Like this title? Start a Reading List with others like it!
“The Stories of Hans Christian Andersen is a delightful selection of Andersen’s works for readers of all ages. The Franks’ superb contemporary translation adds to our appreciation of Andersen’s magical universe, and the original illustrations by Vilhelm Pedersen and Lorenz Frølich enrich the reading experience of this modern classic.”
—Kristen Møllegaard, Marvels & Tales: Journal of Fairy-Tale Studies
“Never before have Andersen’s tales been captured so well in English. . . . Essential. All libraries; all readers.”—J. G. Holland, Choice
“[T]he Franks have produced a lively work that can be read with pleasure and profit. . . . The text [is] readable, snappy, and appealing . . . [and] is a welcome addition to the body of Andersen translations and will hopefully find the wide audience it deserves.”—Marc Pierce, Journal of American Folklore
“The Franks’ edition finally sets the stories straight, and a valuable opening essay clarifies the tale most often told wrong—Andersen’s own life story.”—Elise Soukup, Newsweek
“This beautiful and useful volume combines new translations of the canonical stories with some of the original illustrations. The introduction and annotations are clear and helpful.”—New York Times Book Review
“The Stories of Hans Christian Andersen is a delightful selection of Andersen’s works for readers of all ages. The Franks’ superb contemporary translation adds to our appreciation of Andersen’s magical universe, and the original illustrations by Vilhelm Pedersen and Lorenz Frølich enrich the reading experience of this modern classic.”
—Kristen Møllegaard, Marvels & Tales: Journal of Fairy-Tale Studies
“Never before have Andersen’s tales been captured so well in English. . . . Essential. All libraries; all readers.”—J. G. Holland, Choice
“[T]he Franks have produced a lively work that can be read with pleasure and profit. . . . The text [is] readable, snappy, and appealing . . . [and] is a welcome addition to the body of Andersen translations and will hopefully find the wide audience it deserves.”—Marc Pierce, Journal of American Folklore
“The Franks’ edition finally sets the stories straight, and a valuable opening essay clarifies the tale most often told wrong—Andersen’s own life story.”—Elise Soukup, Newsweek
“This beautiful and useful volume combines new translations of the canonical stories with some of the original illustrations. The introduction and annotations are clear and helpful.”—New York Times Book Review
“This is the real Andersen, restored to life, in the flavor of Danish. He was a perpetual traveler and guest who left behind only this work, and here at last you will find him.”—Garrison Keillor
“Hans Christian Andersen, in aesthetic eminence, is comparable to Dickens and the later Tolstoy. In the cultural dumbing-down represented by the Harry Potter phenomenon, adults and children alike need the actual Andersen, here made brilliantly available by the Franks.”—Harold Bloom, editor of Stories and Poems for Extremely Intelligent Children of All Ages
“A superb book of Andersen’s tales, lively to read and true to the originals. . . . [It] is a perfect place to start for anyone interested in understanding the complex nature of Andersen and his writings.”—Jack Zipes, professor of German at the University of Minnesota, in the Minneapolis Star Tribune
“The translation of Andersen’s tales by Diana Crone Frank and Jeffrey Frank is cause for real celebration. This edition is far superior to other collections.”—Maria Tatar, author of Off with Their Heads! Fairy Tales and the Culture of Childhood
If you are requesting permission to photocopy material for classroom use, please contact the Copyright Clearance Center at copyright.com;
If the Copyright Clearance Center cannot grant permission, you may request permission from our Copyrights & Permissions Manager (use Contact Information listed below).
If you are requesting permission to reprint DUP material (journal or book selection) in another book or in any other format, contact our Copyrights & Permissions Manager (use Contact Information listed below).
Many images/art used in material copyrighted by Duke University Press are controlled, not by the Press, but by the owner of the image. Please check the credit line adjacent to the illustration, as well as the front and back matter of the book for a list of credits. You must obtain permission directly from the owner of the image. Occasionally, Duke University Press controls the rights to maps or other drawings. Please direct permission requests for these images to permissions@dukeupress.edu.
For book covers to accompany reviews, please contact the publicity department.
If you're interested in a Duke University Press book for subsidiary rights/translations, please contact permissions@dukeupress.edu. Include the book title/author, rights sought, and estimated print run.
Instructions for requesting an electronic text on behalf of a student with disabilities are available here.
On the bicentennial of Hans Christian Andersen’s birth, this collection takes Andersen out of the nursery and places him squarely in the literary pantheon. While Andersen’s tales continue to seize the imagination with their singular blend of simplicity, eccentricity, and charm, English-language readers have until now had to content themselves with inaccurate retellings and inadequate translations. Diana Crone Frank, a Danish novelist and linguist, and Jeffrey Frank, a novelist and editor at the New Yorker, offer a much-needed modern translation.
In this collection are twenty-two tales that best represent Andersen’s literary legacy, including such classics as “The Little Mermaid,” “The Ugly Duckling,” “Thumbelisa,” and “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” as well as largely unfamiliar stories like “By the Outermost Sea.” Illuminating notes clarify references in the tales. And in an introductory essay, the Franks explore the writer and his times, placing the enigmatic and often bizarre figure of Andersen among his literary contemporaries, such as Charles Dickens and Søren Kierkegaard, with whom he crossed paths; and they bring to life Andersen’s fascinating relationship with the United States. Illustrated with the delicate and beautiful drawings that accompanied the original Danish publication, The Stories of Hans Christian Andersen will delight readers of all ages.