The Little Match Girl

With Christmas right around the corner, "The Little Match Girl" is one of those stories that perfectly embody the convoluted spirit of the wintry season. At its core, it is a tapestry of dark and tragic themes that end up creating a hauntingly beautiful fairy tale that will leave you feeling absolutely hollow inside. The one thing you will most likely take to heart after reading this short yet impactful story is that you should never take anything you have for granted and to always show compassion and empathy. "The Little Match Girl" is an efficacious tale about the plight of the poor and society’s often single-minded, cruel, and greed-driven corpus. It will leave you staring blankly at the wall with a heavy feeling in your heart, debating and cursing the iniquity of this world. Then again, the best stories are those that touch us, and with very little words Andersen still managed to deliver on that front. In conclusion: A short and important read that is absolutely worth your time.