The Little Mermaid, and other Tales. By Hans Christian Andersen.
Translated by B. Nisbet Bain, Illustrated by R. Weguelin. (Lawrence and Sullen.) — Mr. Bain gives a short biography of Andersen, quite free, it must be allowed, from any tendency to make a hero of him. He then proceeds to criticise with much freedom previous translators. Of his own version, as a representation of the original, we have no means of judging ; as a piece of English it is good, but not conspicuously excellent. Why "self same" in "There were two men in one pity who both had the self-same name" P This is a handsome volume, and some of the illustrations, though not, we think, all, add to its attractions. Still; there are readers who will prefer Dr. Duloken's complete edition, with its eighty-three tales, as against twenty- seven. Dr. Duloken's translation may be liable to the charge of "slavish literalism," but it serves all practical purposes. There are books ; and the Fairy-Tales of Andersen among them, which it seems wasteful to have in an edition de lure.
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