Fairy Tales (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition) Paperback – Deckle Edge, March 28, 2006

Hans Christian Anderson was out of his mind, but in a good, creative way. The theme that emerges the clearest in these tales is that life's underdogs and outcasts can and do overcome the odds, and their true inner beauty trumps all the vain, pompous, so-called "winners" in life in the end. I totally enjoyed these stories and no, not all of them have a happy ending. In fact, there is a dark aspect to many of them that lingers over at least some of the collection.. Metaphors and symbolism abound, but are not too obscure with a bit of pondering and thought. One can also tap into his or her "inner kid" and just enjoy the whimsy of inanimate objects talking, animals and birds assisting characters a la Disney, both good and evil witches popping up here and there, queens, and princesses. (Hans had a thing for "princesses", even though it was suspected that it was the brothers of the "princesses" in his own life that really got his boat floating. Being "out of the closet" wasn't much of an option in those days.) This collection is truly wonderful because it has a great Introduction that tells you much about the author and includes charming illustrations by Hans himself. He was apparently quite an oddity in appearance, mannerisms, and personality, yet hesoared as a writer in his time and enjoyed both great fame and wealth. No mere "ugly duckling" he... This is one marvelously entertainingand beautifully translated book, and it's a treasure. Highly recommended, and makes a wonderful gift.

Got it for a class, but I love it! The translations are almost perfect (a few miss the mark a little). Doesn't have all the tales, but still pretty enjoyable!

This version of Anderson's tales are very beautifully translated. I like to read aloud to kids.

These aren't for your children's consumption! It is nice to read the original stories - I think most people will agree that although we may have heard them the original way - they are far too scary for this generation!

It's difficult to convey cultural humor and wit from one language to another, but Nunnally's is the best translation I've read for Hans Christian Andersen's fairytales.

Wonderful stories

great!

How racist and misogynistic these stories were. Awful.