Quotes from book
The Little Mermaid

Hans Christian AndersenOriginal title Den lille Havfrue (Danish, 1837)

"The Little Mermaid" is a fairy tale written by the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. The story follows the journey of a young mermaid who is willing to give up her life in the sea as a mermaid to gain a human soul. The tale was first published in 1837 as part of a collection of fairy tales for children. The original story has been a subject of multiple analyses by scholars such as Jacob Bøggild and Pernille Heegaard as well as the folklorist Maria Tatar. These analyses cover various aspects of the story from interpreting the themes to discussing why Andersen chose to write a tragic story with a happy ending. It has been adapted to various media, including musical theatre, anime, ballet, opera, and a Disney animated film. There is also a statue portraying the mermaid in Copenhagen, Denmark, where the story was written and first published.


Hans Christian Andersen photo
Hans Christian Andersen photo
Hans Christian Andersen photo
Hans Christian Andersen photo
Hans Christian Andersen photo
Hans Christian Andersen photo

Similar authors

Hans Christian Andersen photo
Hans Christian Andersen41
Danish author, fairy tale writer, and poet 1805–1875
Fyodor Dostoyevsky photo
Fyodor Dostoyevsky155
Russian author None
Sören Kierkegaard photo
Sören Kierkegaard309
Danish philosopher and theologian, founder of Existentialism None
Elizabeth Barrett Browning photo
Elizabeth Barrett Browning88
English poet, author None
Mikhail Lermontov photo
Mikhail Lermontov34
Russian writer, poet and painter None
Edgar Allan Poe photo
Edgar Allan Poe126
American author, poet, editor and literary critic None
Robert Louis Stevenson photo
Robert Louis Stevenson118
Scottish novelist, poet, essayist, and travel writer None
Jan Neruda photo
Jan Neruda7
Czech poet, theater reviewer, publicist and writer None
Ambrose Bierce photo
Ambrose Bierce204
American editorialist, journalist, short story writer, fabu… None
Henrik Ibsen photo
Henrik Ibsen69
Norwegian playwright, theatre director, and poet None