Ice Virgin

Hans Christian Andersen was a master of other literary forms besides the fairy story - in particular, the novella for an adult readership.
The Ice Virgin (1862) is the most ambitious and searching of all his narratives.
Its subject is Switzerland, which Andersen saw as a paradigm of the human condition.
The relationship between a gifted young climber-hunter from the remote Bernese Oberland and a prosperous miller's daughter from a comfortable French-speaking canton plays out themes such as instinct versus reason, daring versus security, the role of early experience in shaping identity.
In the terrifying Ice Virgin and her eerie minions, with their implacable hatred of humankind, we have a glimpse of the fairy tale Andersen.
But this is a thoroughly absorbing story of the real world.
In his Afterword Paul Binding situates The Ice Virgin in its author's life and work and explains why he places this novella in the first rank of world literature.

Hans Christian Andersen a fost un maestru al altor forme literare in afara de poveste - in special, novela pentru un cititor adult. Fecioara de gheata (1862) este cea mai ambitioasa si mai cautatoare dintre toate naratiunile sale. Subiectul sau este Elvetia, pe care Andersen a vazut-o. ca paradigma a conditiei umane. Relatia dintre un tanar alpinist-vanator inzestrat din indepartatul Oberland Bernez si o fiica prospera a morarului dintr-un canton confortabil de limba franceza interpreteaza teme precum instinctul impotriva ratiunii, indrazneala versus securitatea, rolul experienta timpurie in modelarea identitatii. In terifianta Fecioara de gheata si minionii ei ciudati, cu ura lor implacabila fata de omenire, avem o privire asupra basmului Andersen. Dar aceasta este o poveste profund absorbanta a lumii reale. In Postfata sa Paul Binding situeaza Fecioara de gheata in viata si opera autorului sau si explica de ce plaseaza aceasta romana in primul rang al literaturii mondiale.