Dato: 27. juni 1857
Fra: Anne S Bushby   Til: H.C. Andersen
Sprog: engelsk.

3 Halkin Street, Grosvenor Place.

Saturday Morng - 27th June.

My dear Mr. Andersen

Your book is reviewed in the. Athenæum of this day. A friend lent it to me for 5 minutes, and I had only time to glance through the article. I have ordered the number from my booksellers, and shall forward it to you as soon as he can get it for me. They give long extracts from it. The reviewer says it is "charmingly written", and praise[s] it, but I am sorry to say not altogether. With a strange obliquity of vision, and want of judgement, he finds fault with the controversial part of it, and calls it a "dangerous" book!! This book of yours must be studied in order fully to appreciate and enjoy it - it ought not to be run through like an every day novel. I hope some of the Reviewers will notice how charmingly you have drawn your two female characters - the leading ones - Bodil and Esther - both so approaching to perfection, yet both so different! The stupid reviewer draws a comparison between your book and Hamlet - the play - Now you have nothing to do with Hamlet farther than borrowing the title of your book from it.

I shall be anxious to hear what you think of the critique; but must curb my curiosity until next Friday evening, when I hope to have a little chat with you.

Yours most sincerely,

A. S. Bushby

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