Delving deeply into archives and correspondence, Jens Andersen sheds new light on Hans Christian Andersen's writings - the 156 published fairy tales, as well as the novels, short stories, dramas, poetry, and non-fiction - and on the writer whose own life had many aspects of the fairytale. As did some of the memorable characters he created, Andersen grew up in miserable and impoverished circumstances and as an adult he took steps to keep what he called his "common" background well hidden, propagating myths about his life and family, partially to create a romantic distance from his true background. In this new biography, Jens Andersen uncovers much about this man that has never been revealed before.