I loved that book. There is a common misconception that fairy tales are supposed to always end with "happily ever after" and that's really not the case. The original fairy tales weren't like the Disney versions that always had happy endings. My old book of fairy tales was actually one of the first books that got me thinking. It challenged my morals at a very young age, and sometimes even scared me to the point that I would keep it at the very top of my bookshelf and avoid looking at it for months on end. (Blue Beard scarred me for life!) Still, I came back to it from time to time, going through the stories over and over again because I enjoyed how it took my imagination to places I have never dreamed of. It was a beautiful book too, with colorful art scattered through the pages.
That is why when I first set my sights on the Classic Fairy Tales book by Hans Christian Andersen at Fully Booked, I knew I had to get it. It reminded me of the book from my childhood, and it was so beautiful, I knew it was something I would love to keep in the family for future generations.
So pretty!
Opening up the book instantly takes you to lands far, far, away. The inside front and back covers have a lovely painting of a castle in the mountains, bringing to mind images of princes and princesses, fairies and elves.
Once upon a time...
