Tales of Hoffmann (Penguin Classics)

E.T.A. Hoffmann was in his own way a singular artist of the early nineteenth century. He was a musician, he painted set designs for plays, he wrote novels, stories and novellas. He also had an influence on the works of Edgar Allan Poe and Fyodor Dostoevsky. I read this collection years ago. I bought it recently because I wanted to read the tales once again, enjoy them and learn from them. Hoffmann is one of the masters of his times and it's a pleasure to reread his works. He is great with atmosphere, his tales are compelling and they linger in the imagination. I love the German novella format he incorporates - longer than a story, shorter than a novel but with the richness of both worlds. If you love German literature, this and Kleist's collection of stories are great reads.

If you are looking for a stylized page turner, ala the Da Vinci Code, then don't waste your time on this book. These tales require a little bit more effort. Hoffmann wrote them almost 200 years ago for a primarily female audience. Many were overwhelmed by his fertile imagination (Goethe thought that Hoffmann was insane). Today's reader, of course, will find them quite tame. A weird logic reigns in all of these tales. In reading them, you'll gain an insight into that strange train wreck of natural philosophy, occultism and aesthetics known as German Romanticism. The translations, though uninspired, are adequate. My favorite tale is The Sandman. Stepford Wives?

E. T. A. Hoffmann is perhaps best known to American audiences as the creator of "The Nutcracker"; a story most are familar with due to the numerous stage productions each Christmas season. Hoffmann's contribution to fantasy and literature extends far beyond the Nutcracker though. He posessed an amazing imagination and true talent for spinning a story, exciting a sense of wonder and creating eccentric, memorable characters. This book, "The Tales of Hoffman", offers the reader some of Hoffmann's best, and at the same time, lesser known works. The stories included are:"Mademoiselle de Scudery", "The Sandman", "The Artushof", "Councillor Krespel", "The Entail", "Doge and Dogaressa" "The Mines at Falun", "The Choosing of the Bride"I wish I was a Hoffmann scholar, so that I could do justice in this review to these great tales. Suffice it to say, that anyone interested in superbly crafted fantasy, the supernatural interwoven with the romantic, and wonderfully crafted characters - anyone who reads and admires to the works of Edgar Allan Poe, Charles Dickens, and Bram Stoker to name just a few, should read the works of Herr Hoffmann. He is truly one of the finest, and under appreciated, authors of the fantastic.

E.T.A. Hoffman's stories are fun, and at the same time scary and horrifying, to read. The Sandman is my personal favorite right now because of the tension it creates in the reader and also because of its psychological terror. Hoffman's writing is fluid and easy to visualize, which I believe is the mark of a good writer. Hoffman's use of the fantastic in his writing make his stories engaging and is reminescent of Rod Serling's Twilight Zone.