Name: The Devil's Elixir
ISBN: 9781775454151

E. T. A. Hoffmann

German writer E.T.A. Hoffmann is known as the master of uncanny and supernatural tales. In the novella The Devil's Elixir, Hoffmann recounts the creepy exploits of a monk who is driven to the brink of madness by a mysterious substance -- and a mysterious, possibly demonic figure who bears a striking resemblance to the monk himself.

The Devil's Elixir

The charismatic monk Medardus becomes implicated in a deadly mystery against his will. As he travels towards Rome he wrestles with the enigma of his own identity while pursued by his murderous doppelganger. The monk's only hope for salvation lies with the beautiful Aurelie; but in order to escape the curse which lies over his family, he must evade the sinister powers of the living and the dead. In this lively and disturbing gothic tale, Hoffmann combines elements of the fantastic and the sublime to analyse the seductive ambiguities of art and the deeply divided nature of the human imagination.

The Devil's Elixirs

Joshua Line

E.T.A. Hoffmann

The Devil's Elixirs is a macabre masterpiece of German literature, and is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the Romantic movement, or the genres of fantasy and horror which it spawned. The son of a heinous sinner, Medardus is brought up in a monastery to atone for his father's wicked ways. However, after succumbing to temptation, Medardus himself is lured into a life of sin. A labyrinthine plot sees him embarking on a fantastical journey into the world, meeting his doppelganger, involving himself in a game of double impersonation, and becoming embroiled in murderous intrigues at the Vatican, before the mysterious curse hanging over him and his family is finally explained. First published in 1815, ""The Devil's Elixirs"" is a macabre masterpiece of German literature, and is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the Romantic movement, or the genres of fantasy and horror which it spawned.

The Devil's Elixir

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