Whose Birthday Is It? April 2, 2016

Hans Christian Andersen (1805)

Andersen was a Danish writer best known forhis many collections of fairy tales, in which hebroke with literary tradition and employed theidioms and constructions of spoken language.His stories are imaginative combinations ofuniversal elements from folk legend andinclude such favorites as “The Ugly Duckling”and “The Emperor’s New Clothes.” While some reveal anoptimistic belief in the ultimate triumph of goodness and beauty,others are deeply pessimistic. What else did Andersen write?More…