Hans Christian Andersen

24 featured booksHans Christian Andersen

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.

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Display name
Hans Christian Andersen
Personal name
Hans Christian Andersen
Source identifier
OL25931A

Featured books

Representative editions for works actually authored by this person.

Works in catalog

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La reina de las nieves
Representative edition published 2023
Open Work
Poet's Bazaar
Representative edition published 2023
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Classic Christmas Treasury
Representative edition published 2023
Open Work
Hans Andersen's Fairy Tales - Illustrated by W. Heath Robinson
Representative edition published 2022
Open Work
Classic Christmas Stories
Representative edition published 2022
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Sand-Hills of Jutland
Representative edition published 2022
Open Work
La Petite Sirène
Representative edition published 2022
Open Work
La Sirenita
Representative edition published 2022
Open Work
The Snow Queen
Representative edition published 2022
Open Work
Cuentos de H. C. Andersen
Representative edition published 2022
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Cuentos de H. C. Andersen
Representative edition published 2022
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The emperor's new clothes
Representative edition published 2021
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Contes
Representative edition published 2021
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Les habits neufs de l'empereur
Representative edition published 2021
Open Work
L'amour d'une mère
Representative edition published 2021
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Contes - Prépas scientifiques 2022
Representative edition published 2021
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Hans Christian Andersen's Fairy Tales
Representative edition published 2021
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Thumbelina and Other Stories
Representative edition published 2021
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Scandinavian Christmas
Representative edition published 2021
Open Work
Yaban Kugulari
Representative edition published 2021
Open Work
Hans Christian Andersen : Die schönsten Märchen
Representative edition published 2021
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Andersen's Best Fairy Tales
Representative edition published 2021
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Wonder Tales
Representative edition published 2021
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Cuentos de Andersen
Representative edition published 2021
Open Work