Macabre and fantastical, Hoffmann's wildly imaginative tales offer an
unflinching view of human nature and sing clearer than ever in a
masterful new translation
Whether a surrealist exploration of the anxieties surrounding
automation, or a mystery concerning a goldsmith, missing jewels, and a
spate of murders, each tale in this collection reveals the complexities
of human desire and fear.
Hoffman, whose most famous work is "The Nutcracker," is often compared
to Edgar Allan Poe. Hoffman's massive influence qualifies him as the
godfather of the German Romantic Movement which led to the horror genre.
The macabre, fantastical nature of his subject matter inspired a broad
swath of culture, with two of the longer stories in this collection "The
Sandman" and "The Automaton" influencing Philip K. Dick's original
inspiration for Blade Runner. The murder mystery "Mademoiselle de
Scudéry" is perhaps one of the earliest prototypes of the detective
genre story.
Music and madness flow through E.T.A. Hoffmann's phantasmagoric stories.
The ringing of crystal bells heralds the arrival of a beguiling snake,
and a student's descent into lunacy; a young man abandons his betrothed
for a woman who plays the piano skillfully but seems worryingly wooden;
a counselor's daughter must choose between singing and her life.
Peter Wortsman's masterful new translation allows Hoffmann's distinct
and influential style to shine, while breathing new life into stories
that seem both familiar and uncanny.
