The Best Tales of Hoffmann
by E. T. A. Hoffmann
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Book Summary Information
Author: E. T. A. HoffmannEditor: E. F. Bleiler
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1979-04-01
ISBN: 0486217930
Number of pages: 458
Publisher: Dover Publications
Book Reviews of The Best Tales of Hoffmann
Book Review: Deserves a larger audience.
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm guessing by the meager amount of reviews that E.T.A. Hoffmann is a sadly neglected author in relation to his ability to write marvelously imaginative and entertaining stories. To say this man had a fertile imagination is a gross understatement. Though it might not be apparent on the first impression, all the the stories in this collection contain characters who do double duty as symbolic representations of psychological or sub-conscious forces; the action can be seen as the working out in a protagonist of spiritual or psychological issues; of finding one's true vocation in life, learning to discern reality from illusion, integration of opposing psychic fragments within oneself. But these are no mere simple allegories or one-to-one symbolic representations. They are powerful and gripping works of literature in the form of fantasy and sophisticated fairy-tales. There is more than one way to interpret these tales, and the meaning you find in them will depend on your own personality and preconceptions. If you have ever read any of C.G. Jung's psychological writings, you may experience a distinct recognition of the Jungian concept of archetypes of the personal and collective unconscious. Hoffmann predated Jung by many decades, but was already weaving these concepts into his fantastic tales. Hoffmann not only had deep psychological insights and a fantastic imagination, but had also a talent for conjuring up scenes of delicate and exotic beauty, and in some tales showed a propensity for drollery and satire. In other words, he showed an astonishing range of versatility, even within the category of fantastic fiction. If he sometimes hints at earthiness, he never descends to vulgarity. He is very cultured, but never stilted or stuffy. Hoffmann was also a musical composer of some talent and had an appreciation for great painting as well as clever mechanical devices. All these elements figure into various of his stories and enliven and give them artistic depth. Mythology and the occult also make a prominent appearance there. You will not find fantasy stories being written today that will come close to rivaling the high cultural and literary level of these Tales of Hoffmann. The main weakness that I perceived in some of them was that the 19th century penchant for overblown sentimentality sometimes showed itself, but certainly not to an intolerable degree. I have literally never read anyone like him. If you like Poe, Hawthorne, Doestoevsky, Stevenson's "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde", Washington Irving - that might be an indication you would like Hoffmann, but those are not necessarily prerequisites. As I said, I really don't know of anyone to compare him to. If you're wary of taking a chance, pick up one of the used offers on Amazon. I did. It's an unbelievable entertainment value for the money. There are 400 pages in the Dover copy I bought. Even though I read mine all the way through at once, these stories should really be savored individually, and that is what I intend to do when I reread them periodically. There is a lengthy introduction by E.F. Bleiler in this Dover edition, but I would strongly advise not reading it until you have finished the stories. That way, you can experience them fresh without any preformed ideas as to their meaning. If you get this book, you have an intriguing appointment with doppelgangers, witches, seven-headed mice-kings, ensorceled nutcrackers, elemental spirits, and men who cast no shadow or show no reflection in a mirror. And that by no means covers everything!
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