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'''Hans Christian Anderson''' (April 2, 1805 - August 4, 1875) Was a [[Danish]] [[poet]] and [[author]], famously known for his [[fairy tales]]. His fairy tales have been translated to over 150 different languages and has sold millions of copies.
 
'''Hans Christian Anderson''' (April 2, 1805 - August 4, 1875) Was a [[Danish]] [[poet]] and [[author]], famously known for his [[fairy tales]]. His fairy tales have been translated to over 150 different languages and has sold millions of copies.
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In the [[English]]-speaking world, the stories "The Ugly Duckling", "The Little Mermaid, "The Emperor's New Clothes", and "The Princess and the Pea" are cultural universals; everyone knows them, though not everyone can name the author. They have become part of our common heritage, and, like the tales of [[Charles Perrault]], are no longer distinguished from actual folk-tales such as those of the [[Brothers Grimm]].
    
==Childhood Years==
 
==Childhood Years==
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By chance, Anderson runs into Jonas Collins, impressed by his abilities, pays all expenses and sends him to a grammar school in Slagelse. Though unwilling, Anderson studied in two schools, in Slagelse, and in Elsinore. He stated that these were the darkest years of his life; being abused by his schoolmaster to "build character", and being alienated by fellow students, due to his older age and unattractive appeal. He may have had [[dyslexia]], which would explain his difficulty in learning, and he was discouraged to write. Even so, he came to have learned Dutch, Scandinavian, German, and English languages to a fair extent.
 
By chance, Anderson runs into Jonas Collins, impressed by his abilities, pays all expenses and sends him to a grammar school in Slagelse. Though unwilling, Anderson studied in two schools, in Slagelse, and in Elsinore. He stated that these were the darkest years of his life; being abused by his schoolmaster to "build character", and being alienated by fellow students, due to his older age and unattractive appeal. He may have had [[dyslexia]], which would explain his difficulty in learning, and he was discouraged to write. Even so, he came to have learned Dutch, Scandinavian, German, and English languages to a fair extent.
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==Midlife==
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In the 1850s, Andersen visited Charles Dickens. Dickens did not like him, and the very unpleasant character of Uriah Heep in David Copperfield is thought to be based on Andersen.
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Some people think that Andersen's story "The Nightingale", first published in 1843, is a reference to the famous singer Jenny Lind, who was called "the Swedish Nightingale." Andersen loved Jenny Lind, but she did not love him back.
    
==Sexuality==
 
==Sexuality==
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