6 Sep 2007
Barbara Delaney
Thank you for this wonderful, informative article. I've read fairy tales from many different countries and enjoyed them but without the type of context provided here I'm afraid much is missed. I had no idea that his stories had such immense popularity. There are a series of graphic novels called Fables by Bill Willingham that have incorporated many fairy tales including some of the Danish author's. They are well worth your time.

7 Sep 2007
Shalom Freedman

Anderson is a writer who have never particularly liked or appreciated.

This article suggests that I try a bit of humble pie, and go back and give Anderson a serious rereading.

Thanks for the informative and rich piece.

7 Sep 2007
Dale Larson
How often simplicity is mistaken for simple-mindedness. Like Henry David Thoreau's "Simplify, simplify, simplify!"  Hans Christian Anderson's literary genius rightly understands the difference.

7 Sep 2007
Kerry Bramwell Leighton
reduce the verbiage.read Bruno Bettelheims book "The Uses of Enchantment" to see the unestimable treasure trove of pyschic wealth that Andersen has left as his legacy to the world. Poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world. Percy Byshe Shelley.

11 Sep 2007
vangeli

I was very pleased to not only run into the website http://www.artsandlettersdaily.com that took me to this wonderful article (the first one I have read through that link), but to learn something new and wonderful about Hans Christian Anderson.  I have visited Solvang, CA and was impressed with the library  and art there at the museum dedicated to this man's work.

I have never read any of his works, that I know of, but I feel compelled to consider serioulsy reading this book.  I have spent my life reading the Holy Bible, studying it and sharing my faith with others.  Hans inspired so many people to uphold their morals and values (based on God's Commandments) and that what we believed not only mattered toward our fellow man but matters inside our country as can be seen by the necessity of standing firm for what is right in our country, and going to war if necessary.

For a Christian I believe this has a great lesson, and I do plan to share this information and suggest this book to others. Aside from Scripture, I can see why  Hans is the #2 (and Shakespeare #3) most published words.

I shall submit my in depth comments about this article to my blog at: www.biblicalgospel.blogspot.com .

Thank you for your article, If the rest of them are as good as this one, I plan to visit your site regularly!. :)

18 Sep 2007
Marte Hult
This was a good article, and I agree that "The Most Incredible Thing" deserves more attention, as do many of Andersen's lesser known stories. However, one correction: The "morning star" mis-translation has been corrected in my new translation of Andersen stories. (Fairy Tales. Barnes & Noble Classics. 2007) It's true that the Danish "morgenstjerne" means "morning star" but specifically when referring to a watchman's staff, it means "spiked mace."

17 Oct 2007
Paul Blaskowicz