Hans Christian Andersen
| Hans Christian Andersen | |
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| Born | April 2, 1805 Odense, Denmark |
| Died | August 4, 1875 (aged 70) Copenhagen, Denmark |
| Occupation | Novelist, short story writer, fairy tales writer. |
| Nationality | Danish |
| Genres | Children's literature, travelogue |
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Influences
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Hans Christian Andersen [ˈhænˀs ˈkʰʁæsd̥jæn ˈanɔsn̩] or simply HC Andersen [ho̞ se ˈanɔsn̩], (April 2, 1805 – August 4, 1875) was a Danish author and poet most famous for his fairy tales. His poetry and stories have been translated into more than 150 languages. Movies, plays and ballets have been based on them.[1]
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[change] Youth
Hans Christian Andersen was born on April 2, 1805, in a poor part of the town of Odense in Denmark.[2] In 1807, his family moved into a small house which they shared with two other families. On 26 April 1816, when Andersen was 11, his father died. He did not go to school often after his father's death, but liked to tell stories. Andersen's mother was not happy with this and sent him to be a weaver's apprentice, and later to work at a tobacco factory then with a tailor.[2] When he was 14 he went to Copenhagen so that he could become an actor. During his first few years there, he was even more poor than he had been in Odense.[2] At first he sang with the Royal Danish Theatre, but his voice soon broke. As Andersen tried to find a job, he never stopped writing stories. When he was 17, the director of the theatre read some of his stories and was impressed. He went to King Frederick VI and convinced him to pay for part of Andersen's education. Andersen had a miserable time at school, as he was mocked by both students and teachers for wanting to be a writer, especially since he was dyslexic. However, at the age of 23 he managed to gain entrance into the University of Copenhagen.
[change] Work
Hans Christian Andersen has written many stories and fairy tales. He wrote the Ugly Duckling, The Snow Queen and many more. At first Andersen was not very popular but he soon became known all over Europe. In contrast to the Brothers Grimm, who collected fairy tales and wrote them down, Andersen invented new fairy tales.
[change] Death
He got hurt after falling out of bed in 1872. He never got better. Hans Christian Andersen died in 1875 at the age of 70.
[change] Works
- The Princess and the Pea (1835)
- The Tinder Box (1835)
- Thumbelina (1836)
- The Little Mermaid (1836)
- The Emperor's New Clothes (1837)
- The Wild Swans (1838)
- Ole Lukøje (1841)
- The Swineherd (1841)
- The Angel (1843)
- The Nightingale (1843)
- The Fir-Tree (1845)
- The Ugly Duckling (1843)
- The Little Match Girl (1845)
- The Red Shoes (1845)
- The Shepherdess and the Chimney Sweep (1845)
- The Snow Queen (1845)
- The Steadfast Tin Soldier (1845)
- The Shadow (1847)
- The Story of a Mother (1847)
[change] Other pages
[change] References
- ↑ Elias Bredsdorff, Hans Christian Andersen: the story of his life and work 1805-75, Phaidon (1975) ISBN 0-7148-1636-1
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Hans Christian Andersen". danishnet.com. http://www.danishnet.com/info.php/cultural/hans-christian-andersen-281.html. Retrieved 1 August 2010.
