Nutcracker

Nutcracker

This 1816 story is perhaps best known as the basis for Tchaikovsky's popular ballet, but Hoffmann's holiday legend is where the spell begins. Here is the original tale of seven-year-old Marie and her beloved Nutcracker, beset by a dark mystery that surrounds this story within a story. Godpapa Drosselmeier, who once served as the royal court's inventor, recounts to Marie a tale of the trickery of Dame Mouserink, the Queen of Mice. The vengeful queen casts a curse on an innocent princess, forcing Drosselmeier to undertake an arduous quest to break the spell. His mixed success leads to the lasting enmity between the Nutcracker and seven-headed Mouse-King — Dame Mouserink's son — a conflict that only Marie can help resolve. One of the world's greatest fantasy writers and a major figure in late German Romanticism, Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann (1776–1822) created extraordinary works of poetry and supernatural fiction. In tales like The Nutcracker, Hoffmann's characters come to vivid life in settings that move from the firm ground of reality to a world of enchantment, mystery, and romance.
Sign up to use

Reviews

Photo of Nour Bassiouny
Nour Bassiouny@nourbassiouny
4 stars
Jan 2, 2023
Photo of Grace O'Callaghan
Grace O'Callaghan@graceinneverland
4 stars
Jan 4, 2022
Photo of Samantha Donovan
Samantha Donovan@sam_donovan
5 stars
Dec 31, 2021
Photo of Aleena Korell
Aleena Korell@aleena
5 stars
Dec 15, 2021
Photo of karissa
karissa @kitten
2 stars
Dec 31, 2021
Photo of Lindsy Rice
Lindsy Rice@lindsyrice
3 stars
Jan 12, 2024
Photo of Caitlin Bohannon
Caitlin Bohannon@waitingforoctober
5 stars
Jan 5, 2023
Photo of Kitti Horváth
Kitti Horváth@colstok
3 stars
Aug 12, 2022
Photo of Lily
Lily@variouslilies
5 stars
Mar 30, 2022
Photo of Merry
Merry@merrium
4 stars
Mar 19, 2022
Photo of Roksolana Kaziuk
Roksolana Kaziuk@roksolana
2 stars
Jan 2, 2022
Photo of Aleena Korell
Aleena Korell@aleena
3 stars
Dec 15, 2021
Photo of Aleena Korell
Aleena Korell@aleena
5 stars
Dec 15, 2021
Photo of ghost girl in satin
ghost girl in satin@ghostgirlinsatin
5 stars
Dec 13, 2021
Photo of Kiya Robinson
Kiya Robinson@kiyajade
5 stars
Nov 19, 2021
Photo of Cheryl Hedlund
Cheryl Hedlund@cappuccino136
4 stars
Nov 17, 2021
Photo of Diana
Diana @perdiana
5 stars
Nov 8, 2021
Photo of Michael Chen
Michael Chen@docmc03
4 stars
Nov 7, 2021
Photo of Alice Foster
Alice Foster@alice_foster
4 stars
Oct 31, 2021
Photo of Cora Sicard
Cora Sicard@coralbooks
3 stars
Oct 21, 2021
Photo of Tori
Tori@libraryoftori
4 stars
Sep 20, 2021
Photo of Debbie
Debbie@drownedintothepages
4 stars
Sep 1, 2021
Photo of  Bruna Acioly Leão
Bruna Acioly Leão@bruna
3 stars
Aug 29, 2021
Photo of Kate Miller
Kate Miller@hiddenbookthoughts
5 stars
Aug 26, 2021