 
|
Fairy tales have long been the subject of fascination, civilization defined by its fears and myths, stories that vanquish demons and offer homage to the darker side of human nature. Nowhere else is this vast tapestry of conflicting emotions more completely captured thanin the haunting tales of Hans Christian Andersen, distant cousin of The Brothers Grimm in the Land of Imagination.
Another in W.W. Norton’s ambitious annotated series, this collection does not disappoint. Anderson’s goblins and mermaids hop carelessly through the pages, margins filled with historical context, the influence of culture and an interpretation of the selections that hint of the darker nature of fairy tales.
Edited and translated by Maria Tatar and Julie K. Allen, these tales are lushly illustrated with ink sketches, black and white drawings and full-color renderings that pique the curiosity of young and old alike - “Tales for Children,” “Tales for Adults,” “Biographies”, “Andersen’s Readers,” and “Bibliography”.
Children’s selections include “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” “The Princess and the Pea,” “The Little Mermaid” and “The Wild Swan,” segueing into the more sophisticated stories for adults: “The Red Shoes,” “The Girl Who Trod on the Loaf,” “The Goblin and the Grocer” and “The Bell.”
Part of the charm of the annotated series is context. This volume is no exception, whetting the appetite with the Introduction, “Denmark’s Perfect Wizard,” which addresses Andersen’s genius, a Dane born over 200 years ago whose tales continue to inflame, titillate and amuse. Nor does Anderson shy away from provocative subjects: compassion (“The Little Match Girl”), hypocrisy (“The Emperor’s New Clothes”), and the necessity of hope (“The Ugly Duckling”).
Manipulating our imaginations through the texture and color of language, darker issues are dressed in sparkling prose and brilliant hue (“a purple flower with light streaming from its calyx”). It is such evocative language that seduces young and old alike into the magical world of the fairy tale, providing subconscious lessons on the vagaries of human behavior, the undiluted power of storytelling a means of universal communication.
Detailed illustrations and specific annotations offer a depth of perspective that is common to this series, an exploration of social consciousness through tales couched in the visual and the arcane, a juxtaposition of morality and fantasy. The reader is challenged to examine preconceptions, to immerse himself in a world of expanded imagination where stories never grow old.
|
|
The Annotated Hans Christian Andersen