Hans Christian Andersen Biography

"First, you undergo such a terrible amount of suffering, and then you become famous." - Hans Christian Andersen.

"The Little Mermaid", "The Ugly Duckling", "The Snow Queen"....... the list of marvelous creations by Hans Christian Andersen is utterly long, and equally glorious. With all these works to his credit, it isn't surprising that the charm of this great author spread across the globe in a short span of time. Many of Andersen's works have been inspirations for motion pictures, plays and animated films over the last century, and this in itself highlights the illustriousness of this Danish author-poet.

Life and Times of Hans Christian Andersen

H.C. Andersen was born on April 2, 1805, in the small town of Odense, in Denmark. Though there is no concrete evidence of his childhood, several sources give different accounts of the same. At the age of 14, Andersen went to Copenhagen to try his luck as an actor. His soprano voice did earn him a place at the Royal Danish Theater, however, he was not able to hold on to it for a long time. At this point of time, one of his colleague complimented him for his talent as a poet, something that Andersen himself acknowledged and took to writing as a serious business.

The Beginning of an Illustrious Career
First of the several stories Anderson wrote - "The Ghost at Palnatoke's Grave", was published in 1822, thus marking his entry in the world of literature. Andersen wrote that the years to follow were some of the worst years in his life. In 1829, one of his stories "A Journey on Foot from Holmen's Canal to the East Point of Amager", brought him back to the center stage. Luck wasn't quite favoring Andersen as yet, and after publishing a comedy and a collection of poems the same year, he wasn't able to pull out something big for a few years to come.

At the Peak of his Career
In 1833, he got a financial grant from the king which enabled him to travel to several parts of Europe. This proved to be an important aspect of his life, as many of his stories were inspired by his travels that followed. He published his first full-fledged novel - "The Improvisatore", in 1835. It was an instant success in the world of literature, thus inspiring Andersen to come with more such works. H.C. Andersen achieved another milestone the same year, when he published his first installment of "Fairy Tales". More installments followed in the years to come. At the same time, two more Hans Christian Andersen novels made it to the book stalls - O.T. (1836) and Only a Fiddler.

Friends, Critics and Accolades
In the years to follow, Andersen came up with some of his finest works, including novels such as Ugly Duckling (1837), Pictures of Sweden (1851), etc. Andersen's soaring popularity earned him critics as well as friends. The long list of his friends included some of the great names like Charles Dickens, Robert Browing, Victor Hugo, Heinrich Heine, etc. The list of the accolades he earned was not short either. In 1846, he received the Knighthood of the Red Eagle from King Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia. In 1859, he received the Maximilian Order of Art and Science from King Maximilian II of Bavaria.

The End of the Journey
A large number of Andersen's work towards the later phase of his life was influenced by his travelogues and his love for different women. By the age of 70, Andersen had a significant number of literary works to his credit. The amazing journey of Hans Christian Andersen came to an end on 4 August, 1875, when he died following a brief illness, in Copenhagen.

Even a century after his death, Andersen continues to stay in our heart through his stories, a feat which not many people have been able to achieve.