Life without fairy tales is boring, empty and unpretentious. Hans Christian Andersen understood this perfectly. Even though his character was not easy, but when he opened the door to another magical story, people did not pay attention to it, but happily immersed themselves in a new, previously unheard of story.

Family

Hans Christian Andersen is a world famous Danish poet and prose writer. He has more than 400 fairy tales, which even today do not lose their popularity. The famous storyteller was born in Odnes (Danish-Norwegian Union, Funen island) on April 2, 1805. He comes from a poor family. His father was a simple shoemaker, and his mother was a laundress. Throughout her childhood she was poor and begged on the street, and when she died, she was buried in a cemetery for the poor.

Hans's grandfather was a woodcarver, but in the town where he lived he was considered a little crazy. Being a creative person by nature, he carved wooden figures of half-humans, half-animals with wings, and to many such art was completely incomprehensible. Christian Andersen did poorly at school and wrote with errors until the end of his life, but from childhood he was attracted to writing.

Fantasy world

There is a legend in Denmark that Andersen came from a royal family. These rumors are due to the fact that the storyteller himself wrote in an early autobiography that he played as a child with Prince Frits, who years later became King Frederick VII. And he had no friends among the yard boys. But since Christian Andersen loved to compose, it is likely that this friendship was a figment of his imagination. Based on the storyteller's fantasies, his friendship with the prince continued even when they became adults. Apart from relatives, Hans was the only person from the outside who was allowed to visit the coffin of the late monarch.

The source of these fantasies was the stories of Andersen's father that he was a distant relative of the royal family. From early childhood, the future writer was a great dreamer, and his imagination was truly wild. More than once or twice he staged impromptu performances at home, acted out various skits and made adults laugh. His peers openly disliked him and often mocked him.

Difficulties

When Christian Andersen was 11 years old, his father died (1816). The boy had to earn his own living. He began working as an apprentice to a weaver, and later worked as a tailor's assistant. Then his work continued at a cigarette factory.

The boy had amazing big blue eyes and a reserved character. He liked to sit alone somewhere in a corner and play puppet theater - his favorite game. He did not lose this love for puppet shows even in adulthood, carrying it in his soul until the end of his days.

Christian Andersen was different from his peers. Sometimes it seemed as if a hot-tempered “uncle” lived in the body of a little boy, and if you didn’t put your finger in his mouth, he would bite him off up to the elbow. He was too emotional and took everything too personally, which is why he was often subjected to physical punishment in schools. For these reasons, the mother had to send her son to a Jewish school, where various executions against students were not practiced. Thanks to this act, the writer was well aware of the traditions of the Jewish people and forever maintained a connection with them. He even wrote several stories on Jewish themes; unfortunately, they were never translated into Russian.

Years of youth

When Christian Andersen turned 14 years old, he headed to Copenhagen. The mother assumed that her son would return soon. In fact, he was still a child, and in such a big city he had little chance of “getting hooked.” But, leaving his father’s house, the future writer confidently declared that he would become famous. First of all, he wanted to find a job that he liked. For example, in the theater, which he loved so much. He received money for the trip from a man in whose house he often staged impromptu performances.

The first year of life in the capital did not bring the storyteller one step closer to fulfilling his dream. One day he came to the house of a famous singer and began to beg her to help him work in the theater. To get rid of the strange teenager, the lady made a promise that she would help him, but she never kept her word. Only many years later does she admit to him that, when she first saw him, she thought he was devoid of reason.

At that time, the writer was a lanky, thin and stooped teenager, with an anxious and bad character. He was afraid of everything: possible robbery, dogs, fire, loss of his passport. All his life he suffered from toothache and for some reason believed that the number of teeth affected his writing. He was also deathly afraid of getting poisoned. When Scandinavian children sent their favorite storyteller sweets, he was horrified to send the gift to his nieces.

It can be said that as a teenager, Hans Christian Andersen himself was an analogue of the Ugly Duckling. But he had a surprisingly pleasant voice, and either thanks to him, or out of pity, he still got a place at the Royal Theater. True, he never achieved success. He was constantly given supporting roles, and when age-related breakdown of his voice began, he was completely kicked out of the troupe.

First works

But to put it briefly, Hans Christian Andersen was not very upset by the dismissal. At that time, he was already writing a five-act play and sent a letter to the king asking for financial assistance in publishing his work. In addition to the play, Hans Christian Andersen's book includes poems. The writer did everything to ensure that his work was sold. But neither announcements nor advertising campaigns in newspapers led to the expected level of sales. The storyteller did not give up. He took the book to the theater in the hope that a play would be staged based on his play. But here, too, disappointment awaited him.

Studies

The theater said that the writer lacked professional experience and offered him to study. People who sympathized with the unfortunate teenager sent a request to the King of Denmark himself to allow him to fill in the gaps in knowledge. His Majesty listened to the requests and provided the storyteller with the opportunity to receive an education at the expense of the state treasury. As the biography of Hans Christian Andersen says, his life took a sharp turn: he received a place as a student at a school in the city of Slagels, and later in Elsinore. Now the talented teenager did not need to think about how to earn a living. True, school science was difficult for him. He was constantly criticized by the rector of the educational institution, and Hans also felt uncomfortable due to the fact that he was older than his classmates. His studies ended in 1827, but the writer was never able to master grammar, so he wrote with errors for the rest of his life.

Creation

Considering the short biography of Christian Andersen, it is worth paying attention to his work. The writer’s first ray of fame brought him the fantastic story “A Walking Journey from the Holmen Canal to the Eastern End of Amager.” This work was published in 1833, and for it the writer received an award from the king himself. The monetary reward enabled Andersen to make the trip abroad that he had always dreamed of.

This became the start, the runway, the beginning of a new stage in life. Hans Christian realized that he could prove himself in another field, and not just in the theater. He began to write, and wrote a lot. Various literary works, including the famous “Fairy Tales” of Hans Christian Andersen, flew out from under his pen like hot cakes. In 1840, he once again tried to conquer the theater stage, but the second attempt, like the first, did not bring the desired result. But he was successful in the craft of writing.

Success and hate

The collection “Picture Book Without Pictures” was released into the world; 1838 was marked by the release of the second issue of “Fairy Tales”, and in 1845 the world saw the bestseller “Fairy Tales-3”. Step by step, Andersen became a famous writer, they talked about him not only in Denmark, but also in Europe. In the summer of 1847, he visited England, where he was greeted with honors and triumph.

The writer continues to write novels and plays. He wants to become famous as a novelist and playwright, but his true fame came from fairy tales, which he quietly begins to hate. Andersen no longer wants to write in this genre, but fairy tales appear from his pen again and again. In 1872, on Christmas Eve, Andersen wrote his last fairy tale. That same year, he carelessly fell out of bed and was seriously injured. He never managed to recover from his injuries, although he lived for another three years after the fall. The writer died on August 4, 1875 in Copenhagen.

The very first fairy tale

Not long ago in Denmark, researchers discovered a hitherto unknown fairy tale “The Tallow Candle” by Hans Christian Andersen. The summary of this discovery is simple: the tallow candle cannot find its place in this world and becomes despondent. But one day she meets a flint that ignites a fire in her, to the delight of those around her.

In terms of its literary merits, this work is significantly inferior to the tales of the later period of creativity. It was written when Andersen was still in school. He dedicated the work to the priest's widow, Mrs. Bunkeflod. Thus, the young man tried to appease her and thank her for paying for his worthless science. Researchers agree that this work is filled with too much moralizing; there is not that gentle humor here, but only morality and “spiritual experiences of a candle.”

Personal life

Hans Christian Andersen never married and had no children. In general, he was not successful with women, and did not strive for this. However, he still had love. In 1840, in Copenhagen, he met a girl named Jenny Lind. Three years later, he will write the cherished words in his diary: “I love!” He wrote fairy tales for her and dedicated poems to her. But Jenny, turning to him, said “brother” or “child”. Although he was almost 40 years old, and she was only 26. In 1852, Lind married a young and promising pianist.

In his declining years, Andersen became even more extravagant: he often visited brothels and stayed there for a long time, but never touched the girls who worked there, but only spoke to them.

As is known, in Soviet times, foreign writers were often published in a shortened or revised version. This did not bypass the works of the Danish storyteller: instead of thick collections, thin collections were published in the USSR. Soviet writers had to remove any mention of God or religion (if that doesn’t work, soften it). Andersen does not have non-religious works, it’s just that in some works this is immediately noticeable, while in others the theological subtext is hidden between the lines. For example, in one of his works there is a phrase:

Everything was in this house: wealth and arrogant gentlemen, but the owner was not in the house.

But the original says that in the house there is no owner, but the Lord.

Or take for comparison “The Snow Queen” by Hans Christian Andersen: the Soviet reader does not even suspect that when Gerda is scared, she begins to pray. It’s a little annoying that the words of the great writer were altered, or even thrown out altogether. After all, the real value and depth of a work can be understood by studying it from the first word to the last point set by the author. And in the retelling one already feels something fake, unspiritual and unreal.

A few facts

Finally, I would like to mention several little-known facts from the author’s life. The storyteller had Pushkin's autograph. "Elegy", signed by the Russian poet, is now in the Royal Danish Library. Andersen did not part with this work until the end of his days.

Every year on April 2, Children's Book Day is celebrated all over the world. In 1956, the International Children's Book Council awarded the storyteller a Gold Medal, the highest international award that can be received in modern literature.

During his lifetime, Andersen was erected a monument, the design of which he personally approved. At first, the project depicted the writer sitting surrounded by children, but the storyteller was outraged by this: “I wouldn’t be able to say a word in such an environment.” Therefore, the children had to be removed. Now, in a square in Copenhagen, a storyteller sits with a book in his hand, all alone. Which, however, is not so far from the truth.

Andersen cannot be called the life of the party; he could be alone for a long time, was reluctant to get along with people and seemed to live in a world that existed only in his head. No matter how cynical it may sound, his soul was like a coffin - designed for only one person, him. Studying the biography of the storyteller, one can draw only one conclusion: writing is a lonely profession. If you open this world to someone else, then the fairy tale will turn into an ordinary, dry story that is stingy with emotions.

“The Ugly Duckling”, “The Little Mermaid”, “The Snow Queen”, “Thumbelina”, “The King’s New Dress”, “The Princess and the Pea” and more than a dozen fairy tales were given to the world by the author’s pen. But in each of them there is a lonely hero (main or secondary - it doesn’t matter) in whom you can recognize Andersen. And this is correct, because only a storyteller can open the door to that reality where the impossible becomes possible. If he had erased himself from the fairy tale, it would have become a simple story without the right to exist.

Hans Christian Andersen was born on April 2, 1805 in the city of Odense on the island of Funen (in some sources the island of Fionia is called), in the family of a shoemaker and a washerwoman. Andersen heard his first fairy tales from his father, who read him stories from One Thousand and One Nights; Along with fairy tales, my father loved to sing songs and make toys. From his mother, who dreamed that Hans Christian would become a tailor, he learned to cut and sew. As a child, the future storyteller often had to communicate with patients in the hospital for the mentally ill, where his maternal grandmother worked. The boy listened to their stories with enthusiasm and later wrote that he “was made the writer of his father’s songs and the speeches of the mad.” Since childhood, the future writer showed a penchant for dreaming and writing, and often staged impromptu home performances.

In 1816, Andersen's father died, and the boy had to work for food. He was apprenticed first to a weaver, then to a tailor. Andersen later worked in a cigarette factory.

In 1819, having earned some money and bought his first boots, Hans Christian Andersen went to Copenhagen. For the first three years in Copenhagen, Andersen connected his life with the theater: he attempted to become an actor, wrote tragedies and dramas. In 1822, the play “The Sun of the Elves” was published. The drama turned out to be an immature, weak work, but it attracted the attention of the theater management, with whom the aspiring author was collaborating at that time. The board of directors secured a scholarship for Andersen and the right to study freely at the gymnasium. A seventeen-year-old boy ends up in the second grade of a Latin school and, despite the ridicule of his comrades, finishes it.

In 1826-1827, Andersen’s first poems (“Evening”, “The Dying Child”) were published, receiving positive reviews from critics. In 1829, his story in a fantastic style, “A Journey on Foot from the Holmen Canal to the Eastern End of Amager,” was published. In 1835, Andersen's "Fairy Tales" brought fame. In 1839 and 1845, the second and third books of fairy tales were written, respectively.

In the second half of the 1840s and the following years, Andersen continued to publish novels and plays in a vain attempt to become famous as a playwright and novelist. At the same time, he despised his fairy tales, which brought him well-deserved fame. Nevertheless, he continued to write more and more new ones. The last fairy tale was written by Andersen on Christmas Day 1872.

In 1872, the writer received serious injuries as a result of a fall, for which he was treated for three years. In 1875, on August 4, Hans Christian Andersen died. He was buried in Copenhagen at the Assistance Cemetery.

• Andersen got angry when he was called a children's storyteller and said that he writes fairy tales for both children and adults. For the same reason, he ordered that all children's figures be removed from his monument, where originally the storyteller was supposed to be surrounded by children.
• Andersen had the autograph of A. S. Pushkin.
• G. H. Andersen's fairy tale “The King's New Clothes” was placed in the first primer by L. N. Tolstoy.
• Andersen has a fairy tale about Isaac Newton.
• In the fairy tale “Two Brothers” H.H. Andersen wrote about the famous brothers Hans Christian and Anders Oersted.
• The title of the fairy tale “Ole-Lukoje” is translated as “Ole-Close Your Eyes.”
• Andersen paid very little attention to his appearance. He constantly walked the streets of Copenhagen in an old hat and a worn raincoat. One day a dandy stopped him on the street and asked:
  “Tell me, is this pathetic thing on your head called a hat?”
  To which there was an immediate response:
  “Is that pathetic thing under your fancy hat called a head?”

Be like children

Biography

Childhood

Hans Christian Andersen was born on April 2, 1805 in Odense on the Danish island of Funen. Andersen's father, Hans Andersen (1782-1816), was a poor shoemaker, his mother Anna Marie Andersdatter (1775-1833), was a laundress from a poor family, she had to beg as a child, she was buried in a cemetery for the poor. In Denmark, there is a legend about Andersen's royal origin, since in an early biography Andersen wrote that as a child he played with Prince Frits, later King Frederick VII, and he had no friends among the street boys - only the prince. Andersen's friendship with Prince Frits, according to Andersen's fantasy, continued into adulthood, until the latter's death. After the death of Frits, with the exception of relatives, only Andersen was allowed to visit the coffin of the deceased. The reason for this fantasy was the boy’s father telling him that he was a relative of the king. Since childhood, the future writer showed a penchant for daydreaming and writing, and often staged impromptu home performances that caused laughter and ridicule from children. In the city, Andersen's father died, and the boy had to work for food. He was apprenticed first to a weaver, then to a tailor. Then Andersen worked at a cigarette factory. In his early childhood, Hans Christian was an introverted child with big blue eyes who sat in the corner and played his favorite game - puppet theater. He retained this only occupation in his youth.

Youth

At the age of 14, Andersen went to Copenhagen, his mother let him go because she hoped that he would stay there for a while and return. When she asked the reason why he was traveling, leaving her and home, young Andersen immediately replied: “To become famous!” He went with the goal of getting a job in the theater, citing his love for everything connected with it. He received the money from a letter of recommendation from the colonel, in whose family he staged his performances as a child. During his year in Copenhagen he tried to get into the theater. First, he came to the home of a famous singer and, bursting into tears with excitement, asked her to get him into the theater. She, just to get rid of the annoying strange lanky teenager, promised to arrange everything, but, of course, did not fulfill her promise. Much later, she will tell Andersen that she simply mistook him for a madman. Hans Christian was a lanky teenager with long and thin limbs, a neck and an equally long nose, he was the quintessential Ugly Duckling. But thanks to his pleasant voice and his requests, as well as out of pity, Hans Christian, despite his unspectacular appearance, was accepted into the Royal Theater, where he played minor roles. He was used less and less, and then age-related loss of voice began, and he was fired. Andersen, meanwhile, composed a play in 5 acts and wrote a letter to the king, convincing him to give money for its publication. This book also included poems. Hans Christian took care of the advertising and announced it in the newspaper. The book was printed, but no one bought it, it was used for wrapping. He did not lose hope and took his book to the theater so that a performance based on the play could be staged. He was refused with the wording “due to the author’s complete lack of experience.” But he was offered to study because of their kind attitude towards him, seeing his desire. People who sympathized with the poor and sensitive boy petitioned the King of Denmark, Frederick VI, who allowed him to study at a school in the town of Slagels, and then at another school in Elsinore at the expense of the treasury. This meant that I would no longer have to think about a piece of bread or how to live on. The students at school were 6 years younger than Andersen. He subsequently recalled his years at school as the darkest time of his life, due to the fact that he was subjected to severe criticism from the rector of the educational institution and was painfully worried about this until the end of his days - he saw the rector in nightmares. In 1827, Andersen completed his studies. Until the end of his life, he made many grammatical mistakes in writing - Andersen never mastered literacy.

Andersen did not fit the image of a storyteller surrounded by children, telling them his tales. His isolation and self-centeredness resulted in a dislike for children. When the famous sculptor wanted to depict the already famous storyteller surrounded by children, he became so angry that he kicked him out and said that he had no habit of talking with children. He died completely alone.

Creation

List of famous fairy tales

• Storks (Storkene, 1839)
• Angel (Engelen, 1843)
• Anne Lisbeth (1859)
• Grandmother (Bedstemoder, 1845)
• Bronze boar (truth) (Metalsvinet, 1842)
• Mother Elder (Hyldemoer, 1844)
• Bottleneck (Flaskehalsen, 1857)
• The Wind talks about Waldemar Do and his daughters ( Vinden fortæller om Valdemar Daae og hans Døttre, 1859)
• Magic Hill (1845)
• Collar (Flipperne, 1847)
• Everyone know your place! (“Alt paa sin rette Plads”, 1852)
• The Ugly Duckling (Den grimme Ælling, )
• Hans Churban (Klods-Hans, 1855)
• Buckwheat (Boghveden, 1841)
• Two Maidens (1853)
• Yard cock and weathercock (Gaardhanen og Veirhanen, 1859)
• Little Match Girl ( Den lille Pige med Svovlstikkerne, 1845)
• The girl who stepped on bread ( Pigen, som traadte paa Brødet, 1859)
• Wild swans (De vilde Svaner, 1838)
• Director of a puppet theater (Marionetspilleren, 1851)
• The Shopkeeper's Brownie (1852)
• Traveling Companion (Reisekammeraten, 1835)
• The Marsh King's Daughter (Dynd-Kongens Datter 1858)
• Fool Hans (Klods-Hans, 1855)
• Thumbelina (Tommelise, 1835) (see also Thumbelina (character))
• There is a difference! (“Der er Forskjel!”, 1851)
• Spruce (Grantræet, 1844)
• Toad (Skrubtudsen, 1866)
• Bride and Groom (Kjærestefolkene or Toppen og Bolden, 1843)
• Evil prince. Tradition (Den onde Fyrste, 1840)
• Ib and Christine (Ib og lille Christine, 1855)
• The Real Truth (Det er ganske vist!, 1852)
• History of the Year (Aarets Historie, 1852)
• The Story of a Mother (Historien om en Moder, 1847)
• How good! (1859)
• Galoshes of Happiness (Lykkens Kalosker, 1838)
• Drop of Water (Vanddraaben, 1847)
• Bell (Klokken, 1845)
• Bell Pool (Klokkedybet, 1856)
• The Red Shoes (De røde Skoe, 1845)
• Forest Hill (1845)
• Linen (Hørren, 1848)
• Little Claus and Big Claus (Lille Claus og store Claus, 1835)
• Little Tuk (Lille Tuk, 1847)
• Moth (1860)
• On the Dunes (En Historie fra Kliterne, 1859)
• In the Duck Yard (1861)
• The Silent Book (Den stumme Bog, 1851)
• Bad boy
• The King's New Dress (Keiserens nye Klæder, 1837)
• How the Storm Uplifted the Signs (1865)
• Flint (Fyrtøiet, )
• Ole Lukøie, 1841
• Offspring of the plant of paradise (Et Blad fra Himlen, 1853)
• The Couple (Kjærestefolkene, 1843)
• Shepherdess and chimney sweep ( Hyrdinden og Skorsteensfeieren, 1845)
• Peiter, Peter og Peer, 1868
• Pen and Inkwell (Pen og Blækhuus, 1859)
• Twin cities (Venskabs-Pagten, 1842)
• Snowdrop (excerpt) (1862)
• The last dream of the old oak ( Det gamle Egetræes sidste Drøm, 1858)
• The Last Pearl (Den sidste Perle, 1853)
• The Princess and the Pea (Prindsessen paa Ærten, 1835)
• Lost (“Hun duede ikke”, 1852)
• Jumpers (Springfyrene, 1845)
• Phoenix bird (Fugl Phønix, 1850)
• Five from One Pod (Fem fra en Ærtebælg, 1852)
• Garden of Eden (Paradises Have, 1839)
• Childish Talk (Børnesnak, 1859)
• Rose from Homer's Tomb (En Rose fra Homers Grav, 1842)
• Chamomile (Gaaseurten, 1838)
• The Little Mermaid (Den lille Havfrue, 1837)
• From the ramparts (Et Billede fra Castelsvolden, 1846)
• The Most Incredible (Det Utroligste, 1870)
• Swineherd (Svinedrengen, )
• The Snow Queen (Sneedronningen, 1844)

• Nightingale (Nattergalen, )
• The Dream (En Historie, 1851)
• Neighbors (Nabofamilierne, 1847)
• The Old House (Det gamle Huus, 1847)
• Old street lamp (Den gamle Gadeløgte, 1847)
• The Steadfast Tin Soldier (Den standhaftige Tinsoldat, )
• The Fate of the Burdock (1869)
• Chest-plane (1839)
• Sausage Stick Soup (1858)
• Happy Family (Den lykkelige Familie, 1847)
• Shadow (Skyggen, 1847)
• Whatever the hubby does is fine ( Hvad Fatter gjør, det er altid det Rigtige, 1861)
• Snail and Roses (Sneglen og Rosenhækken, 1861)
• Little Ida's Flowers (Den lille Idas Blomster, 1835)
• Teapot (1863)
• What they can’t come up with... (1869)
• After a Thousand Years (Om Aartusinder, 1852)
• Darning needle (Stoppenaalen, 1845)
• Elf of the Rosebush (Rosen-Alfen, 1839)

Film adaptations of works

• - “Hans Christian Andersen. Fairy Tales" - collector's edition of cartoons:
  • Wild swans
  • Dung beetle
  • Jumper
  • Flint
  • Little Mermaid
  • Whatever the husband does is good
  • Ole Lukoje
  • Airplane chest
  • Steadfast Tin Soldier
  • Baby Ida's flowers
  • Golden treasure
  • The Professor and the Flea
  • The Princess and the Pea
  • Swineherd
  • Galoshes of happiness
  • The king's new dress
  • Bride and Groom
  • Old street lamp
  • Bottleneck
  • Gardener and family
  • Ugly duckling
  • The real truth
  • Sausage stick soup
  • Satellite
  • The Snow Queen (in two parts)
  • Snowman
  • Thumbelina
  • Nightingale
  • Hans Churban

Operas based on Andersen's fairy tales

• Opera-parable "The Ugly Duckling", Op. 1996, - free operatic version by Lev Konov to the music of Sergei Prokofiev (op. 18 and op. 22) for solo soprano, children's choir and piano. Act 1: 2 Epigraphs and 38 fleeting pictures, duration - 28 minutes.
• “The Ugly Duckling” Opera-Parable By Andersen For Mezzo-Soprano (Soprano), Three-part Childrens Choir And the Piano *

1 Act: 2 Epigraphs, 38 Theatrical Pictures * Length: Approximately 28 minutes * The opera version (Free transcription) Written by Lev Konov (1996) On music of Sergei Prokofiev: The Ugly Duckling, op. 18 (1914) And Visions Fugitives, op. 22 (1915-1917) * (Vocal score language: Russian, English, German, French)

Photo gallery

		House of H.H. Andersen in Odense
Monument in Copenhagen		Grave of H.H. Andersen

Links

• The Complete Works of Andersen. Fairy tales in 7 languages ​​with illustrations, stories, novels, poems, letters, autobiography, photographs, paintings. (Russian) (Ukrainian) (Belorian) (Mongolian) (English) (French) (Spanish)

Name: Hans Christian Andersen

Age: 70 years old

Place of birth: Odense, Denmark

Place of death: Copenhagen, Denmark

Activity: writer, poet, storyteller

Marital status: wasn't married

Hans Christian Andersen - biography

Who is unfamiliar with Andersen? There is probably no such person. If they don’t know his last name, then they certainly know all his fairy-tale heroes. His works are still being republished, films are made based on them and cartoons are drawn. They are included in the compulsory school curriculum. And not getting acquainted with the biography of this amazing person is simply a crime.

Childhood, family

Hans Christian Andersen was born into the family of a shoemaker and a washerwoman. The town in Denmark where the family lived was small. The father always read fairy tales to the boy. And the theater was the child’s favorite pastime. They made dolls for the home theater themselves. They were made of wood and sewn into patchwork clothes. Hans enjoyed making up various stories, and he had a rich imagination. Only at that time he did not yet know how to write; only at the age of ten did he manage to comprehend the basics of science. But the biography of the baby’s education began usually, like everyone else’s.

Hans was taken to the “learned” glover, but she once used rods on the boy as punishment. Andersen, defiantly taking his primer, proudly left the house of his so-called teacher. When the boy turned 11 years old, the dreamer and protector passed away. The head of the family died, and the only man left, Hans, had to earn his own money. They could only take him on as an apprentice. At first he worked in a cloth factory, then got a job in a tobacco factory.

Predictions

One day, the mother turned to a fortune teller to find out about the fate of her son. Great was her surprise when she heard that fame awaited Hans. And then miracles began, with which the writer’s biography abounds. One day a real puppet theater came to town on tour and needed an artist. Hans managed to get this free place. Puppeteers gave performances for rich people.

The boy dreamed of becoming an actor in the royal theater; for this, rich people were needed - one colonel gave Hans good recommendations. At the age of 14, the future great storyteller, with the blessing of his mother, left for Copenhagen. He set off to become famous.

Andersen's independent life

Everything went well, the boy had a well-trained voice, and he was assigned small roles. Hans grew up and was fired from the theater as an unpromising actor. But we must pay tribute to his imagination, which the poet Ingeman managed to notice. A petition was written to the then-ruling Frederick VI asking him to provide Andersen with a free education.

I had to endure ridicule from classmates who were six years younger. The teachers could not explain the rules of grammar to the student, so until the end of his life this science remained incomprehensible.

Writer's career, books

Hans Christian Andersen began to develop as a writer at the age of 25, when his first science fiction story was published. Hans gets the opportunity to see Europe, traveling with money from the royal prize. Andersen had already firmly decided that he would write fairy tales. And when his stories began to sell in large numbers, journalists asked who suggested the author’s stories. The storyteller was quite surprised by this question. Why don't his readers see what he writes about?

Andersen's tales

How can you do without “The Snow Queen”, “Thumbelina” and “The Little Mermaid” now? Thanks to Andersen, everyone can test the crowned lady and find out if she is a real princess. You can learn courage from the Steadfast Tin Soldier, and loyalty and simplicity from the Ugly Duckling. In Denmark, there are monuments not only to the storyteller, but also to his heroes: the incomparable Little Mermaid, Ole Lukoya with his constant multi-colored umbrella of dreams.

This passion for fairy tales helped their author to be optimistic about his destiny. Even before his death, Andersen did not part with the undying genre of fairy tales. While cleaning the room after the death of Hans Christian, they discovered an almost completed magical story, another fairy tale in handwritten form, lying under his pillow.

Hans Christian Andersen - biography of personal life

The great storyteller, inventor and dreamer was not married, he had no children. The storyteller had men and women as friends. The great Andersen had no sexual relations with either women or men. The first potential lover was a friend's sister, to whom he never dared to confess his feelings. With his second chosen one, Hans was ardent and in love, but all his efforts were rejected in favor of a successful lawyer.

The third beloved woman was an opera singer, who favorably accepted the young man’s advances. Jenny accepted gifts from Andersen, and married the British composer Otto Goldschmidt. Later, it was she who served as the prototype for the Snow Queen, a woman with a cold heart.

In Paris, he was a frequent visitor to the red light streets, but for the most part the storyteller talked with young ladies about his life. The biography of the writer, who had liver cancer, was coming to its logical conclusion. And before his death, he fell out of bed, hurt himself very badly, lived for another three years, never recovering from the injuries he received in the fall.

Bibliography, books, fairy tales

– Travel on foot from the Holmen canal to the eastern cape of the island of Amager
– Love on the Nicholas Tower
– Agneta and Vodyanoy
– Improviser
– Only the violinist
– Fairy tales told for children
– Steadfast Tin Soldier
– Picture book without pictures
– Nightingale
– The Ugly Duckling
– Snow Queen
– Little Match Girl
- Shadow
– Two Baronesses
– To be or not to be