[Systemic33]

Just like the article mentioned, he has become almost synonymous with fairy tales associated with stories for kids, but for anyone who has ever read from a collection of his stories, a majority of them are most certainly not appropriate for kids. Some of them are incredibly sad, and as another comment says, the fate of the characters often can change for the worse in the last paragraphs, when you least expect it.

I can only recommend reading his works, they are deeply profound.

[MrDresden]

> for anyone who has ever read from a collection of his stories, a majority of them are most certainly not appropriate for kids.

That really depends on the culture you are coming from.

There is a deep divide between how European and USA culture views what is appropriate material for children.

Being from the nordics, H.C.A's whole collection was part of mine and every friends childhood, from as early as kindergarten, and I vividly remember feeling deep sadness and empathy towards some of his characters at an early age.

[xxs]

> a majority of them are most certainly not appropriate for kid

I did enjoy them as kid - as sad as they were. Many years after I can't think of a reason to consider them: "most certainly not appropriate". That's being overprotective.

In the light of the current events - they should introduce an age check verification to readers, right?

[loughnane]

I agree with you that OP is being overprotective, but its natural that we all draw slightly different lines about what's appropriate when.

FWIW, when (spoiler alerts) the little girl gets her feet cut off in red shoes my 8 and 10 year olds were shocked at the turn events, but hardly shaken. Likewise when the little match girl died in the cold they were sad, but not permanently so.

It's the same deal with grimm fairy tales, or even pinocchio (pinocchio gets hanged).

[cpp_frog]

I read The Steadfast Tin Soldier for the first time when I was a kid but it didn't have a special meaning for me until my late teens, when I first fell in love.

[vintermann]

Never mind the kids, "Story of a mother" is very much "adult fear".

[secondcoming]

A story having a tragic twist doesn’t automatically make it inappropriate for kids.

[fifticon]

I wonder what dr detroit did wrong to be bombed into oblivion; he is not fully wrong. As an example, the HCA story 'tinderbox' is clearly built from earlier borrowed cloth. As a dane myself, it is apparent that HCA didn't even have a danish term for the demon dogs, so he just calls them 'dogs' to avoid issues with his audience.