The Little Mermaid (Spoiler Free Review)

The Little Mermaid
By: Hans Christian Andersen
Goodreads Rating: 4.02

Pages: 48

Format: Hardcover

First Edition Published: 1837

Buy:Book Depository | Amazon

Goodreads Synopsis

For as long as she can remember, the little mermaid has yearned for her 15th birthday, when she will finally be old enough to explore the world above the waves. Awash with the evocative colors of the sea, Hans Christian Andersen’s bittersweet tale comes to life. Full color.

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The Review

“She would have wept, but mermaids cannot weep, and therefore, when they are troubled, suffer infinitely more than human beings do.”

The original story of The Little Mermaid was written by Hans Christian Andersen way back in 1837. Like my previous review of The Beauty and the Beast, Andersen’s tale is also known to hold a completely different narrative from that of the Disney version we know so well today.

“Far out in the sea, –where the water is blue as the loveliest cornflower, and clear as the purest crystal, where it is so deep that very, very many church-towers must be heaped one upon another in order to reach the lowest depth to the surface above, — dwell the Mer-people.”

Our story opens with a lush description of the mermaid’s underwater home. The sea palace and it’s surroundings are described exquisitely and in a writing style that just seems to pull the reader in.

Andersen tells the story in third person limited perspective, which is fitting, considering we only get insight on the little mermaid’s thoughts. The book isn’t titled The Little Mermaid for nothing!

The narrator tells the reader about the Mer-king who has six daughters–the youngest being “the most lovely”. When each mermaid attains their fifteenth birthday, they are permitted to rise to the ocean’s surface. Every year, as each sister goes above the sea, they return with stories of what they witnessed–making our little mermaid more and more anxious to see land for herself.

When the time finally arrives for the youngest princess to venture towards the shore, the sun already began to sink below the horizon. This dark setting is the foundation for what is to come from that point on. I won’t say much more than that because I don’t wan’t to spoil anyone. What I will say though, is that from the moment our little mermaid rises above the water, everything gets pretty sullen.

In terms of pacing, Andersen pretty much nailed it. The Little Mermaid was made into the perfect length for what it is. The fact that the story is only 48 pages in length, makes it all the more powerful. I completed it in one sitting and found myself flying through the pages eager to know what happens next.

All in all, I didn’t really have any problems with the story as a whole. My only concern was that I would have liked to see more of the human world. We only got to see a tiny chunk, and it kind of felt like a mystery to me. I guess that’s what Andersen was aiming for considering it was a mystery to the little mermaid as well.

The Little Mermaid was an amazing story. I went into it knowing that it was not going to be the Disney movie, but rather something much darker. I would definitely recommend this story to anyone and everyone. While it doesn’t have a happy ending, it is bitter-sweet and unlike some readers, I honestly didn’t mind this conclusion. If you are someone who is into darker versions of fairy tales, The Little Mermaid is one you should definitely pick up.

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!

Until next time,

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Rating
🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼(5)