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The Snow Queen / Snedronningen, 1845

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The Stories of Hans Christian Andersen
This chapter is in the book The Stories of Hans Christian Andersen
The Snow Queena tale in seven storiesAll right, let’s get started! When we’re at the end of the story, we’llknow more than we do now, because there was an evil troll, oneof the worst — it was the devil. One day he was in a really goodmood; he had made a mirror that had special qualities: It would shrinkeverything that was good and beautiful to almost nothing, and it wouldmagnify whatever was worthless and ugly and make it seem even worse....................................................................................................................................................................“The Snow Queen,” with its famous and much-quoted prologue — complete withnon sequiturs — goes in many directions. It even includes a rumination on the In-dian custom of suttee, and Andersen seems to have had a splendid time getting itall down. The story, published in 1845, also promotes Andersen’s recurring revoltagainst formalism; as the modern Danish critic Villy Sørensen has observed, An-dersen saw the snow queen’s icy world as the proper home for someone whose hearthas been replaced by chilly reason — a category in which Andersen certainly placedmany of his contemporaries.
© 2021 Duke University Press, Durham, USA

The Snow Queena tale in seven storiesAll right, let’s get started! When we’re at the end of the story, we’llknow more than we do now, because there was an evil troll, oneof the worst — it was the devil. One day he was in a really goodmood; he had made a mirror that had special qualities: It would shrinkeverything that was good and beautiful to almost nothing, and it wouldmagnify whatever was worthless and ugly and make it seem even worse....................................................................................................................................................................“The Snow Queen,” with its famous and much-quoted prologue — complete withnon sequiturs — goes in many directions. It even includes a rumination on the In-dian custom of suttee, and Andersen seems to have had a splendid time getting itall down. The story, published in 1845, also promotes Andersen’s recurring revoltagainst formalism; as the modern Danish critic Villy Sørensen has observed, An-dersen saw the snow queen’s icy world as the proper home for someone whose hearthas been replaced by chilly reason — a category in which Andersen certainly placedmany of his contemporaries.
© 2021 Duke University Press, Durham, USA

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter i
  2. Contents vii
  3. Introduction: The Real H. C. Andersen 1
  4. The Tinderbox / Fyrtøjet, 1835 39
  5. Little Claus and Big Claus / Lille Claus og store Claus, 1835 47
  6. The Princess on the Pea / Prinsessen paa Ærten, 1835 61
  7. Thumbelisa / Tommelise, 1835 64
  8. The Little Mermaid / Den lille Havfrue, 1837 78
  9. The Emperor’s New Clothes / Kejserens nye Klæder, 1837 105
  10. The Wild Swans / De vilde Svaner, 1838 111
  11. The Swineherd / Svinedrengen, 1842 131
  12. The Nightingale / Nattergalen, 1844 139
  13. The Sweethearts / Kærestefolkene, 1844 152
  14. The Ugly Duckling / Den grimme Ælling, 1844 156
  15. The Snow Queen / Snedronningen, 1845 169
  16. The Red Shoes / De røde Sko, 1845 207
  17. The Little Match Girl / Den lille Pige med Svovlstikkerne, 1845 215
  18. The Happy Family / Den lykkelige Familie, 1847 220
  19. The Shadow / Skyggen, 1847 225
  20. By the Outermost Sea / Ved det yderste Hav, 1855 240
  21. Hopeless Hans / Klods-Hans, 1855 244
  22. Kids’ Talk / Børnesnak, 1859 250
  23. Father’s Always Right / Hvad Fatter gør, det er altid det Rigtige, 1861 254
  24. The Gardener and the Aristocrats / Gartneren og Herskabet, 1872 260
  25. Auntie Toothache / Tante Tandpine, 1872 269
  26. Acknowledgments 285
  27. Bibliography 287
  28. About the translation 295
  29. About the artists 296
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https://doi.org/10.1515/9780822386995-013

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter i
  2. Contents vii
  3. Introduction: The Real H. C. Andersen 1
  4. The Tinderbox / Fyrtøjet, 1835 39
  5. Little Claus and Big Claus / Lille Claus og store Claus, 1835 47
  6. The Princess on the Pea / Prinsessen paa Ærten, 1835 61
  7. Thumbelisa / Tommelise, 1835 64
  8. The Little Mermaid / Den lille Havfrue, 1837 78
  9. The Emperor’s New Clothes / Kejserens nye Klæder, 1837 105
  10. The Wild Swans / De vilde Svaner, 1838 111
  11. The Swineherd / Svinedrengen, 1842 131
  12. The Nightingale / Nattergalen, 1844 139
  13. The Sweethearts / Kærestefolkene, 1844 152
  14. The Ugly Duckling / Den grimme Ælling, 1844 156
  15. The Snow Queen / Snedronningen, 1845 169
  16. The Red Shoes / De røde Sko, 1845 207
  17. The Little Match Girl / Den lille Pige med Svovlstikkerne, 1845 215
  18. The Happy Family / Den lykkelige Familie, 1847 220
  19. The Shadow / Skyggen, 1847 225
  20. By the Outermost Sea / Ved det yderste Hav, 1855 240
  21. Hopeless Hans / Klods-Hans, 1855 244
  22. Kids’ Talk / Børnesnak, 1859 250
  23. Father’s Always Right / Hvad Fatter gør, det er altid det Rigtige, 1861 254
  24. The Gardener and the Aristocrats / Gartneren og Herskabet, 1872 260
  25. Auntie Toothache / Tante Tandpine, 1872 269
  26. Acknowledgments 285
  27. Bibliography 287
  28. About the translation 295
  29. About the artists 296
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