--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I never liked Hans Christian Andersen…" description: "\"I never liked Hans Christian Andersen because I knew he was always getting at me.\" — J. R. R. Tolkien" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cc/j-r-r-tolkien-2-1316_always_i-never-liked-hans-christian-andersen-be_6923.png" --- # I never liked Hans Christian Andersen because I knew he… ![“I never liked Hans Christian Andersen because I knew he was always getting at me.” quote by J. R. R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cc/j-r-r-tolkien-2-1316_always_i-never-liked-hans-christian-andersen-be_6923.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cc/j-r-r-tolkien-2-1316_always_i-never-liked-hans-christian-andersen-be_6923.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cc/j-r-r-tolkien-2-1316_always_i-never-liked-hans-christian-andersen-be_6923.png) > “I never liked Hans Christian Andersen because I knew he was always getting at me.” [J. R. R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien-2/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A personal aversion rooted in perceived personal relevance, suggesting the author felt targeted by the storyteller's themes. **In simple terms:** Discomfort with perceived personal critique. Key Takeaway Beware of narratives that feel accusatory. Themes personal relevance author‑reader dynamics interpretive discomfort subjective bias Mood skeptical defensive Type critical personal When to use this quote - reading a classic tale - discussing literary influence - analyzing authorial intent Key Concepts narrative perspective psychological projection Practical Applications - critical literary analysis - psychology of reading Questions to Reflect On - How does personal experience shape our reading of a text? - When does a story become a mirror versus a window? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Christian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian/) ## Related quotes > [There is a bit of Hans Christian Andersen in every Dane.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-borge/there-is-a-bit-of-hans-christian-andersen-in-every-dane/) [Victor Borge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-borge/) > [I guess I am running the risk of becoming the Hans Christian Andersen of opera.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gian-carlo-menotti/i-guess-i-am-running-the-risk-of-becoming-the-hans-christian-andersen/) [Gian Carlo Menotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gian-carlo-menotti/) > [I was brought up, as a lot of kids are, on 'Aesop's Fables,' 'Brothers Grimm,' 'La Fontaine,' all those sorts of things. Hans Christian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-morpurgo/i-was-brought-up-as-a-lot-of-kids-are-on-aesop-s-fables-brothers/) [Michael Morpurgo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-morpurgo/) > [I liked Hans Christian Andersen because the tales were so dark and tragic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-bender/i-liked-hans-christian-andersen-because-the-tales-were-so-dark-and/) [Aimee Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-bender/) > [“Hans Christian Andersen said 'Every man's life is a fairy tale written by God's fingers.' Maybe he was right, maybe not. Either way, just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-f-gifune/hans-christian-andersen-said-every-man-s-life-is-a-fairy-tale-written/) [Greg F. Gifune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-f-gifune/) > [“Have you ever read Hans Christian Andersen’s story of The Little Mermaid, Miranda? Have you ever wanted something so badly that you were willing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanessa-garden/have-you-ever-read-hans-christian-andersen-s-story-of-the-little/) [Vanessa Garden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vanessa-garden/) > [“One time I told her that she reminded me of that charming tale, the one with the red shoes." Helen had always hated that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-kleypas/one-time-i-told-her-that-she-reminded-me-of-that-charming-tale-the/) [Lisa Kleypas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-kleypas/) > [I got interested in reading very early, because a story was read to me, by Hans Christian Andersen, which was 'The Little Mermaid,' and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-munro/i-got-interested-in-reading-very-early-because-a-story-was-read-to-me/) [Alice Munro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-munro/) > [In kindergarten that used to be my job, to tell them fairytales. I liked Hans Christian Andersen, and the Grimm fairy tales, all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-ford-coppola/in-kindergarten-that-used-to-be-my-job-to-tell-them-fairytales-i/) [Francis Ford Coppola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-ford-coppola/) > [A lot of my reading over the next few months will be the works of Hans Christian Andersen - I have been appointed an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-moore/a-lot-of-my-reading-over-the-next-few-months-will-be-the-works-of/) [Roger Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-moore/) > [I was already committed to a play back in New York about Hans Christian Andersen, where Colleen Dewhurst was going to play my mother.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-lloyd/i-was-already-committed-to-a-play-back-in-new-york-about-hans/) [Christopher Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-lloyd/) > [My grandmother, Amalia Pia Emilia Vignola, whom I called Nonna, brought out the fairy tale in everything. She used to tuck me into bed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emilia-wickstead/my-grandmother-amalia-pia-emilia-vignola-whom-i-called-nonna-brought/) [Emilia Wickstead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emilia-wickstead/) > [I was born in the kingdom of Denmark, the birthplace of famous Danish fairytale writer, Hans Christian Andersen. His magical stories have traveled the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morten-andersen/i-was-born-in-the-kingdom-of-denmark-the-birthplace-of-famous-danish/) [Morten Andersen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morten-andersen/) > [Imagine an American Hans Christian Andersen, conceive of the Brothers Grimm living in Missouri, and you will approximate Howard Schwartz, a fable-maker and fable-gatherer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-ozick/imagine-an-american-hans-christian-andersen-conceive-of-the-brothers/) [Cynthia Ozick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-ozick/) > [“Hans and Christian just stare at me, faces grim. All I can think of is how awesome it would be if my name were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyn-balog/hans-and-christian-just-stare-at-me-faces-grim-all-i-can-think-of-is/) [Cyn Balog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyn-balog/) ## More by J. R. R. Tolkien > [No half-heartedness and no worldly fear must turn us aside from following the light unflinchingly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien-2/no-half-heartedness-and-no-worldly-fear-must-turn-us-aside-from/) [J. R. R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien-2/) > [If you don't know where you're going, you'll wind up somewhere else. Not all those who wander are lost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien-2/if-you-don-t-know-where-you-re-going-you-ll-wind-up-somewhere-else/) [J. R. R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien-2/) > [The enemy? His sense of duty was no less than yours, I deem. You wonder what his name is, where he came from. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien-2/the-enemy-his-sense-of-duty-was-no-less-than-yours-i-deem-you-wonder/) [J. R. R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien-2/) > [Much of the same sort of degraded and filthy talk can still be heard among the orc-minded; dreary and repetitive with hatred and contempt,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien-2/much-of-the-same-sort-of-degraded-and-filthy-talk-can-still-be-heard/) [J. R. R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien-2/) > [It was a hobbit hole, and that means comfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien-2/it-was-a-hobbit-hole-and-that-means-comfort/) [J. R. R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien-2/) > [Adventures make one late for supper.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien-2/adventures-make-one-late-for-supper/) [J. R. R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien-2/) > [The Lord of the Rings is of course a fundamentally religious and Catholic work; unconsciously so at first, but consciously in the revision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien-2/the-lord-of-the-rings-is-of-course-a-fundamentally-religious-and/) [J. R. R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien-2/) > [I have no help to send, therefore I must go myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien-2/i-have-no-help-to-send-therefore-i-must-go-myself/) [J. R. R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien-2/) > [Many are the strange chances of the world, and help oft shall come from the hands of the weak when the Wise falter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien-2/many-are-the-strange-chances-of-the-world-and-help-oft-shall-come/) [J. R. R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien-2/) > [Mind your P's and Q's.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien-2/mind-your-p-s-and-q-s/) [J. R. R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien-2/) > [If you're going to have a complicated story you must work to a map; otherwise you'll never make a map of it afterwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien-2/if-you-re-going-to-have-a-complicated-story-you-must-work-to-a-map/) [J. R. R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien-2/) > [Outside the ring of dancing warriors with spears and axes stood wolves at a respectful distance, watching and waiting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien-2/outside-the-ring-of-dancing-warriors-with-spears-and-axes-stood/) [J. R. R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien-2/) > [You have to understand the good in things, to detect the real evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien-2/you-have-to-understand-the-good-in-things-to-detect-the-real-evil/) [J. R. R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien-2/) > [The mind that thought of light, heavy, grey, yellow, still, swift, also conceived of magic that would make heavy things light and able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien-2/the-mind-that-thought-of-light-heavy-grey-yellow-still-swift-also/) [J. R. R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien-2/) > [I don't like allegories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien-2/i-don-t-like-allegories/) [J. R. R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien-2/) [Explore all 252 J. R. R. Tolkien quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien-2/) ## More Always quotes > [I think performing has pretty much always been a part of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isa-briones/i-think-performing-has-pretty-much-always-been-a-part-of-me/) [Isa Briones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isa-briones/) > [I always thought if I was born 2000 years earlier, I would be a monk, probably carving a monastery or some giant pantheon buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenova-chen/i-always-thought-if-i-was-born-2000-years-earlier-i-would-be-a-monk/) [Jenova Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenova-chen/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [It's always great to see old friends, especially those I have not been able to see in 15 months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-regal/it-s-always-great-to-see-old-friends-especially-those-i-have-not-been/) [William Regal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-regal/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [I have really good lateral movement. I've always had quick lateral movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-rivers/i-have-really-good-lateral-movement-i-ve-always-had-quick-lateral/) [Austin Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-rivers/) > [There is something magical about being able to feel somebody. And that is something that has always moved me with music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-brink/there-is-something-magical-about-being-able-to-feel-somebody-and-that/) [Maria Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-brink/) > [Mythology is something that always has opportunities to explore. 'It' has been on Earth for millions of years. He's been in contact with humans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-muschietti/mythology-is-something-that-always-has-opportunities-to-explore-it/) [Andy Muschietti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-muschietti/) > [It's not writing in the traditional sense, but I've always said that the writing process continues on the set and even into the editing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-b-weide/it-s-not-writing-in-the-traditional-sense-but-i-ve-always-said-that/) [Robert B. Weide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-weide/) > [I always watch my matches back 100 times afterwards because that's how I improve. This is something I've always done, even in NXT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-rose/i-always-watch-my-matches-back-100-times-afterwards-because-that-s/) [Mandy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-rose/) > [I've always been of the idea that is doesn't really matter where you are geographically - with 'Lonerism,' we made half the album in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-parker/i-ve-always-been-of-the-idea-that-is-doesn-t-really-matter-where-you/) [Kevin Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-parker/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. If I would lose - because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/whether-it-was-little-league-or-playing-with-your-brothers-or-sisters/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) > [I always say if you put someone from a small town into a big city for ten years, then when they go back, they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-always-say-if-you-put-someone-from-a-small-town-into-a-big-city-for/) [Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/) > [Bayern is always a team that can win the Champions League title in Europe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lothar-matthaus/bayern-is-always-a-team-that-can-win-the-champions-league-title-in/) [Lothar Matthaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lothar-matthaus/) Browse all 36,048 Always quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I never liked Hans Christian Andersen because I knew he was always getting at me.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "J. 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