Hans Christian Andersen (April 2, 1805 - August 4, 1875), also translated as Hans Christian Andersen, etc., was a Danish fairy tale writer in the 19th century. Known as "the sun of children's literature in the world".
Andersen was born into a poor shoemaker's family in Odense. He was baptized in St. Cunud's Church and lived in poverty during his childhood. His father was a shoemaker and his mother was a servant. In his early years, he studied at a charity school and worked as an apprentice. Influenced by his father and folk oral literature, he loved literature since childhood. When he was 11 years old, his father died of illness and his mother remarried.
To pursue art, he came to the capital Copenhagen alone when he was 14 years old. At the age of 17, he published the poetic drama "Alfsol" and showed his talent. Therefore, he was sent to Slagelsee Grammar School and Helsingo School for free by the Royal Theater of Arts. It lasted 5 years. In 1828, he entered the University of Copenhagen. After graduation, he never had a job and mainly relied on royalties to make a living.
Winning the Writer's Prize in 1838, Andersen's literary career began in 1822 when he wrote scripts. After entering university, his creations became increasingly mature. He has published travel notes and musicals, as well as poetry collections and poetry plays. In 1835, he published the novel "The Improvisational Poet", which won him international reputation and is his representative work of adult literature.
His work "Andersen's Fairy Tales" has been translated into more than 150 languages ??and distributed and published around the world. At 11 a.m. on August 4, 1875, Andersen died of liver cancer at a friend's country house at the age of 70.
Representative works:
1. "The Little Mermaid": This is one of Andersen's most famous fairy tales. It tells the story of a beautiful underwater princess who fell in love with a human prince. But she needs to give up her tail in exchange for human legs and face various difficulties in order to be with her beloved. This story expresses the themes of love and sacrifice, and also reflects the author's thinking on the status of women.
2. "The Ugly Duckling": This is another popular fairy tale that tells the story of an ugly swan who is rejected and bullied by other animals. Eventually, it discovers that it is a beautiful swan and finds a sense of belonging among its own kind. The story expresses the themes of love and acceptance, but also reflects the author's concerns about exclusion and discrimination in human society.
3. "The Elder and the Young Man": This is a short story by Andersen, which tells the story of a conversation between an old man and a young man. Through the old man's memories and reflections, they discuss themes such as the meaning of life, happiness, and loss. This novel reflects the author's exploration and thinking on the philosophy of life.
4. "The Song of the Windmill": This is a poem by Andersen, which describes the scene of an ancient windmill swaying in the wind. This poem is full of imagination and rhythm, expressing the author's love for nature and his understanding of life.
5. "Shadow": This is a short story by Andersen, which tells the story of a person's shadow existing independently from the protagonist. This story explores people's understanding of self-identity and self-existence, and reflects the author's thinking about human nature.
Reference for the above content: Baidu Encyclopedia-Hans Christian Andersen