Volume 48, Number 13 · August 9, 2001
The Underduckling
By Alison Lurie
Hans Christian Andersen: The Life of a Storyteller
Jackie Wullschlager
Knopf, 489 pp., $30.00
In 'The Ugly Duckling'—which generations of readers have recognized as an allegory of Hans Christian Andersen's own life—the unattractive, awkward, low-born hero becomes a swan without any effort on his part. That ending, more than anything else in the story, makes it a fantasy. Andersen began life as one of the most gawky and disadvantaged ducks that ever waddled out of a mud pond. But he transformed himself into a swan only partially, and by long and exhausting efforts.
Review, 3254 words
To read the full text of this piece, please choose one of the following options:
|
If you are already a subscriber to the Review's electronic edition, please sign in: |
To subscribe to the electronic edition, please press the button below. |
To purchase access to this article for $3, please press the button below. |