Can it be, as Jackie Wullschlager maintains, that in the 1840s and 1850s Hans Christian Andersen was 'the most famous writer in Europe', and that 'two centuries after his birth Andersen is still not appreciated as the world-class author that he undoubtedly was, as representative of the European Romantic spirit as Balzac or Victor Hugo'? These are grand claims and, if they're true, we might well use this lively and informative biography to acquaint ourselves further with Andersen's life and work. On the face of it, however, the claims strain credulity. I imagine that, for most people outside Denmark, the author of 'The Little Mermaid', 'The Ugly Duckling', 'The Snow Queen' and the like is strictly for children.

LRB 8 March 2001 | PDF Download