In 1837, Danish publisher C.A. Reitzel issued the complete first volume of Hans Christian Andersen's Fairy Tales Told for Children (Eventyr, fortalte for Børn) in Copenhagen. Released in cheap, unbound booklets between 1835 and 1837, these stories initially faced lukewarm reviews from traditional Danish critics who disdained Andersen's colloquial tone and informal narrative voice. Nineteenth-century literary culture believed literature for youth ought to be instructional, heavily moralizing, and framed in formal grammar rather than echoing the cadence of spoken storytelling.
Unlike the Brothers Grimm, who painstakingly collected and edited existing oral folklore, Andersen broke new literary ground by inventing original tales alongside his revisions of traditional Nordic motifs. Works like "The Little Mermaid," "The Princess and the Pea," and "The Emperor's New Clothes" infused fairy-tale structures with deep psychological realism, social satire, existential longing, and tragic irony. Andersen wrote with a double audience in mind, crafting surface narratives to delight children while layering subtextual commentary on class, rejection, and art that resonated with adult readers.
The 1837 collection marked a decisive turning point in Western literature, transforming fairy tales from preserved oral relics into a modern artistic literary genre. Andersen's innovative focus on non-human perspectives—giving agency and emotional interiority to tin soldiers, toys, and thumb-sized maidens—laid essential groundwork for modern fantasy. By demonstrating that invented magic could address profound human emotion, Andersen established the foundation for modern children's literature and secondary-world fiction across Europe and North America.
Why it matters
Hans Christian Andersen revolutionized fantasy by shifting fairy tales from preserved oral folklore to original literary art. By introducing psychological depth, subtextual tragedy, and relatable non-human characters, he moved literature for children away from strict moralizing, laying the narrative foundation for modern fantasy, children's fiction, and literary worldbuilding.
Interesting fact
Andersen was so terrified of being buried alive that he routinely left a note on his bedside table that read, 'I only appear to be dead.'
People
- Hans Christian AndersenDanish author who created original literary fairy tales
- C.A. ReitzelCopenhagen publisher who printed Andersen's first story collections
Quotes
"My fairy tales were as much for older people as for children, these understanding the outer garment, while those saw the idea in them."
Location
Reitzel Bookshop · Copenhagen · Denmark
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