Chris bought me a book on Hans Christen Anderson. Partly because we couldn't think of exactly what it was he had written (all of them) and partly because he knows of my love and theoretical interest in fairy tales and folklore.
Normally I'm not one to dive into introductions, biographies, or backgrounds unless it is assigned reading, but I found myself engrossed in the life of Anderson. He is such an odd, odd fellow. Fascinating really. The man not only revolutionized children's literature as they knew it, but the importance of the fairy tale. His later work were fairy tales for adults.
Unfortunately most translations of him are horrible. They are full of errors or they are an attempt to smooth out his writing. In Danish Anderson was quirky, and odd, and made up words. He combined a humor and higher level of thinking with plain language and strange syntax. He is extremely difficult to translate.
So I finally get to the stories, full of intrigue at this point, and excited that this book claims to be the best translation- or at least the translation most true to his work, as true as they can attempt to be without it actually being in Danish...
And the weirdest thing... his writing kind of reminds me of me. I'm not trying to inflate my importance. His blunt styling and odd stories remind me a little of my Silly Stories. I haven't gotten to the darker adult tales, but the fact that he wrote them- the fact that he essentially already did, what I have been trying to do since last summer- is fascinating. and weird.
Normally I'm not one to dive into introductions, biographies, or backgrounds unless it is assigned reading, but I found myself engrossed in the life of Anderson. He is such an odd, odd fellow. Fascinating really. The man not only revolutionized children's literature as they knew it, but the importance of the fairy tale. His later work were fairy tales for adults.
Unfortunately most translations of him are horrible. They are full of errors or they are an attempt to smooth out his writing. In Danish Anderson was quirky, and odd, and made up words. He combined a humor and higher level of thinking with plain language and strange syntax. He is extremely difficult to translate.
So I finally get to the stories, full of intrigue at this point, and excited that this book claims to be the best translation- or at least the translation most true to his work, as true as they can attempt to be without it actually being in Danish...
And the weirdest thing... his writing kind of reminds me of me. I'm not trying to inflate my importance. His blunt styling and odd stories remind me a little of my Silly Stories. I haven't gotten to the darker adult tales, but the fact that he wrote them- the fact that he essentially already did, what I have been trying to do since last summer- is fascinating. and weird.
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