans Andersen's Fairy Tales: A Selection
ByHans Christian Andersen,L.W. Kingsland(Translator)

19 • 185 Readers • 388 pages 4.2

The Snow Queen

The Snow Queen
ByHans Christian Andersen

1844 • 57 Readers • 1h 14m 3.2

The Little Match Girl

The Little Match Girl
ByHans Christian Andersen

1845 • 44 Readers • 32 pages 4.2

Ugly Duckling

Ugly Duckling
ByHans Christian Andersen

1843 • 37 Readers • 38 pages 3.6

Lille havfrue

Lille havfrue
ByHans Christian Andersen

35 Readers 3.8

The Little Mermaid

The Little Mermaid
ByHans Christian Andersen

26 Readers 4

The Emperor's New Clothes

The Emperor's New Clothes
ByHans Christian Andersen

1837 • 25 Readers • 36 pages 3.6

The Steadfast Tin Soldier

The Steadfast Tin Soldier
ByHans Christian Andersen

16 Readers 3.4

Thumbelina

Thumbelina
ByHans Christian Andersen

1835 • 13 Readers • 40 pages 3.7

The Princess and the Pea

The Princess and the Pea
ByJanet Stevens,Hans Christian Andersen

1835 • 12 Readers • 32 pages 3.9

Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen

1995 • 11 Readers • 244 pages 3.6

The Little Mermaid and Other Fairy Tales

1837 • 11 Readers • 240 pages 4

Spells of Enchantment

Spells of Enchantment
ByJohann Wolfgang von Goethe,E.T.A. Hoffmann,+26 more

1991 • 9 Readers • 848 pages 3.5

Hans Christian Andersen's Fairy Tales

Hans Christian Andersen's Fairy Tales
ByHans Christian Andersen

1812 • 8 Readers • 512 pages 3.5

Fantastic Tales: Visionary and Everyday

Fantastic Tales: Visionary and Everyday
ByItalo Calvino(Editor, Introduction),Jan Potocki(Contributor)

1983 • 7 Readers • 608 pages

The Little Mermaid and Other Tales

The Little Mermaid and Other Tales
ByHans Christian Andersen,Robert Nisbet Bain(Translator)

1837 • 7 Readers • 384 pages 4

The Snow Queen and Other Winter Tales

The Snow Queen and Other Winter Tales
ByHans Christian Andersen,Jacob Grimm,+6 more

1911 • 7 Readers • 724 pages 4

The Annotated Classic Fairy Tales

The Annotated Classic Fairy Tales
ByAlexander Afanasev,Hans Christian Andersen,+7 more

2002 • 7 Readers • 445 pages 4

Dulac's The Snow Queen, and Other Stories from Hans Christian Andersen

1911 • 6 Readers • 143 pages 4.7

The Fir Tree

The Fir Tree
ByHans Christian Andersen,Henry William Dulcken(Translator)

1844 • 6 Readers • 36 pages 3.8

Cover 1

Andersen's Fairy Tales
ByHans Christian Andersen,Edward Verrall Lucas(Translator),+1 more

1835 • 5 Readers • 343 pages 3.8

Classic Fairy Tales

Classic Fairy Tales
ByHans Christian Andersen

1835 • 5 Readers • 697 pages 4.7

The Little Mermaid and Other Fairy Tales

1998 • 5 Readers • 139 pages 3

Cover 3

The Complete Harvard Classics Collection
ByJoseph Addison,Aeschylus,+139 more

1722 • 5 Readers

Contos de Fadas

Contos de Fadas
ByCharles Perrault,Maria Luiza X. de A. Borges(Translator),+8 more

1697 • 5 Readers • 452 pages

Cover 2

The Wild Swans
ByHans Christian Andersen

1838 • 5 Readers • 48 pages 4

The Annotated Hans Christian Andersen

The Annotated Hans Christian Andersen
ByHans Christian Andersen,Julie K. Allen(Translator)

2007 • 4 Readers • 449 pages

The Complete Hans Christian Andersen Fairy Tales

1850 • 4 Readers • 820 pages 3.5

The Little Match Girl

The Little Match Girl
ByHans Christian Andersen

1845 • 4 Readers • 32 pages 3.5

The Tinderbox

The Tinderbox
ByHans Christian Andersen,Tiina Nunnally(Translator)

1835 • 4 Readers • 55 pages 4

The Complete Fairy Tales and Stories

The Complete Fairy Tales and Stories
ByHans Christian Andersen,Erik Christian Haugaard,+1 more

1850 • 4 Readers 4

The princess and the pea

The princess and the pea
ByHans Christian Andersen,Eve Tharlet

1835 • 3 Readers • 25 pages 3.7

Hans Christian Andersen's Complete Fairy Tales

Hans Christian Andersen's Complete Fairy Tales
ByHans Christian Andersen,Jean Pierre Hersholt(Translator)

1872 • 3 Readers 3

Cover 7

Peter Schlemihls wundersame Geschichte
ByAdelbert von Chamisso,Nikolai Gogol,+5 more

1813 • 3 Readers 2

Pulgarcita

Pulgarcita
ByHans Christian Andersen

1835 • 3 Readers • 64 pages 3

A Very Scandinavian Christmas: The Greatest Nordic Holiday Stories of All Time

#4 of 5 in Very Christmas

2019 • 3 Readers • 140 pages 5

Hans Christian Andersen: Best Loved Fairy Tales

1837 • 3 Readers • 685 pages

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500 Eternal Masterpieces Of Fairy Tales
ByAleksander Chodźko,Andrew Lang,+4 more

2017 • 3 Readers

The Nightingale

The Nightingale
ByHans Christian Andersen

2002 • 2 Readers • 40 pages

The Fairy Tale of My Life: An Autobiography

1855 • 2 Readers • 610 pages

Cover 4

A Treasury of Hans Christian Andersen
ByHans Christian Andersen,Erik Christian Haugaard(translator)

1974 • 2 Readers • 528 pages 5

Fiabe

Fiabe
ByHans Christian Andersen,Marcella Rinaldi(Translator),+1 more

1835 • 2 Readers • 650 pages 3

The Complete Harvard Classics - All 51 Volumes in One Edition

2019 • 2 Readers • 21,084 pages

La sirenetta

La sirenetta
ByHans Christian Andersen

1836 • 2 Readers • 36 pages 4

The Complete Illustrated Stories of Hans Christian Andersen

The Complete Illustrated Stories of Hans Christian Andersen
ByHans Christian Andersen,Henry William Dulcken(Translator)

1872 • 2 Readers • 948 pages

Fairy Tales

Fairy Tales
ByHans Christian Andersen,Marte Hvam Hult(Translator)

1835 • 2 Readers • 589 pages

El soldadito de plomo

4 Golden Age of Illustrations

El soldadito de plomo
ByHans Christian Andersen

1838 • 2 Readers • 45 pages 3

Cover 0

A Scandinavian Christmas: Festive Tales for a Nordic Noël
ByHans Christian Andersen,Karl Ove Knausgård,+2 more

2019 • 2 Readers • 208 pages

Hans Christian Andersen Fairy Tales

Hans Christian Andersen Fairy Tales
ByHans Christian Andersen

1835 • 2 Readers • 65 pages

Der standhafte Zinnsoldat

4 Golden Age of Illustrations

Der standhafte Zinnsoldat
ByHans Christian Andersen

1838 • 2 Readers • 30 pages 4

Cuentos de Andersen

Cuentos de Andersen
ByHans Christian Andersen,Equipo Todolibro

1835 • 2 Readers • 82 pages 5

The Provensen Book of Fairy Tales

The Provensen Book of Fairy Tales
ByAlice Provensen(Editor),Martin Provensen(Editor)

1971 • 2 Readers • 140 pages

Grimms' Fairy Tales and Andersen's Fairy Tales

Grimms' Fairy Tales and Andersen's Fairy Tales
ByHans Christian Andersen,Jacob Grimm,+1 more

2 Readers • 326 pages 5

The Emperor's New Clothes

The Emperor's New Clothes
ByHans Christian Andersen

1980 • 1 Reader • 56 pages

Cover 6

The Bell
ByHans Christian Andersen

1 Reader

In a Thousand Years

In a Thousand Years
ByHans Christian Andersen

1853 • 1 Reader 2

Stories and Tales

Stories and Tales
ByHans Christian Andersen

2002 • 1 Reader • 404 pages

Winter: A Folio Anthology

Planned book of 2 Folio Seasons

Winter: A Folio Anthology
BySue Bradbury(Editor),Susan Cooper(Introduction)

1 Reader • 96 pages 3

Os Melhores Contos Fantásticos

Os Melhores Contos Fantásticos
ByWu Cheng'en,Mary Lamb,+44 more

2006 • 1 Reader • 704 pages

Cover 5

1 Reader

Cover 7

1909 • 1 Reader

The Little Match Girl

The Little Match Girl
ByHans Christian Andersen

1845 • 1 Reader • 32 pages 3

Fyrtøjet

Fyrtøjet
ByHans Christian Andersen

1985 • 1 Reader • 56 pages 3

Complete Works of Hans Christian Andersen

2011 • 1 Reader

Fairy Tales - Children's Classics

Fairy Tales - Children's Classics
ByHans Christian Andersen

1835 • 1 Reader

La sirenita y otras historias

La sirenita y otras historias
ByHans Christian Andersen

1837 • 1 Reader • 277 pages

Cover 2

Contos de Fadas em Suas Versões Originais
ByMarina Avila,Cláudia Mello Belhassof(Translator),+15 more

1 Reader

Cover 8

The Swan Princess
ByHans Christian Andersen

2005 • 1 Reader 4

The James Tiptree Award Anthology 1: Sex, the Future, & Chocolate Chip Cookies

2004 • 1 Reader • 302 pages

Favorite Stories of Christmas Past

Favorite Stories of Christmas Past
ByClement C. Moore,Hans Christian Andersen,+2 more

2007 • 1 Reader

Christmas Fairy Tales

Christmas Fairy Tales
ByHans Christian Andersen,R.P. Keigwin(Translator),+1 more

1 Reader • 64 pages

Il violinista

Il violinista
ByHans Christian Andersen

1837 • 1 Reader • 416 pages

La reina de las nieves y otras historias

1911 • 1 Reader • 245 pages

Cover 7

Cuentos de hadas de Andersen
ByHans Christian Andersen

1835 • 1 Reader

Contos de Andersen

Contos de Andersen
ByHans Christian Andersen

1 Reader • 142 pages

Cover 5

Księżniczka na ziarnku grochu
ByHans Christian Andersen,Bogusława Sochańska(Translator)

2010 • 1 Reader • 1 page

Novos Contos de Andersen

Novos Contos de Andersen
ByHans Christian Andersen

1965 • 1 Reader • 144 pages

Fairy Tales from Hans Christian Andersen

1835 • 1 Reader

A Child's Book of Stories

A Child's Book of Stories
ByCharles Perrault(Contributor),Patricia Barrett Perkins(Editor)

1988 • 1 Reader • 463 pages

O soldadinho de chumbo

4 Golden Age of Illustrations

O soldadinho de chumbo
ByHans Christian Andersen,Kamila França(Translator),+1 more

1838 • 1 Reader • 13 pages 3

Cover 8

The Snow Queen
ByMitchell Perkins,Hans Christian Andersen

1 Reader 4

Mistrzowie opowieści. Skandynawskie lato

1 Mistrzowie opowieści

Mistrzowie opowieści. Skandynawskie lato
ByMariusz Kalinowski(Translator),Jacek Godek(Translator),+16 more

2022 • 1 Reader • 400 pages 5

Cover 7

Andersen's Fairy Tales / Grimms' Fairy Tales
ByHans Christian Andersen,Jacob Grimm,+1 more

1 Reader • 558 pages

Thumbeline

Thumbeline
ByHans Christian Andersen,Anthea Bell(Translator)

1835 • 1 Reader • 29 pages 3

Under the Willow-Tree

Under the Willow-Tree
ByHans Christian Andersen

1835 • 1 Reader

Cover 4

Tutte le fiabe
ByHans Christian Andersen,Kirsten Bech(Translator),+1 more

1 Reader • 816 pages 5

The Swineherd

The Swineherd
ByHans Christian Andersen,Naomi Lewis(Translator)

1841 • 1 Reader • 26 pages 3

Cover 1

CHILDHOOD CLASSICS - Ultimate Collection
ByJ.M. Barrie,Louisa May Alcott,+56 more

1 Reader

The Improvisatore

The Improvisatore
ByHans Christian Andersen

1835 • 1 Reader • 356 pages

Hans Andersen's Fairy Tales

Hans Andersen's Fairy Tales
ByHans Christian Andersen(adapter)

1835 • 1 Reader • 268 pages 5

Cover 5

Anderson's Fairy Tales
ByHans Christian Andersen,Jean P. Hersholt(Translator)

1835 • 1 Reader 2

Baśnie Andersena

Baśnie Andersena
ByHans Christian Andersen,Stefania Beylin(Translator),+1 more

1835 • 1 Reader • 222 pages 4

A Linguagem dos Animais: Contos e Crônicas Sobre Bichos

2012 • 1 Reader • 128 pages

Cover 1

Harvard Classics: All 71 Volumes
ByJohann Wolfgang von Goethe,Gotthold Ephraim Lessing,+143 more

2022 • 1 Reader • 24,728 pages

The Harvard Classics: Complete 51-Volume Collection

The Harvard Classics: Complete 51-Volume Collection
ByBenjamin Franklin,Edmund Burke,+117 more

2019 • 1 Reader • 21,084 pages

Cover 5

The Complete Harvard Classics
ByCharles William Eliot,Roy Pitchford,+112 more

1722 • 1 Reader

Princess and the Pea, The

Princess and the Pea, The
ByHans Christian Andersen

2010 • 1 Reader

Brave Tin Soldier

4 Golden Age of Illustrations

Brave Tin Soldier
ByHans Christian Andersen

1838 • 1 Reader