The Dreamer's Journey

Even in the innocence of childhood, Hans Andersen harbors dreams of fame. To many, this seems an unlikely future for a towering, ungainly boy who lacks patience for school and the typical amusements of youth. In his formative years, a fortune-teller foretells Hans's destiny: "a wild bird who shall fly high, great and noble in the world." Astonishingly, just as his ugly duckling blossoms into a majestic swan, Hans fulfills this grand prophecy. In time, he forms a circle of steadfast friends whose unwavering support and thoughtful critiques propel Hans toward his triumph as a writer.

Aspirations and Setbacks

Before Hans's father departs this world, he urges Anne Marie to allow their son the freedom to pursue his desires, and she agrees. Hans yearns to soar, to chase a career in the theater. He envisions himself one day celebrated as an actor or playwright, though these dreams prove elusive. As a destitute, uneducated teenager in Copenhagen, Hans quite literally sings for his supper. Denied entry into the Royal Theatre School, he persistently presents his scripts for the directors' approval. Jonas Collin, a discerning Royal Theatre director, glimpses Hans's potential and persuades the king to grant him a modest allowance to attend grammar school. Resigned yet chastened, Hans complies.

The Writer's Path

Returning to Copenhagen, Hans dedicates himself to his craft. He lives with great frugality, sustained by a series of modest state grants and the kindness of friends. His mercurial temperament begins to surface with more pronounced emotional peaks and valleys. His affections remain unreturned; his writing earns accolades abroad but faces harsh critique at home. Many friends and critics suspect Hans of deluding himself with an overinflated opinion of his talent. Yet, amid his journeys and ordeals, Hans maintains an extraordinary bond with children. He does not indulge them; instead, he shares a pure, unwavering faith with them, knowing no other path than that of honesty.

The Surprising Legacy

Hans crafts his tales as tokens of affection for the children of his friends, considering them unworthy of being deemed his life's serious work. Yet, like a spark igniting a blaze, Andersen's tales swiftly spread "first over Denmark, then into Germany, on to Sweden, England and over the world." Fame takes Hans by surprise, but he resolutely believes his true legacy lies in his plays and novels, not the tales.

Encounters and Companions

Throughout his life, Andersen meets a tapestry of people. Among the more impactful are the Collins, his adoptive family—stoic, secure, and sometimes smug, quick to reprimand yet equally quick to forgive—and Simon Meisling, the brilliant yet cruel rector of Slagelse's school, who instills in Hans both discipline and dread. Henriette Wulff, though physically deformed, is vibrant, witty, and becomes Hans's confidante. Riborg Voight, a schoolmate's sister, becomes his first unrequited love; Jenny Lind, the celebrated Swedish opera singer, becomes his second. Though she befriends Hans, she weds another, and Hans later immortalizes her in The Emperor's Nightingale. In England, Andersen spends time with Charles Dickens and his family, who show little warmth, save for Mrs. Dickens, who empathizes with Hans's emotive, expressive nature.

Thematic Reflections

The tapestry of Godden's biography, and indeed Andersen's life, weaves together themes of the artist's intense emotional engagement with his surroundings; the fine line between madness and creative brilliance; the universal quest for companionship, acceptance, self-expression, and ambition; and the critical role of state support in education and the arts. The biography explores the fluid nature of success. Despite the global renown his tales bring him, Andersen never achieves the acclaim in acting or playwriting that he desires most ardently.