The Snow Queen

by Hans Christian Andersen, Vilhelm Pedersen (Illustrator), H.B. Paull (Translator)

This charming retelling of the classic tale by Hans Christian Andersen is exquisitely complemented by Vladyslav Yerko' magical illustrations. Wrap up warmly to join Gerda on her quest to rescue Kay from the icy clutches of the wicked Snow Queen.

Genres: Classics, Fantasy, Fiction, Childrens, Fairy Tales, Audiobook, Short Stories

100 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1844

About the author

Hans Christian Andersen (often referred to in Scandinavia as H.C. Andersen) was a Danish author and poet. Although a prolific writer of plays, travelogues, novels, and poems, Andersen is best remembered for his fairy tales. Andersen's popularity is not limited to children; his stories — called eventyr, or "fairy-tales" — express themes that transcend age and nationality.

Andersen's fairy tales, which have been translated into more than 125 languages, have become culturally embedded in the West's collective consciousness, readily accessible to children, but presenting lessons of virtue and resilience in the face of adversity for mature readers as well. Some of his most famous fairy tales include "The Little Mermaid", "The Ugly Duckling", "The Nightingale", "The Emperor's New Clothes" and many more. His stories have inspired plays, ballets, and both live-action and animated films.

Reviews

[Ahmad Sharabiani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Snedronningen = The Snow Queen, Hans Christian Andersen

The Snow Queen is an original fairy tale written by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. The tale was first published 21 December 1844 in New Fairy Tales.

The story centers on the struggle between good and evil as experienced by Gerda and her friend, Kai. The Snow Queen is a tale told in seven stories:
1 - About the Mirror and Its Pieces.
2 - A Little Boy and a Little Girl.
3 - The Flower Garden of the Woman Who Knew Magic.
4 - The Prince and the Princess.
5 - The Little Robber Girl.
6 - The Lapp Woman and the Finn Woman.
7 - What Happened at the Snow Queen's Palace and What Happened Afterwards.

The devil, in the form of an evil troll, has made a magic mirror that distorts the appearance of everything that it reflects. The magic mirror fails to reflect the good and beautiful aspects of people and things, and magnifies their bad and ugly aspects.

The devil, who is headmaster at a troll school, takes the mirror and his pupils throughout the world, delighting in using it to distort everyone and everything; the mirror makes the loveliest landscapes look like "boiled spinach." They attempt to carry the mirror into heaven in order to make fools of the angels and of God, but the higher they lift it, the more the mirror shakes with laughter, and it slips from their grasp and falls back to earth, shattering into billions of pieces, some no larger than a grain of sand.

These splinters are blown by the wind all over the Earth and get into people's hearts and eyes, freezing their hearts like blocks of ice and making their eyes like the troll-mirror itself, seeing only the bad and ugly in people and things. There was only one way to get it out.

Years later, a little boy Kai and a little girl Gerda live next door to each other in the garrets of buildings with adjoining roofs in a large city. One could get from one's home to the other's just by stepping over the gutters of each building.

The two families grow vegetables and roses in window boxes placed on the gutters. Gerda and Kai have a window-box garden to play in, and they become devoted to each other as playmates, and as close as if they were siblings. Kai's grandmother tells the children about the Snow Queen, who is ruler over the "snow bees" — snowflakes that look like bees.

As bees have a queen, so do the snow bees, and she is seen where the snowflakes cluster the most. Looking out of his frosted window one winter, Kai sees the Snow Queen, who beckons him to come with her.

Kai draws back in fear from the window. By the following spring, Gerda has learned a song that she sings to Kai: Roses flower in the vale; there we hear Child Jesus' tale! Because roses adorn the window box garden, the sight of roses always reminds Gerda of her love for Kai. ...

تاریخ نخستین خوانش: چهاردهم ماه نوامبر سال2003میلادی

عنوان: ملکه برفی؛ نویسنده: هانس کریستین اندرسن؛ مترجم بیژن نامجو؛ مشخصات نشر تهران، فکربرتر، سال1391، در48ص، مصور رنگی، فروست قشنگترین قصه های دنیا؛ شابک9789646979628؛ گروه سنی ب و ج؛ موضوع داستانهای نویسندگان دانمارک - سده 19م

عنوان: ملکه برفی؛ نویسنده: هانس کریستین اندرسن؛ مترجم مجید میرزامحمدی؛ مشخصات نشر تهران، نهال نویدان، سال1392، در143ص، فروست افسانه پریان؛ شابک9789645680600؛ گروه سنی ب و ج؛

افسانه ای است، که روانشاد «هانس کریستین آندرسن»، نویسنده ی «دانمارکی» داستان‌های کودکان، بنوشته اند؛ یکی از طولانی‌ترین، و همچنین تحسین برانگیزترین داستان‌هایی است، که این نویسنده، نگاشته اند؛ و از روی آن، نسخه‌ های مصور بسیاری، به چاپ رسیده است؛

این کتاب هفت داستان دارد: یک - «آینه و تکه‌ هایش»؛ دو - «پسر کوچولو و دختر کوچولو»؛ سه - «باغ گل زن جادوگر»؛ چهار - «پرنس و پرنسس»؛ پنج - «دخترک دزد»؛ شش - «زن فنی و زن لاندی»؛ هفت - «چه اتفاقی برای قصر ملکه برفی افتاد و پس از آن چه شد»؛

نقل از داستان ملکه برفی: (آن دو با هم خواهر و برادر نبودند اما بیشتر از هر خواهر و برادری وقتشان را با هم می‌گذراندند؛ اسم پسر «کای» و اسم دختر «گردا» بود؛ آن‌ها در تابستان می‌توانستند با یک پرش از طریق بالکن پیش همدیگر بروند اما در زمستان باید از خانه بیرون می‌آمدند، و پله‌های زیادی را پایین و بالا می‌رفتند تا بالاخره بهم دیگر برسند؛ آن‌ها در سخت‌ترین طوفان‌های برفی هم، به هر ترتیبی بود پیش هم دیگر می‌رفتند؛ مادربزرگ پیر «کای»، یک روز برفی به آن‌ها گفت: «اینا دونه‌های برف نیستند بلکه زنبورهای سفیدی هستند که دسته‌ جمعی پرواز می‌کنند.» «کای» پرسید: «اونا ملکه هم دارند» آخر او می‌دانست که همه‌ ی زنبورها ملکه دارند؛ پیرزن جواب داد: «بله، البته که ملکه دارند؛ اونجایی که توده زنبورها فشرده‌ تره پرواز می‌کنه؛ اون از بقیه زنبورها بزرگتره و هیچ‌وقت هم روی زمین نمی‌شینه، اگر هم به زمین نزدیک بشه دوباره زود اوج می‌گیره و تو آسمون تیره بالا میره؛ اون خیلی از شبای زمستون تو خیابون‌های شهر پرواز می‌کنه و از پشت شیشه‌ ی پنجره‌ ها داخل خونه‌ ها را نگاه می‌کنه؛ اون وقت شیشه پنجره‌ ها به شکل عجیبی یخ می‌زنند؛ انگار که از گلای برفی پوشیده شده باشند.)؛ پایان نقل

تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 14/10/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ 30/07/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی

[Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Let it go. Let it goooo.
fabulous jazz hands



No. Seriously. Let it go.
This wasn't very good.




This was Lord of the Rings for children.
As in, there is a lot of wandering and questing and inconsequential conversations.
And maybe some of this stuff - bonding over flower pots, singing a religious song over and over, meeting quasi-dickish robber girls, getting kidnapped by a (fairly nice) sorceress who wants to keep you as her child, breaking into a random prince & princess's bedroom, flowers who sing you their life story, and accidentally getting carried off by a snow vampire - meant something to readers back in the day.
I don't know.
But what I do know is that none of it translated into a coherent story for me as a present-day reader.



This nice normal kid looks up one day and a sliver of demon glass falls out of the sky and gets stuck in his eye. Now he's mean to the little girl who is his BFF. <--and everyone else, he's not picky!
And because he's currently a dick, he hitches his sled to a big carriage in the hopes of a free ride around town- wheeeee!
Unfortunately for him, the big-ass carriage belongs to an evil ice queen. She gives zero fucks and just takes right off with him into the woods. As if that weren't bad enough, she snuggles with him and sucks out all of his warmth, and makes him forget his friends and family.



The little girl (because she's annoyingly sweet) goes on the aforementioned quest to save her buddy, wanders all over the land, and still survives, in a way that only children in fairytales can do.
WHERE ARE YOUR PARENTS, KID?!



In a startling turn of events, love saves the day and melts his heart of ice.
Dawww.
The two demon glass-free kids return home and realize that they are now both grown-ups.
WHAT?



Skip it and re-watch Frozen.

The audiobook version I listened to was by Dreamscape Media, LLC and read by Erin Yuen.

[Ruby Granger · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was actually my first time reading this story (I don't know how!). I didn't enjoy it as much as other fairy tales I've read, but still think it's worth a read... The story is about little Gerda who embarks on a long and whimsical adventure to bring her best friend Kai home. Gerda's commitment is so lovely to read about, and also the kindness which everyone shows to her on the way (especially the little robber girl!).

Also, just a side note, but there's something wonderful about the logic of children's stories -- they make so little sense and yet, as a child, they make perfect sense to you!

[Hilary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a favourite winter read of my favourite childhood fairy tale. The story starts with Kay and Gerda pressing hot pennies against the ice on the inside of their windows to see out and there's a full page illustration of this. There is a double page illustration of the snow queen taking Kay away, the sledge pulled by a dapple grey horse accompanied by ice chickens and the world below looking like a scene from a Bruegel painting. The chapter of the little robber girl is accompanied by a beautiful picture of Gerda escaping on the reindeer, a part of the story I am always thankful that the poor reindeer escapes. At the end of the story there is a scene which captured my imagination as a child, the planks that bridge between Kay and Gerda's attic bedrooms with their window boxes of roses, what child wouldn't love one of these to their friend's house! I would be very surprised if there were a nicer version of this story. Nicky Raven's retelling is superb and Vladyslav Yerko's illustrations are breath taking, so detailed, inventive, magical and perfect for this story.

[Christy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars

I picked up The Snow Queen because I'm trying to fit in a few more Christmas reads and I got it free from audible. The narration was good, but the story was just okay for me. I know a lot of people love this story and read it as children... this was my first read through. It was only about an hour to listen. I liked it, but compared to my last holiday audible listen it just missed the mark for me.

[Althea Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of my favorite stories as a very young child.

I hadn't re-read this short tale in many many years. My thoughts upon rereading:

Well, it's more sentimental than I remembered, and the tone, especially at the beginning, is almost verging on patronizing in the way it addresses the (presumably young) reader/listener. As a child, I don't think I picked up on that at all. It's also more overtly Christian/religious than I remembered. (I've noticed that about a good number of the 19th-century children's tales that I've re-read, George MacDonald for example, and Howard Pyle.) I think as a kid I just tuned that stuff out, but took it for granted.

The imagery: still so beautiful! The shards of glass, the snowflakes, the roses... This is why the story has endured so long. It is simply gorgeous.

As a child, I perceived Andersen's Snow Queen as the same character as Jadis, the White Witch, in CS Lewis' 'The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.' As an adult, well, yeah, it is definitely the same character. Lewis took her, whole cloth, and her sleigh too....

Vivid memory - this story was the first time I'd ever heard of "Lapland," and it seemed like such a fantastic land. Interesting to realize that this portrayal of northern Finland was probably much more 'realistic' & contemporary (if remote) to children reading the story when it was first published, and people there still did depend on reindeer and travel by sleigh...

The robber girl!!!! How on earth did I ever forget about her! Her practical and self-interested, but not quite 'bad' character is simply amazing.

I've seen modern criticism of 'The Snow Queen' accusing it of being an apologist tale for domestic abuse, encouraging women to pursue relationships with men who mistreat them. It is possible to read the Snow Queen as the homewrecker, and Gerda as the good wife who must faithfully pursue her errant husband, represented by Kay, but I don't think Andersen intended that, or that the story actually is that. I think it's more likely that Andersen intended another possible reading: that of a Christian allegory, where both Gerda and Kay are, at times, led astray and forget what is right (Kay due to the shard of glass; Gerda due to the witch's enchantment), but eventually find their way back to the Faith & redemption and live in innocence and purity. However, I personally like the simplest and most direct reading: that the story is what it says it is, a narrative of bravery and friendship. That the enchantment on Kay is real, and not his fault, and that Gerda's dedication to her quest, and her achievement, is admirable.

I think that one of Andersen's main intentions here is, clearly, to show women as brave, capable, and self-sufficient. Throughout the story, they keep appearing: First, of course, there's Gerda and her quest to rescue her friend. But there's also the childrens' grandmothers, who are more vivid characters than the childrens' parents; the witch, who keeps her cottage all on her own; the princess, who had no intention of marrying until she met a man who appreciated her intellect; the knife-wielding bandit girl, whose mother seems to be the leader of the robbers; & the Lapp woman, who gives Gerda help & directions on her quest, to meet a Finnish wise woman. Of course, the Snow Queen herself wields her power alone...

The biggest takeaway I believe I had from this story, though, is from the very beginning. The imp's twisted mirror which shows everything as ugly and rotten, and its shard of glass that, in someone's eye does the same, took hold for me in the idea that the world is the world, but that how we look at it can be an option. We can focus on the mean and the corrupt in all things - or we can look for the beauty and the redeeming qualities of the world. It is up to us. (We don't have to see everything as boiled spinach.) ;-)

Many thanks to NetGalley and Pushkin for the opportunity to revisit this tale. As always, my opinions are solely my own.

Of course, differences in editions of a classic tale like this largely come down to the illustrations. So far, it looks like Amazon Japan has a couple of previews of the images from this edition, while other sites don't: https://www.amazon.co.jp/Snow-Queen-H...

[donna backshall · Rating 1 out of 5]

★ one very bewildered star

So this is awkward. I was not expecting The Snow Queen to be religious. Spoiler alert: this is a *very* Christian fairy tale.

The genres listed on the main Goodreads page for the book made no mention of anything religious, just simply "fairy tale", "fantasy", "classic", "fiction" and the like. When recommended to me, it was supposed to be the children's fairy tale that inspired a Disney movie -- a winter story of friendship and love, not The Gospel According to Andersen.

I found The Snow Queen hard to follow, rambling, nonsensical and manipulative.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

After having finished Graham Masterton's superb novel Spirit I had to read the blueprint again many years after having read it in childhood. I enjoyed this fairy tale of Gerda looking for Kay and finally being able to release him from The Snow Queen with a little help of some friends (interesting characters she meets on her way). The frame story with the hour glass and the demon was absolutely outstanding. The inset episodes were a bit too fairy like for my taste but had a good shot of horror inside. To be honest I enjoyed Graham Masterton's novel Spirit and what he made of Andersen's tale (no simple retelling but a very demanding horror novel) a bit more. Nevertheless a groundbreaking fairy tale even for modern readers.

[فؤاد · Rating 4 out of 5]

چقدر این داستان خوب بود. بعضی عناصرش (مثل آینه ای که کای رو باهوش ولی سرد و بی احساس می کنه، یا بوسه های ملکه برفی زیبا که یاد چیزهایی که کای دوست داشته رو از قلبش پاک می کنه و...) بی نظیر و حیرت انگیز بودن، اون قدر که باورم نمی شد صد و پنجاه سال قبل نوشته شده. هر چند بعضی عناصر همچنان شبیه قصه های پریان دیگه بودن.

از کتاب
کای کوچولو از فرط سرما آبیِ آبی شده بود، بله داشت دیگر سیاه می شد؛ ولی خودش متوجه نبود، چون ملکه برفی با بوسه هایش همه احساسات را از بدنش بیرون کشیده بود، و قلبش به تکه ای یخ تبدیل شده بود. تمام آن قصر یخی در نظرش بی اندازه زیبا می نمود، زیرا ذره ای از آینه ملکه برفی درون چشمانش فرو رفته بود. او تنها در تالار یخی خالی بزرگ نشسته بود و به تکه های یخ نگاه می کرد، و آن قدر فکر کرد و فکر کرد که نزدیک بود جمجمه اش ترک بردارد. چنان کرخت و بی حرکت یک جا نشسته بود، که هر کس می دید فکر می کرد از سرما یخ زده است.

در همین وقت بود که گردا کوچولو از دروازه بزرگ قدم به قصر گذاشت و چشمش به کای افتاد. او را شناخت، و دوید تا در آغوشش بگیرد، و در حالی که بازوهایش را محکم به دورش می پیچید، نالید: «کای، کای کوچولوی مهربانم، بالاخره پیدایت کردم...»

اما کای بی حرکت و کرخت و سرد نشست و هیچ کاری نکرد. گردا کوچولو به گریه افتاد و اشک هایش بر سینه کای چکید، به قلبش فرو رفت، و تکه یخ ها را ذوب کرد، و تراشه های آینه ملکه برفی را حل کرد. کای به گردا نگاه کرد. گردا آوازی که قدیم ها با هم می خواندند را خواند و اشک از چشمان کای جاری شد و آن قدر گریه کرد که تکه آینه ای که در چشمش بود با اشک ها از چشمش خارج شد. تازه توانست گردا را ببیند و بشناسد، پس نالید: «گردا، گردا کوچولوی مهربانم، این همه مدت کجا بودی؟»

گردا گونه های کای را بوسید، و گونه هایش دوباره شکفت؛ چشمانش را بوسید و چشم هایش مانند گردا درخشید؛ دست ها و پاهایش را بوسید، و آن ها دوباره خوب و شاداب شدند.

[Carole (Carole's Random Life) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a nice story. I hope to listen to it again in one sitting. I think I may have lost some of the story with all of the stopping and starting I did.

I still don't feel compelled to watch Frozen after listening to this story.

[Danielle The Book Huntress · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite fairy tale, hands down. If I'm honest, I'm such a huge fan of snow and cold weather. The idea of snow becoming personified makes a lot of sense, because winter does seem to have a life of its own. I love in Texas, and we don't get much winter, but I grew up with it. I miss it so much! Reading this book makes me long for a good winter.

Along with the evocative imagery of winter, there is a very emotional and spiritual love story. Kay and Gerda share a strong emotional bond, but that bond is damaged by Kay's infection with the slivers from the shattered evil mirror. His eye and his heart are pricked, and it changes the way he sees the world, and makes his loving heart grow cold towards poor Gerda. But Gerda doesn't give up on him. When the Snow Queen steals away Kay, she goes searching for him, going on quite an odyssey and meeting some very unusual people along the way. But she never gives up on him.

The lesson of sacrificial love never gets old. That kind of love can melt the fiercest frozen heart and claim back those who are lost. I loved rereading this, and the illustrations I had in my version was a lovely adjunct.

If one has not ever read this book, I highly recommend it. It's available as a free ebook as part of Hans Christian Andersen's Fairy Tale collection.

[Dem · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen was a beautiful story.
I listened to this one on audio while wrapping Christmas presents in front of the fire.
What great company this little book was.

[Ajeje Brazov · Rating 4 out of 5]

La regina delle nevi è una fiaba di Andersen dove i buoni sentimenti, che albergano in ognuno di noi, sconfiggono sempre il Male.
Racconto di una delicatezza rara e di una maestria narrativa, dove il lettore viene letteralmente catapultato nella storia e ne diventa il protagonista. Perchè cosa sono le fiabe, se non il percorso di crescita di ognuno di noi, piccoli o grandi che siamo?
Fanno sempre bene queste letture, sia da alternare ad altre più impegnative o strazianti, che ad altre magari più leggere. Perchè le fiabe/favole/racconti come questa, che ho appena letto, ti aprono la mente, ma soprattutto il cuore verso i sentimenti più intimi e reconditi, che dovrebbero essere la quotidianità e cioè l'empatia, l'amore, in tutte le miriadi di sfaccettature possibili e l'amicizia!

[Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm actually collecting pop-up books whenever I can get my hands on one, so - knowing and loving Robert Sabuda's and Matthew Reinhart's work - my expectations are super high in that area.

But holy s*hit, The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen (pop up art by Yevgeniya Yeretskaya) totally blew me away.

Sure, Andersen's tale was shortened considerably to suit a children's pop up version of the story, but the powerful illustrations are absolutely magnificent, both as art pieces and as pop up sculptures.



It is the story of Kai and Gerda, two children who are neighbors and love each other dearly, until one day a goblin breaks the devil's mirror and the shards are spread all over the world falling into people's eyes and hearts, making them sneer on all things beautiful and turning their hearts cold and merciless.

Kai is unlucky enough to get a shard in his eye and one in his heart. Turning away from his sweet friend Gerda, he becomes nasty and cold-hearted and one day even ties his sleigh to a horse-drawn cart, even though it is a dangerous game to play.

The cart, however, belongs to the equally cold-hearted Snow Queen and she takes handsome Kai away to live with her.

Gerda doesn't know what happened to her former friend when he suddenly disappeared in winter, but nature speaks to her, telling her that Kai is still alive.

Determined to find and rescue Kai, the little girl embarks on a dangerous journey that takes her higher and higher up north, until she can face the Snow Queen in her castle of ice and demand the release of her friend Kai.

A powerful tale of friendship and love that the Disney movie 'Frozen' is (veeeeeeeeery) loosely based on.

5 stars!!

[Patricia Bejarano Martín · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lo he leído en otra edición, una que acaba de publicar la editorial Edelvives y que no sale en goodreads:(
Debo decir que lo he amado. No conocía la verdadera historia de La reina de las nieves y ha sido fascinante conocerla, y más en una edición tan preciosa como he tenido la oportunidad.
Un cuento mágico que todos deberíais leer, y sin duda, imprescindible para los más pequeños de la casa.

[Jess the Shelf-Declared Bibliophile · Rating 4 out of 5]

A magical tale that somehow I missed out on my entire childhood. Each element of the journey was fascinating.

[Bionic Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remember being bored when I read this story as a child, and reading it again now, nothing has really changed for me. The Snow Queen starts out interestingly enough, and the imagery throughout is good, but as for the actual storyline... It is very long and discursive, and as in many fairy tales, the events seem very random, and the reader tends to lose the main thread. It is the sort of story which could make a marvellous stage production, with all its imaginative possibilities, or a film or TV adaptation - as indeed it has, many times over the years. There are also many beautifully illustrated versions of the tale.

The Snow Queen, or "Snedronningen", by Hans Christian Andersen, is one of his longest original fairy tales, which was first published in 1844. At its core it is about the struggle between good and evil as experienced by two children, a girl, Gerda and her friend, a boy, Kay. It is told in seven parts, or chapters:

1. The Mirror and the Splinters
2. A Little Boy and a Little Girl
3. The Old Woman's Flower Garden
4. A Prince and a Princess
5. The Little Robber Girl
6. The Lapp Woman and the Finn Woman
7. What Happened at the Snow Queen's Palace and What Happened After That

The first part starts in Hans Christian Andersen's delightfully chatty way,

"Listen! This is the beginning. And when we get to the end we shall know more than we do now."

The storyteller tells of an evil troll, called "The Devil", who made a magic mirror which distorted the appearance of everything it reflected. It would never reflect the good and beautiful aspects of people and things, but instead magnify their bad and ugly aspects. "The Devil" thinks this is a great joke. He is the headmaster at a school for demons, who all decide to carry the mirror into heaven with the idea of making fun of the angels and God,



But,

"the mirror shook and grinned, and grinned and shook" until eventually all the demons dropped it, and it broke into "a million billion splinters", some no bigger than a grain of sand.

These glass splinters "blew everywhere, getting into people's eyes, and making them see everything ugly and twisted. Some splinters even got into people's hearts and that was awful, because their hearts became like blocks of ice."

The first part is quite a short chapter, explaining the underlying moral thread which is to run throughout the story. The next chapter introduces the two characters, the little boy Kay, and the little girl Gerda. They live next door to each other in a large city, in the garrets of buildings which have adjoining roofs. They play among the window boxes there, which are full of herbs and roses. It was easy to get from Gerda's to Kay's home, just by stepping over the gutters of each building. The two become great friends.



Kay's grandmother tells them stories about the Snow Queen, who is ruler over the "snow bees" — snowflakes that look like bees. Just as bees have a queen, so do the snow bees. So wherever the snowflakes clustered the most, there you would find the Snow Queen. Looking out of his frosted window one winter's day, Kay sees the Snow Queen, who beckons to him to come with her. Kay is frightened and draws back from the window.

The days pass and there is a thaw. But one day in Spring, something happens,

"Oh! What's that pain in my heart! And oh! What's that in my eye?"

Even though the child blinks and thinks it has gone, we can tell from their behaviour that one of the glass splinters from the evil troll, "The Devil"'s mirror has become lodged. The child becomes cruel and aggressive, and the other cannot understand the change in their friend, who teased them, "kicked the window box, and tore off the rose blooms", made fun of the kind grandmother, and did all sorts of horrid things. Everything seemed distorted and ugly to this enchanted child now, and the only interesting and beautiful things, are the tiny snowflakes to be seen through a magnifying glass.

While Kay and Gerda are playing with their sleds in the snow, the Snow Queen appears as a woman in a white fur coat, driving a curious white sleigh carriage. The enchanted child is tempted to go back with the Snow Queen to their palace.

If this is all beginning to sound familar to you, perhaps it reminds you of C.S. Lewis. The first part of this story, with the adjoining garrets and crossing over the rooftops, was very reminiscent of the first (or prequel) Narnia story, "The Magician's Nephew" At the beginning of that story, the Victorian children are neighbours in a similar type of building, and this aspect is crucial to the story's plot. Then in a similar way, C.S. Lewis clearly took his inspiration for the witch "Jadis" Queen of Charn, (who called herself the "Queen of Narnia") from Hans Christian Andersen's Snow Queen. The first meeting between Jadis and one of the children in "The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe" is almost a rerun of Hans Christian Andersen's idea.

Just as C.S. Lewis's stories are clearly moral allegories, this earlier story is also a tale of good and evil. And all the subsequent story follows the child who is under the mirror's spell. It involves an evil sorceress, a clever crow, a pair of doves, a Prince and a Princess, a frightening robber girl, and a captive reindeer. There is a "Mirror of Reason", and a Chinese Puzzle. There is a beautiful flower garden, an old Finnish woman and an old Lapp woman. Throughout, the child is determined to rescue the friend, showing loyalty, great courage and tenacity. Eventually the children's adventures are over and the enchantment is dispersed by the power of love. Kay and Gerda make their way back to their home, to "the big city", where they find that everything is just the same, except that they themselves have grown through their experiences.

At the end, the grandmother reads a passage from the Bible,

"Except ye become as little children, ye shall not enter the Kingdom of Heaven",

and Kay and Gerda realise that they were saved by their goodness and innocence. They will always remain children at heart.

This story was originally included in the same book of fairy stories as "The Nightingale" which was a tribrute to Jenny Lind. But in the meantime, Jenny Lind had spurned Hans Christian Andersen's affections. The author subsequently - and rather unfairly - modelled the Snow Queen on what he saw as her icy manner towards him. The Snow Queen is a story of high fantasy, and usually included in most anthologies including works by Hans Christian Andersen; it is considered one of his greatest stories. However it does not really capture my imagination. I am extremely glad though, that he inadvertently provided the inspiration for part of C.S. Lewis's Narnia Chronicles, which I do enjoy enormously.

"I can't give her any more power than she has within her. Don't you feel how strong that is? Humans and beasts are at her service as she makes her way through the wide world on her two bare feet. But she must not learn of her power from us. It comes from the innocence of her dear child's heart. If she can't find her own way into the palace and free little Kay by herself, there's nothing we can do to help. "

(The Finn woman talking to the reindeer)

Both illustrations are by Hans Christian Andersen's original illustrator, Vilhelm Pedersen

[[ J o ] · Rating 3 out of 5]

Far more enjoyable than anticipated, though I think partly due to the wonderful geometric illustrations that accompanied the story.

It is a fairly simple story with basic imagery and not a particularly great translation (I find all translations to be rather dire and wish the babel fish only existed) but it was an enjoyable read due to its simplicity. It feels almost unique in that there are heart-warming notions but no in-your-face morals.

Characters and dialogue were vague and shaky at best, but one cannot deny the lovely imagery and inventiveness of the piece. Definitely better than The Fir Tree, which was the first and only thing I'd read from Andersen.



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[Jesica Canto · Rating 1 out of 5]

La historia es linda pero me parece demasiado resumida, creo que se podría haber incluido un poco de descripción y desarrollar algo mas a los personajes. Es un relato de peripecias con diferentes instancias, que, en mi opinión, al sintetizarlo tanto, pierde todo su potencial.
A mi parecer el hecho de que un cuento sea para niños no significa que haya que simplificarlo en exceso.

[Jin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This a beautiful edition of the famous „The Snow Queen“ by Hans Christian Andersen with illustrations by Sanna Annukka. I will not go into depth to describe the story as it’s already well known to many.

The reason why I bought this specific edition is Sanna Annukka. The illustrations are absolutely STUNNING and so beautiful to look at. Even though the book was published in 2015, it still feels modern und up-to-date with many details and colors to dream of. I love how the graphics and patterns work together to show a building or the snow queen herself. While using rather simple geometric symbols, Sanna Annukka succeeds to create a whole new world perfectly fitting to the setting of the story. While I can imagine that some might not like this art style because it’s not the usual fairy tale style, I really love a new approach to illustrate a well-known tale to create new, inspiring pictures.

[Mara]

Well, I'm not gonna turn down an audible freebie now am I?

Their take:

The Snow Queen will be free until January 31, 2015.
Audible's 2014 Narrator of the Year Julia Whelan performs one of Hans Christian Andersen's most beloved fairy tales, The Snow Queen. This classic tale is a fantastical fable of two dear friends - one of whom goes astray and is literally lost to the north woods, while the other undertakes an epic journey to rescue him. This charming, strange, and wonderful story is a timeless allegory about growing up and the challenges of staying true to one's self, and it served as the wintry inspiration for the blockbuster hit Frozen.

[Stepheny · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Snow Queen was a free gift to audible members…last winter. It’s been loaded on my app for quite some time without really catching my interest. I made the decision to read it when I started season 4 of Once Upon a Time.

The narration was really great and I enjoyed the story. I have never watched Frozen. I was worried about that for a while because it was the movie everyone was talking about it… I had to let it go…

No one?

Alright. Can’t blame me, can you?

Anyway, it’s worth a read. The story is there, the characters are great. I can’t say a lot because it’s so damn short. Mayhap even shorter than this review!


But, read it. Listen to it!

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audible freebie (like everyone else). I listened to this one while trying, and failing, to take a nap. Stupid stuffyrunnysore nose. >_<

I did like the reading of this one. I think that Julia Whelan had the right kind of voice for this story, and handled all of the characters well. She gave them each their own personality but didn't overwhelm the character with cartoonish voices.

The story... well, it was a little innocently simplistic for me, and none of it really made any sense (why would a cruel little girl let someone go just because? She enjoys keeping things against their will, and yet all of a sudden, she's going to be altruistic?) but I guess it's a fairy tale, so sense is not what they are intended to be made of.

Still it was a quick little story, and it was free, so I can't complain.

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disney's Frozen said it was based on Hans Christian Andersen's The Snow Queen. That's what piqued my interest in this classic. So, after reading this, I can say fairly that Frozen is VERY loosely based. I found elements that contribute to the world and lore in which Elsa becomes the Snow Queen, but Hans's Snow Queen is less endearing. In short, I'll place the Snow Queen / Frozen comparison in the category of good book, great movie, but each in their own right.

Regarding edition, the Kindle ebook with this cover [The Snow Queen (Fairy eBooks) by Hans Christian Andersen, Marie-Michelle Joy and T. Pym... Published March 5, 2012] was a good version with illustrations for both e-ink Kindles and full color Kindle apps.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this retelling of a Hans Christian Andersen classic, two young children have their friendship torn apart when a curse befalls one of them and he disappears. The Snow Queen lures him away, off to do her bidding. When the young girl goes looking for her friend, she is pulled in many directions and ends up hitting a dead end on more than one occasion. However, determination and the power of her love breaks down a wall or two and thaws a frozen heart, which allows the truth to triumph over all. Neo liked the story, but felt that it went on and on and on, with little of actual excitement. Andersen classics are not to be trifled with, but even still, it seemed the point was held on ice, like much of the Snow Queen’s prisoners.

[Anabel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un relato muy corto que se lee en un suspiro. Pero es muy emotivo. La pega que le pongo es que se me ha hecho muy corto y me esperaba un final más largo. La edición de Vinces vives que me he leído ha sido preciosa. Sus ilustraciones son impresionantes.

[Peter Monn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very dark but interesting. My full review will be up on my booktube channel at http://YouTube.com/peterlikesbooks

[Corrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came across The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen while I was looking through the catalogue of fabulous narrator Katherine Kellgren. This one (and a few others) were included for free with my audible membership, so I snapped them up immediately.

I have adored Katherine Kellgren ever since I heard her delicious purr as Diane, Duchess Tremontaine and now I’m profoundly saddened to hear she has died of cancer back in 2018. Fortunately for us she lives on through her extensive library of over 300 audio books.

The Snow Queen (first published in 1844) is a classic fairy tale we all know well. To hear Katherine perform it with all her wonderful accents and voices is pure joy. Take 1 hour and 20 minutes of your time and be amazed.

Free with your Audible subscription.

5 Stars

[Dream.M · Rating 5 out of 5]

داستان اینطور شروع میشه: "گوش کن! این آغاز است. و وقتی به پایان رسیدیم، بیشتر از آنچه اکنون می دانیم خواهیم دانست."
از همین اول معلومه قراره کلی پند اخلاقی و عبرت آموز که مستقیم ذهن مخاطب رو هدف گرفته بخونیم( بشنویم)؛ و خب بنظرم توی داستان کودکان این اتفاق طبیعیه. [چون داستان کودکانه و توقع که نداریم بچه ( نوجوان) استعاره رو تشخیص بده و از مثلا آینه جادویی توی قصه به یک تعبیر فرامتنی برسه. {طبق نظریه شناختی پیازه، بچه ها قبل ۱۱ سالگی استعاره رو درک نمیکنن و این تا ۱۶ سالگی طول میکشه. }]
همون اول کتاب آقای اندرسون یک ترول شیطانی وارد داستان میکنه که تنها شخصیت منفی قصه‌اس و از قضا اسمش هم "شیطان" عه. اینجوری که یک روز ، وقتی شیطان حس میکرد خیلی موجود باحال و طنازیه ، آینه خاصی با ویژگی های جادویی ساخت. آینه واقعیتو تحریف میکرد. یعنی همه آنچه که توی دنیا خوب و زیبا بود رو به بد و زشت تبدیل میکرد و هرگز جنبه های خوب افراد و چیزها رو منعکس نمیکرد، در عوض جنبه های زشت اونها رو بزرگنمائی میکرد. اجنه - دانش آموزان شیطان فکر کردن خیلی شوخی جذابیه که با آینه، فرشته‌های بهشت رو دست بندازن، پس سعی کردن آینه به بغل به بهشت ​​پرواز کنن. آینه از فکر این شوخی خندید و لرزید( برعکس عمل میکرد دیگه) چنان خندید که از دست اجنه لغزید و با برخورد به زمین ، به میلیون ها میلیاردها قطعه قطعه‌ی خرد شده تبدیل شد. بعضی از قطعات آنقدر کوچک بودن که مثل دونه‌های شن در سراسر دنیا پخش شدن و هر بار که داخل چشم کسی فرو میرفتن، باعث می شدن که اون شخص فقط چیزهای پلید و بد رو ببینه . حتی بعضی از اون قطعات وارد قلب مردم میشدن که این دیگه خیلی وحشتناک بود چون باعث میشد قلب اونها مثل یخ سرد بشه و احساسشون بمیره.( یاد کدوم انیمیشن افتادین؟)
این دقیقا چیزیه که برای "کای" اتفاق افتاد. کای پسر کوچکی بود با بهترین دوستش "گردا" همسایه بودن و همیشه باهم بازی میکردن و مثل خواهر و برادر به هم علاقه داشتن.خلاصه چند وقت پس از فرو رفتن آینه به چشم و قلب کای که باعث شد پسر بداخلاق و سنگدلی بشه، ملکه برفی آمد و اونو با خودش برد.( ملکه برفی واقعا شخصیت بدی نداره، اونم فقط دلش یه دوست میخواست که احساس نداشته باشه و فقط منطقی باشه. آدمو از جهاتی یاد ملکه برفی نارنیا میندازه) همه فکر می کردن که کای گم شده یا مُرده، همه بجز گردا. گردا برای پیدا کردن کای یه سفر ادیسه وار رو شروع میکنه، به مکان های خطرناک سفر می کنه و با مردم مختلفی برخورد میکنه که اتفاقات خوب و بد رو براش رقم میزنن. اما سرانجام اون از همه مخمصه ها نجات پیدا میکنه و دادادادا... میرسه به قصر ملکه برفی، کای رو پیدا میکنه و گرمای عشق گردا یخ قلب کای رو ذوب میکنه ، اونم یاد کارای بدش میوفته و دلتنگ روستا میشه و قطره های اشکی که از چشمش جاری میشن باعث میشه اون آینه داخل چشمش هم خارج بشه و برگرده به حالت عادیش.
" ملکه برفی " داستانی در مورد دوستیه، خالص ترین نوع عشق، و در مورد معصومیت کودکان. در تمام طول داستان، گردا به شکل خستگی ناپذیر به دنبال دوستش میگرده و تلاش میکنه نجاتش بده. توی این راه شهامت و سرسختی زیادی نشون میده . تا اونجا که داستان رو تبدیل میکنه به نمایش باشکوهی از وفاداری و عشق. اونها وقتی به خونه خودشون برمیگردن، دیگه دوتا بچه نیستن. چون با تجربه هایی که بدست آوردن رشد کردن و تبدیل به دوتا ادم بالغ شدن.
در نهایت داستان اینطوری تمام میشه که مادربزرگ بخشی از کتاب مقدس رو می خونه که میگه: " هر آینه به شما میگویم، تا باز نگردید و مثل این کودکان نشوید، شما را به قلمرو آسمان راهی نیست ."
یعنی راز موفقیت گردا( و همه انسانها)، قلب پاک و معصومیت کودکانه‌ش بود و این تنها کلید رستگاریه.
......
این داستان خیلی پرمفهومه، ادم باورش نمیشه بیشتر از صد سال قبل نوشته شده باشه از بس مفاهیمش به روزه. واقعا پیشنهادش میکنم. توی فیدیبو هم صوتیش هست. هرچی داستان " دختر کبریت فروش " ترسناکه و خوندنش مصداق کودک آزاریه، این داستان رمانتیک و لطیفه. بخونید دیگه آقا.

[Lyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

First published in 1844, The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Anderson is a delightfully charming, if somewhat dated, fantasy – back when fantasies were called faerie tales.

Told in seven parts, Anderson borrows liberally from Christian themes and pre-Christian myth to create a richly complex, but simply entertaining story that children will enjoy and adults will find amusing, especially the classical, Biblical and mythic references that may be lost, unapologetically so, on a younger reader.

C.S. Lewis fans will no doubt see in the Snow Queen a model for the White Witch and apparently this was the early pattern for Disney’s popular film Frozen.