hjordis varmer: Hans Christian Andersen
This book showed up "new" at the Ballard Library a few weeks ago. Originally published in 2001 it was endorsed and reprinted in 2005 for the Hans Christian Andersen Bicentennial by the Kingdom of Denmark and Groundwood Books respectively.
What a wonderful introduction to Hans. The illustrations by Lillian Brogger are fantastic and immediately reminded me of the Provensens fairy tale book. Wacky and skewed Brogger also uses collage to great effect. Hans Christian's own papercuts and drawings are in the book (though they aren't credited.)
Hans Christian Andersen: His Fairy Tale Life reads like a fairy tale, too. Hans had some amazing adventures but it is his reaction to the small things in life that mark him as an extraordinary character in a normal world. Adults will read between the lines--I'm not sure I could have been friends with Hans! A very sensitive and dramatic boy/man prone to singing anywhere and everywhere, reciting poetry and given to great lamenting. Or perhaps I have the child's reaction to Hans the man--here's an excerpt from the book:
Edvard Collin's wife was one of the people who lovingly tended to him when he was grieving for Henriette. She listened to his cries and laments. She comforted him and encouraged him. But every once in a while even she would exclaim, "Oh, now he's going too far!"
Her little daughter shared this feeling. Whenever she came home and saw Hans Christian's big galoshes in the foyer, she would say, "Is that awful Mr. Andersen here again?"
The her mother would scold her and say, "Just remember that it was Mr. Andersen who wrote 'The Nightingale.'"
Don't scold but it has been 20 years since I read any original Hans Christian Andersen stories: the strongest impression I have of him is Danny Kaye's movie role of Hans! Clearly Hans is much more complicated than that and there is much more blood, death and gore in his fairy tales than the sweetened Disney versions like The Little Mermaid. I'll be getting into some of his fairy tales soon--luckily Varmer's book has a Further Reading section at the back and recommends a Viking 2005 collection translated by Tiina Nunnally. Nunnally did the translation of this book and it is great. A good translation means so much. I'll also check out The Amazing Paper Cuttings of Hans Christian Andersen and for illustration's sake I'd love to see Lisbeth Zwerger's Fairy Tales.
One thing to take away from Hans is his indomitable creative spirit. Not so much ego but a desire to keep creating no matter how many people told him he stank. He had horrible self doubt but he just kept on trying and lordy, he REALLY didn't want to work in a factory! Facing a future like that can really make you get your butt in gear.
