The Little Mermaid [Sulamith Wülfing]
by Hans Christian Andersen
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A little sea princess, longing to become human, trades her mermaid's tail for legs, hoping to win the love of a prince and an immortal soul for herself.Tags
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The Little Mermaid, illustrated by Sulamith Wülfing.
I am somewhat bemused to find myself giving any edition of Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid - a tale about which I have, at best, ambiguous feelings - a full five stars, but I was so enchanted by Sulamith Wülfing's gorgeous artwork that four stars just wasn't sufficient. This astonishingly beautiful picture-book now ranks up there with my all-time favorite Andersen retellings, from Vladylsav Yerko's The Snow Queen, to Anne Yvonne Gilbert's The Wild Swans. How glad I am that I requested it through Inter-Library Loan! Now I need to obtain a copy of my own...
The narrative itself, translated from the German edition by Petra Michel, is a fairly standard retelling - one that is show more mostly faithful to the original, although the highly moralistic ending, in which the Little Mermaid's fate depends upon the behavior of the children she encounters, has been thankfully removed. But the illustrations - both black and white prints interspersed with the text, and full-page color paintings - are breathtakingly beautiful, capturing the wild eldritch magic of the tale. Fantastic in theme, and rich in decorative detail, Wülfing's art here is clearly influenced by both Celtic and Norse design. A visually stunning title, sure to appeal to fantasy and fairy-tale art lovers!
Note: parents who find nudity in a children's book objectionable, should be aware that Wülfing depicts the Little Mermaid in all her naked glory, even showing (as one amazon reviewer noted with outrage) her nipples. show less
I am somewhat bemused to find myself giving any edition of Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid - a tale about which I have, at best, ambiguous feelings - a full five stars, but I was so enchanted by Sulamith Wülfing's gorgeous artwork that four stars just wasn't sufficient. This astonishingly beautiful picture-book now ranks up there with my all-time favorite Andersen retellings, from Vladylsav Yerko's The Snow Queen, to Anne Yvonne Gilbert's The Wild Swans. How glad I am that I requested it through Inter-Library Loan! Now I need to obtain a copy of my own...
The narrative itself, translated from the German edition by Petra Michel, is a fairly standard retelling - one that is show more mostly faithful to the original, although the highly moralistic ending, in which the Little Mermaid's fate depends upon the behavior of the children she encounters, has been thankfully removed. But the illustrations - both black and white prints interspersed with the text, and full-page color paintings - are breathtakingly beautiful, capturing the wild eldritch magic of the tale. Fantastic in theme, and rich in decorative detail, Wülfing's art here is clearly influenced by both Celtic and Norse design. A visually stunning title, sure to appeal to fantasy and fairy-tale art lovers!
Note: parents who find nudity in a children's book objectionable, should be aware that Wülfing depicts the Little Mermaid in all her naked glory, even showing (as one amazon reviewer noted with outrage) her nipples. show less
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Hans Christian Andersen, one of the best known figures in literature, is best know for combining traditional folk tales with his own great imagination to produce fairy tales known to most children today. The Danish writer was born in the slums of Odense. Although he was raised in poverty, he eventually attended Copenhagen University. Although show more Andersen wrote poems, plays and books, he is best known for his Fairy Tales and Other Stories, written between 1835 and 1872. This work includes such famous tales as The Emperor's New Clothes, Little Ugly Duckling, The Tinderbox, Little Claus and Big Claus, Princess and the Pea, The Snow Queen, The Little Mermaid, The Nightingale, The Story of a Mother and The Swineherd. Andersen's greatest work is still influential today, helping mold some of the works of writers ranging from Charles Dickens to Oscar Wilde and inspiring many of the works of Disney and other motion pictures. Andersen, who traveled greatly during his life, died in his home in Rolighed on August 4, 1875. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- The Little Mermaid [Sulamith Wülfing]
- Original title
- Die kleine Meerjungfer
- Original publication date
- 1953
- First words*
- Endlos ziehen die Wogen des Meeres von Strand zu Strand, und unendlich ist seine Tiefe, geheimnisvoll und voller Zauber.
- Last words*
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)Durch ihre Verwandlung in einen Menschen, durch ihre Leiden und Opfer hatte das kleine Meerwesen eine unsterbliche Seele erlangt, welche nun in jene höhere Welt, Ziel ihrer Sehnsucht und ihres Duldens, eingehen und dort Erfüllung finden konnte.
- Original language*
- Deutsch
- Disambiguation notice*
- Dies ist eine adaptierte Ausgabe des Märchens von/für Sulamith Wülfing.
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.
Classifications
- Genres
- Children's Books, Picture Books
- DDC/MDS
- 398.21 — Social sciences Customs, etiquette & folklore Folklore Folk literature Tales and lore of paranatural beings of human and semihuman form
- LCC
- PZ8 .A542 — Language and Literature Fiction and juvenile belles lettres Fiction and juvenile belles lettres Juvenile belles lettres
Statistics
- Members
- 35
- Popularity
- 814,280
- Reviews
- 1
- Rating
- (4.60)
- Languages
- English, German
- Media
- Paper
- ISBNs
- 2
- ASINs
- 2
