E. T. A. Hoffman

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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.

E. T. A. Hoffmann is seen as a pioneer of both Romanticism and fantasy literature, and his novella, Mademoiselle de Scud ri: A Tale from the Times of Louis XIV is often cited as the first ever detective story. Hoffman's story 'The Sandman' provided both the inspiration for L o Delibes's ballet Copp lia, and the basis for a highly influential essay by Sigmund Freud, called 'The Uncanny'. Indeed, Freud referred to Hoffman as the "unrivalled master of the uncanny in literature." Many of the demonic and thriller stories, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

Den tyske författaren och kompositören Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffman (1776–1822) tillhörde den romantiska skolan men hittade en egen stil som utmärktes av en blandning av realism och fantasi. Många konstnärer har inspirerats av Hoffman, som exempelvis Jacques Offenbach som använde tre berättelser av Hoffman som grund för sin opera Hoffmans äventyr och Tjajkovskij som fick idén till baletten Nötknäpparen av Hoffmans verk. Sagan om Nötknäpparen börjar nog så idylliskt med en skildring av en julafton. Men snart dras läsaren in i en hemlighetsfull och magisk värld där det trygga och ombonade flätas samman med det oförutsägbara, det groteska och skräckfyllda.