E.T.A Hoffmann

The young student Nathanael remains haunted by his childhood fears: he is convinced that Coppelius, a strange night-time visitor who used to come to his house to conduct alchemical experiments with his father - the latter dying as a consequence of one of these sessions - was none other than the Sandman, a mythical figure who was said to steal the eyes of children who refused to go to sleep. When a mysterious Italian salesman with a beautiful daughter moves into town, Nathanael's suspicions are reawakened, pushing him to the brink of madness as extraordinary event unfold. First published in 1816, this classic of German Gothic fiction has enthralled generations ever since, and has spawned countless interpretations by critics intrigued by its powerful symbolism. Sigmund Freud famously examined the novella in relation to his concept of the &quote;Uncanny&quote;, and an extract from this analysis is included in this volume.

Sandman

Happily engaged to the poet Amandus, Fraulein Anna is horrified to discover that a beautiful ring, mysteriously deposited upon her finger whilst tending her kitchen garden, forces her into marriage with the gnome Corduanspitz. Can Anna find any way of removing the ring? Will her poet lover shake off his passive demeanour and come to her aid? And has Corduanspitz truly relinquished all ties to his gnome heritage, as he so proudly claims?Around a love story very much of its time, Hoffman arranges a narrative that brings to mind the most successful elements of contemporary magical realism and surreal comedy. Always entertaining, yet capable of a focused though subtle morality, &quote;The King's Bride&quote; brings disparate elements into a masterful harmony.

King's Bride

As Paris is shaken by a spate of murderous robberies, the aristocratic Mademoiselle de Scuderi pens a poem to poke fun at the cowardly lovers who now fear to go out at night to see their mistresses. But when she receives an unexpected visit from a young man, who gives her a box of jewels with a note thanking her for supporting the robbers' cause, the elderly writer is plunged into a dangerous web of passion, intrigue and murder. First published in 1819 to great acclaim, and displaying all the author's trademark wit and ingenuity, E.T.A. Hoffmann's tale has inspired and delighted writers and readers ever since, and remains a benchmark for all modern crime novels.

Mademoiselle de Scuderi

I Hoffmanns fantastiske noveller demonstrerer han endnu engang, hvorfor han anses for at være den ubestridte mester inden for den gotiske og fantastiske litteratur. I de fire noveller kommer vi blandt andet med på jagt efter en brutal morder, der har en særlig tilbøjelighed til at myrde unge elskere, som er på vej til deres hjertenskær med dyrebare smykker. Det bliver op til frøken Scudéri, den første detektiv i hele litteraturhistorien, at rense den anklagedes navn. Vi kommer også med til stamhuset, hvor en gammel adelig slægt har gemt sine mest dystre hemmeligheder. "Fantastiske noveller" består af "Frøken Scudéri", "Stamhuset", "Mester Martin og hans svende" og "Lykke i spil". Den tyske forfatter E.T.A. Hoffmann (1776-1822) var – med sin forkærlighed for skrækscenarier, slægtsforbandelse, makabre forbrydelser og lignende – hovedskikkelsen i den "sorte" romantiske digtning. Til forskel fra de øvrige romantikeres enhedstænkning havde Hoffmann en dualistisk livsanskuelse, hvor kun åndens verden er virkelig, mens den materielle verden er grotesk og uvirkelig. Hoffmann fik stor indflydelse på europæisk litteratur, og forfattere som bl.a. H.C. Andersen, Fjodor Dostojevskij og Charles Dickens har fundet inspiration i hans digtning.

Fantastiske noveller

Reproduction of the original: The Devil's Elixir by E.T.A Hoffmann

E.T.A Hoffmann

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