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25th out of 131 books
—
35 voters
The Little Mermaid
For as long as she can remember, the little mermaid has yearned for her 15th birthday, when she will finally be old enough to explore the world above the waves. Awash with the evocative colors of the sea, Hans Christian Andersen's bittersweet tale comes to life. Full color.
Hardcover, 48 pages
Published
August 24th 1993
by Random House Books for Young Readers
(first published 1837)
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This review for the picture book version illustrated by Charles Santore
It would be hard to convince me that this isn't the most perfect illustrated version of The Little Mermaid ever. It is everything I could have ever hoped and imagined for this beautiful and tragic tale. The text is taken from a mid-nineteenth century English translation by Mary Howitt. Howitt was a contemporary and friend of H.C. Andersen as well as an author and poet in her own right. She wrote the famous poem The Spider and...more
It would be hard to convince me that this isn't the most perfect illustrated version of The Little Mermaid ever. It is everything I could have ever hoped and imagined for this beautiful and tragic tale. The text is taken from a mid-nineteenth century English translation by Mary Howitt. Howitt was a contemporary and friend of H.C. Andersen as well as an author and poet in her own right. She wrote the famous poem The Spider and...more
Oct 02, 2009
Abigail
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Fairy-Tale Lovers / Charles Santore Fans
Review Temporarily Removed.
4 likes · like · see review
A hauntingly beautiful story paired with achingly gorgeous illustrations! I'm sorry to say that this is the first time I've read the "actual" story of the Little Mermaid, previously acquainted only with very general retellings and the Disney movie version (which is delightful in its way). This version purports to be closest to Andersen's original as it makes only slight adaptations from the mid-19th century translation by Mary Howitt, a correspondent and friend of Andersen who introduced his wor...more
6 likes · like · see review
Oct 02, 2009
Abigail
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Fairy-Tale Lovers/ Lisbeth Zwerger Fans
Review Temporarily Removed.
2 likes · like · see review
Jun 15, 2009
Kim
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
children-and-young-adult
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Dec 08, 2008
dara
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
small children who should realize at an early age that not even fairy tales are all happy endings
Shelves:
read-in-2008,
reviewed
The Little Mermaid is a short, rather sad story of sacrificing for love. After saving a prince from drowning, the little mermaid falls in love so deeply that she wishes to become human desperately enough to make a deal with the sea witch. She is told that if she fails to capture the prince's heart, then on the morning after he is married to another, she will turn into sea foam. Not only does she lose her voice to the sea witch in exchange for legs, but every step she makes is excruciatingly pain...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Like all little girls, I was once in love with the Little Mermaid. My mom will tell you that I would have to watch the Little Mermaid at least three times a day, or I wasn't a happy camper. As a teenager, I have the Little Mermaid on DVD (the special edition), but I spend more time watching all the special features than the movie. I practically have them memorized by now, but I still watch them anyway. One of the special features on the DVD is a little background on Hans Christian Anderson and...more
I was actually introduced to this tale by Disney.
Now, as a little 7 year old girl who adored Disney Movies, you'd think I would be in love with Disney's The Little Mermaid. Especially considering that despite my utter tom boyishness, I am still in love with Beauty and the Beast.
But it seems I am one of the few who doesn't like the Disney retelling of The Little Mermaid.
I am indeed grateful for it for kicking off the Disney Renaissance which I grew up with. I can't fault the animation, the songs...more
Now, as a little 7 year old girl who adored Disney Movies, you'd think I would be in love with Disney's The Little Mermaid. Especially considering that despite my utter tom boyishness, I am still in love with Beauty and the Beast.
But it seems I am one of the few who doesn't like the Disney retelling of The Little Mermaid.
I am indeed grateful for it for kicking off the Disney Renaissance which I grew up with. I can't fault the animation, the songs...more
I wanted to read the original tale that inspired one of my favourite Disney movies of the same title. Hans Christian Andersen has a beautiful, simple yet vivid writing style that speaks of tragic unrequited love. As much as I enjoyed the story I was not satisfied- The Little Mermaid gives up everything for The Prince- her tongue, her family, her world, her tail in exchange for painful human legs. The Sea Witch does not give her any real advantage to win the prince over other than permitting The...more
The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen
Genre: Traditional Literature
Interest level: 3-5
Guided reading: L
Lexile level: 410L
Main Characters: The little mermaid
POV: 3rd person
Summary: This is the tale of a mermaid princess who dreams of living in a human world. The rule of the sea is that when a mermaid turns 15, they can go to the surface and see the world above for the first time. Her older sisters tell her of the great things they’ve seen sparking a longing for seeing it for herself. When...more
Genre: Traditional Literature
Interest level: 3-5
Guided reading: L
Lexile level: 410L
Main Characters: The little mermaid
POV: 3rd person
Summary: This is the tale of a mermaid princess who dreams of living in a human world. The rule of the sea is that when a mermaid turns 15, they can go to the surface and see the world above for the first time. Her older sisters tell her of the great things they’ve seen sparking a longing for seeing it for herself. When...more
I've always loved mermaids. When I was little, I dreamed about being one! lol. I've always found them to be such beautiful & interesting mythical creatures. So of course, you would think that I love Han's Christian Anderson's The Little Mermaid, right? WRONG. And it's not just because of the Disney version. In fact, I always had some issues with Disney's version of the fairytale even before I read the original story.
I never understood how the mermaid could give up her family & life unde...more
I never understood how the mermaid could give up her family & life unde...more
1 like · like · see review
This is a hauntingly beautiful love story about a mermaid who falls in love with a human. Spoilers will probably be ahead, so you've been warned.
If you want to read this story because you expect it to be all rainbows and sunshine like the Disney version, don't even bother. This is a more twisted and dark version of the story, the true original. A lot of things are very different than the Disney movie (which I also happen to love to bits, can't you tell by my default picture?), including the part...more
If you want to read this story because you expect it to be all rainbows and sunshine like the Disney version, don't even bother. This is a more twisted and dark version of the story, the true original. A lot of things are very different than the Disney movie (which I also happen to love to bits, can't you tell by my default picture?), including the part...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
After loving the Disney movie version for so long I finally read the original story. Not this edition in particular with illustrations but I couldn't find the one I read. Many who have read the original story that both stories are very different and they are. I loved the author's descriptions of the mermaid kingdom it was so much more beautiful than what was shown in the animated movie and the little mermaids sacrifice was much greater though she took no less time to think about the horrible con...more
The little mermaid tells the story of the youngest daughter of the sea king. When her sisters turn sixteen they have their first view of the world above the sea. As her sisters each turn sixteen and return with stories the littlest mermaid can’t wait to explore the above world. On her first visit she comes across the handsome prince who she watches aboard his ship. When the ship is destroyed in the storm the little mermaid helps him to land. After returning to her home in the sea she can’t stop...more
The Little Mermaid is my ultimate favorite fairy tale. Ever since I was young I have always loved imagining that maybe one day I could be a mermaid too. I think it is my love for the theme of forbidden love, much like a common theme in all of Shakespeare’s stories. That they love each other so deeply, but their love cannot happen because of disagreements or things that separate them. Ariel, who is a mermaid, falls in love with a human and her father is not to happy about this because there is no...more
This is a very old version on the classic fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen. I picked it up at a Goodwill store, wondering if I had ever really read this story.
I don't think I did--I don't remember the story--just more about the statue that is in the harbor in Copenhagen.
The story is a bit dismal and unhappy. I am not sure why it has endured since 1837--but maybe that is the answer--it was written in 1837 and there was nothing else like it at the time.
This version of the story has a very lo...more
I don't think I did--I don't remember the story--just more about the statue that is in the harbor in Copenhagen.
The story is a bit dismal and unhappy. I am not sure why it has endured since 1837--but maybe that is the answer--it was written in 1837 and there was nothing else like it at the time.
This version of the story has a very lo...more
Disney did a wonderful job sugarcoating the hell out of this story as they do with all the other fairytales they've made into movies. The original is sad and it makes me pity the little mermaid. Despite everything she went through she did it with an unselfish heart( well besides the part where she leaves her family for a guy she barely knew. Other than that it was touching. I loved the ending in a way that there is still hope for the little mermaid and that she could possible have eternal life....more
Lisbeth Zwerger is one of my favorite illustrators. Even though she illustrates in color, her pictures remind me of the sense I get when looking at black and white photographs. The pictures are cool but not chilly. They might reveal secrets.
It had been a long time since I had first read Andersen's story, and I was struck by how much I had forgotten how beautiful and vividly written it was. Here are the first two sentences:
Far out in the ocean, where the water is as blue as the prettiest cornflow...more
It had been a long time since I had first read Andersen's story, and I was struck by how much I had forgotten how beautiful and vividly written it was. Here are the first two sentences:
Far out in the ocean, where the water is as blue as the prettiest cornflow...more
No, this is not your typical children's book where the princess and his prince charming fall in love with each other and live happily ever after--after straightening out a few mandatory plot twists, of course. This is far from the Disney tale, where animated lobsters and fish frolic to blithe melodies under the sea. It is quite harrowing and too "realistic" for children's story. Perhaps you don't want children at an early age to read about problems in the form of unrequited love; better stick to...more
Wonderful book translated by a wonderful person. She was 96 and unable to read when we edited this book together. Word by word, punctuation mark by punctuation mark, she was so meticulous. And even when she closed here eyes while I was reading it to her, she was alert for any discordant note - a real perfectionist. She lived long enough to see the galley proofs, with the fabulous illustrations by Christian Birmingham, whom she much admired. It was a great privilege for me, a non-literary person,...more
This is one of my favorite books when I was a little child. It really breaks my heart when finally I know she became bubbles. One of the most important reasons is it edifies people a significant moral value which is about love and sacrifice. To pursue the true love and eternal soul of human, she gives up the fabulous life and the 300-year lifespan. The little mermaid would drink the poison and suffer the pain in order to see the prince. Moreover, at the dawn of the prince’s wedding day, the lit...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
If you're expecting anything like the Disney movie, you will find *very* little here. This story isn't even for little kids, since some parts are rather painful. In Disney's movie, Ariel had only to give up her voice. Here, the mermaid not only has to deal with that, but the witch also tells her that with every step she takes it will feel like knives stabbing into her feet, and even in some tellings of this story, bleed.
The ending is a bit preachy, what with the fact that the little mermaid lack...more
The ending is a bit preachy, what with the fact that the little mermaid lack...more
I appreciate this story now that I am an adult. I was 6 when it was read to me the the first time. I did not get it until when I am 27 and with a girl of my own. "Do not change who you are for a male or anyone. If asked to change, do not do it for you are the way you are for a reason." The main female lead gives up her voice and later on in the story, herself for someone else. Tough lesson story, but hauntingly beautiful at the same. It teaches that not all stories have a happy ending, something...more
This was actualyl a really sad book. The disney movie truly did sguar coat it. It tells the story of a mermaid who saves a drowning prince and fall in love. She looks to the sea witch and trades her voice for a pair of legs. Every step she takes bears so much pain, but she does it for love. The book ends with another ending than the movie and she is turned into seafoam when she returns to the water. This book makes you think about the sacrifrices we make for love. Its inspiring, but heartbreakin...more
Mar 13, 2013
Ashley Barnard
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
rdg-291,
fairy-tales
The book is quite dark and unhappy. Some would expect the mermaid to win the prince’s heart after everything she sacrificed to be with him. Andersen never married, and it has been speculated that he was homosexual. He often fell for men he could not have. Perhaps he saw himself as the mermaid who could not have the man she loved. I do not think I would read it to young children because of how dark it is. The story is well written, but I do not like the message that a woman needs to give change h...more
6th-8th
This story is about a young girl who always wanted to turn 15. At the age of fifteen she would be old enough to explore the world above the water. This young girl was a mermaid. This mermaid finds her self in several adventures that include a prince.
This is a story many students could relate to. Many students may wish for something and the results were not what they expected. This story could not only be compared to the Disney edition of the "Little Mermaid" but also compared text to w...more
This story is about a young girl who always wanted to turn 15. At the age of fifteen she would be old enough to explore the world above the water. This young girl was a mermaid. This mermaid finds her self in several adventures that include a prince.
This is a story many students could relate to. Many students may wish for something and the results were not what they expected. This story could not only be compared to the Disney edition of the "Little Mermaid" but also compared text to w...more
Sep 27, 2010
Linda
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
1001-childrens,
1001-kids-5plus
Such a sad sad tale. Love and lives lost. Women subjugating themselves to some ideal of man for nought. If you're a bit sensative please stick to the Disneyised version.
Must pause on the illustrations of this particular version though because they were a visual paradise. They looked 'underwater' enough to have a 'fuzziness' to them that made you squint for more detail, or just hold it at arms length and fall into the sea. My boys weren't drawn to the book ("That's a girl book!") so I didn't pre...more
Must pause on the illustrations of this particular version though because they were a visual paradise. They looked 'underwater' enough to have a 'fuzziness' to them that made you squint for more detail, or just hold it at arms length and fall into the sea. My boys weren't drawn to the book ("That's a girl book!") so I didn't pre...more
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Hans Christian Andersen, or simply H.C. Andersen, was a Danish author and poet, most famous for his fairy tales. Among his best-known stories "The Snow Queen", "The Little Mermaid", "The Emperor's New Clothes" and "The Ugly Duckling". During Andersen's lifetime he was feted by royalty and acclaimed as having brought joy to children across Europe. His fairy tales have been translated into well over...more
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“But a mermaid has no tears, and therefore she suffers so much more.”
—
2,865 people liked it
“If human beings are not drowned, asked the little mermaid, can they live forever? do they never die as we do here in the sea? Yes, replied the old lady, they must also die, and their term of life is even shorter than ours. We sometimes live to three hundred years, but when we cease to exist here we only become the foam on the surface of the water, and we have not even a grave down here of those we love. We have not immortal souls, we shall never live again; but, like the green sea-weed, when once it has been cut off, we can never flourish more. Human beings, on the contrary, have a soul which lives forever, lives after the body has been turned to dust. It rises up through the clear, pure air beyond the glittering stars. As we rise out of the water, and behold all the land of the earth, so do they rise to unknown and glorious regions which we shall never see.
Why have not we an immortal soul? asked the little mermaid mournfully; I would give gladly all the hundreds of years that I have to live, to be a human being only for one day, and to have the hope of knowing the happiness of that glorious world above the stars.
You must not think of that, said the old woman; we feel ourselves to be much happier and much better off than human beings.
So I shall die, said the little mermaid, and as the foam of the sea I shall be driven about never again to hear the music of the waves, or to see the pretty flowers nor the red sun...”
—
54 people liked it
More quotes…
Why have not we an immortal soul? asked the little mermaid mournfully; I would give gladly all the hundreds of years that I have to live, to be a human being only for one day, and to have the hope of knowing the happiness of that glorious world above the stars.
You must not think of that, said the old woman; we feel ourselves to be much happier and much better off than human beings.
So I shall die, said the little mermaid, and as the foam of the sea I shall be driven about never again to hear the music of the waves, or to see the pretty flowers nor the red sun...”
Sep 21, 2009 08:30am
Sep 22, 2009 08:26am