Add this copy of The Best Tales of Hoffmann to cart. $13.10, new condition, Sold by Chidoc5 Rare Books rated 3.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Highland Park, IL, UNITED STATES, published 1979 by Dover Publications.
Add this copy of The Best Tales of Hoffmann Format: Paperback to cart. $13.91, new condition, Sold by indoo rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Avenel, NJ, UNITED STATES, published 1979 by Dover Publications.
Add this copy of The Best Tales of Hoffmann to cart. $72.73, new condition, Sold by GridFreed rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from North Las Vegas, NV, UNITED STATES, published 1979 by Dover Publications.
IN RUSSIA, ETA HOFFMANN IS WELL KNOWN, MANY OF HIS WORKS MASTERFULLY TRANSLATED. I AM RUSSIAN AMERICAN WITH RENEWED INTEREST IN "HOFFMAN'S WORLD".
THERE ARE VERY A FEW TRANSLATIONS IN ENGLISH AVAILABLE IN US. SO I WAS GLAD TO FIND THIS BOOK TO SATISFY MY CRAVING :) IT IS AS EVER DELIGHTFUL, WITH AGE I CAN DEEPER APPRICIATE COMPLEX AND MAGICAL SPACES THAT HIS FLUID FREEFLOWING MIND CREATED. HIS WORK MAKES ME SMILE IN RECOGNITION OF NOTIONS AND CHARACTERS THAT SO HUMANLY REALISTIC AND AT THE SAME TIME UNTOUCHABLY REMOVED TO THE LANDS OF DREAMS, MAKES ME THINK, PROVIDING ESCAPE FROM DULL EVERY DAY EXISTENCE THAT I CHOSE TO BE MY REALITY. :)
JonDwyer
Apr 4, 2007
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.
