Review of
Classics Illustrated Junior: The Emperor’s
New Clothes, by Hans Christian Andersen
Five out of five stars
One of the best fairy tales of all time
This is one of
the best fairy tales of all time and my personal favorite. It is one of the
best demonstrations of mass human folly, where no one is willing to state the
truth, even when it is as visually real as possible.
The premise is
that there is a kingdom ruled by a very vain Emperor that always wants to wear
the finest of clothes. Two con artists convince him that they will make a suit
so spectacular, that only a fool will not be able to see it. Pretending to
weave invisible thread into cloth and then pretending to cut that cloth into
clothing, the supposed end result is the finest garments ever created.
Although there
are supposed viewings of the garments before they are presented to the public
in a big parade, no one, including the Emperor, is willing to admit that they
cannot see them. The parade takes place, and the Emperor walks the streets in
his underwear. Finally, a naïve child blurts out the obvious, there is a pause,
and then everyone talks about the Emperor’s lack of clothing.
This tale has
ramifications in many areas of human endeavor, any activity where there is peer
pressure to conform. It is a wonderful story, told in the form of a comic book
that is accessible to the early elementary school child.
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