Tales Old & Intriguing in a New Package
Although known widely as the source material for Offenbach's opera "Les Contes d'Hoffmann" and the story behind the popular "Nutcracker," E.T.A. Hoffmann's "tales" are not well known in the English-speaking world because of a lack of good English translations in print. Ten of these excellent stories of the supernatural have been pulled together and edited by the noted editor and author E. F. Bleiler. His excellent introduction introduces us to the fascinating individual Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann (1776-1822), who in addition to writing was a composer, conductor, painter, and held positions in the Prussian civil service. His lifestyle, however, led to many difficulties before his early death at 46.
Bleiler's excellent editing job reveals Hoffmann to be a sophisticated and lively writer about the supernatural, one who definitely merits reading in the 21st century. I have owned this edition for more than thirty years and re-read the stories from time to time. The excellent Dover trade paperback lived up to its promise and doesn't even have a crack in the binding.
The Internet didn't exist in 1967; but, having read "The Best Tales of Hoffmann," I was inspired to go online and find six other collections to expand my range of stories using Alibris. In this book, I particularly recommend "A New Year's Eve Adventure," "Rat(h) Krespel," "The Sand-Man," and of course "Nutcracker and the King the of Mice."
A couple of hours spent with this book will pay off handsomely.
