HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN FAIRY TALES offers every fairy tale written by Hans Christian Andersen.  The collection begins with an extensive biography regarding the author's life, including the period when he left home at fourteen hoping to make a living by himself.  There is also a great introduction which goes into more depth around the author's life and writing.

The collection of stories is vast.  Classics such as The Little Mermaid, The Emperor's New Clothes, The Princess and The Pea, The Ugly Duckling, The Steadfast Tin Soldier, and Thumbelina are included.  There are also many fairy tales that were unfamiliar to this reader.  The Story of a Mother tells the tale of a grieving mother who watches Death steal her son, so she sets off on a quest to retrieve her son before Death reaches his destination.  The Tinderbox tells the tale of a soldier who is offered vast riches by an old woman if he retrieves her tinderbox at the same time he gathers the riches.  Only he will soon learn that his actions must be accounted for in the end.  Other stories include The Marsh King's Daughter, The Old House, The Shadow, The Wind Tells of Valdemar Daae and His Daughters, The Collar, and The Shepherdess and The Chimney Sweep.

These are the real fairy tales, not the sugar coated Disney versions that are made politically correct for the young crowd.  While Hans Christian Andersen's tales are not quite as scary as the Brothers Grimm, there is still a definite air of suspense involved in many.  While the stories will appeal to children, I'm betting parents will become mesmerized as well.