Hans Christian Andersen's own rags to riches story is the stuff of fairy tales. But, as Jackie Wullschlager shows in her acclaimed biography, the enchanted world Andersen created in his fiction had its roots in a darker reality. Born into an impoverished home, this sensitive, gauche man fought his way to huge literary success, yet he always felt an outsider - lonely, socially awkward and sexually unfulfilled. Exploring Andersen's personal relationships and creativity, Wullschlager presents a superb portrait of one of the greatest and most original European writers.
