Den lille havfrue
Like a lot of the books in this list, The Little Mermaid is a book I picked up by accident. It was on the book swap shelf at work, probably for years, and I like to think I rescued it from oblivion.
I had heard that the original Hans Christian Andersen version was quite different to the Disney movie version, although I don't think I was adequately forewarned about absolutely depressing it would be. – Seriously, that is some messed up stuff.
Andersen was a prolific writer and his stories have become part of our collective consciousness. However, in many cases and as with The Little Mermaid, the original and the fairy-tale versions differ considerably. Apparently, Andersen had a difficult, troubled life and many people feel this was reflected in his unhappily-ever-after allegories that we all know and think we love.
