Hans Christian Andersen's Fairy Tales

By: Hans Christian Andersen, Erik Christian Haugaard - translator, Michael Bacon

Narrated by: F. Murray Abraham, Edoardo Ballerini, Marisa Calin, Cynthia Darlow, Ari Fliakos, Dion Graham, January LaVoy, Jennifer Lim, Euan Morton, Robert Petkoff, Rebecca Soler, Marc Thompson

Brought to life by Academy Award®-winning actor F. Murray Abraham and an ensemble cast of narrators, and featuring original music by Michael Bacon, this collection contains Hans Christian Andersen’s most beloved fairy tales, as well as a selection of lesser-known favorites.

Unlike the Brothers Grimm, who collected and retold folklore and fairy tales, Hans Christian Andersen adopted the most ancient literary forms and distilled them into a genre that was uniquely his own. His fairy tales are remarkable for their sense of fantasy, power of description, and vivid imagination. They are like no others written before or since.

Recognizing the literary merit of Andersen's own simple colloquial language, Erik Haugaard has remained faithful to the original text in the translation from Danish to English. Listeners will rediscover Hans Christian Andersen's best-known fairy tales, and find new favorites.

Stories:

The Princess and the Pea
Thumbelina
The Emperor's New Clothes
The Steadfast Tin Soldier
The Ugly Duckling
The Little Mermaid
The Little Match Girl
The Wild Swans
The Nightingale
The Snow Queen
"The Will-o'-the-Wisps are in Town," said the Bog Witch
The Rags
The Adventures of a Thistle
Luck Can Be Found in a Stick
The Days of the Week

Cast:

F. Murray Abraham
Edoardo Ballerini
Marisa Calin
Cynthia Darlow
Ari Fliakos
Dion Graham
January LaVoy
Jennifer Lim
Euan Morton
Robert Petkoff
Rebecca Soler
Marc Thompson

Critic reviews

The Puffin Classics series is a perfect marriage of the old and the new. Enjoy some of the best books from the past and find out why and how they inspired some of the best writers of the present—Julia Eccleshare, LoveReading4Kids

Terrific!

I have had some exposure to the real fairy tales in the past, but, candidly, I, like many, have had far more exposure to “bastardizations” in film and other adaptations.

The real tales are powerful, strong, beautiful, lyrical, and moving. They’re great for people of all ages in that they can be troubling and scary but also inspiring and unforgettable in the best sense.

Kids can handle it. Adults can handle it. It’s just so very good. This genre called fairy tales. And there have been few better in all the history of literature better than Andersen’s.

Also, the production was superb - all the voices and the supporting music.

If I had a criticism, it would be that there should be a demarcation of where stories start and where stories end. These aren’t chapters!

In any event, it’s a great listen!

Absolutely Lovely

Such a pleasurable listen. I thoroughly enjoyed the stories and shared it with the family.

Nice stories

Great audiobook, guide you through these interesting stories that leave you many teachings. Good voice simulating the personification

This reader is amazing.

I love these stories more than my kids do. The reader is amazing with every single story !

Wonderful stories

I loved this book. I’m so glad to have listened to them in their original unabridged form. So many of them have been manipulated by children’s books and movies. It’s refreshing to hear them as written and much more impactful too. Narrations were excellent and brought the stories to life. As an adult, I found the stories quite meaningful. Highly recommend!