The Golden Pot

Macabre and fantastical, Hoffmanns wildly imaginative tales offer an unflinching view of human nature and sing clearer than ever in a masterful new translation Whether a surrealist exploration of the anxieties surrounding automation, or a mystery concerning a goldsmith, missing jewels, and a spate of murders, each tale in this collection reveals the complexities of human desire and fear. Hoffman, whose most famous work is The Nutcracker, is often compared to Edgar Allan Poe. Hoffmans massive influence qualifies him as the godfather of the German Romantic Movement which led to the horror genre. The macabre, fantastical nature of his subject matter inspired a broad swath of culture, with two of the longer stories in this collection The Sandman and The Automaton influencing Philip K. Dicks original inspiration for Blade Runner. The murder mystery Mademoiselle de Scudéry is perhaps one of the earliest prototypes of the detective genre story. Music and madness flow through E.T.A. Hoffmanns phantasmagoric stories. The ringing of crystal bells heralds the arrival of a beguiling snake, and a students descent into lunacy; a young man abandons his betrothed for a woman who plays the piano skillfully but seems worryingly wooden; a counselors daughter must choose between singing and her life. Peter Wortsmans masterful new translation allows Hoffmanns distinct and influential style to shine, while breathing new life into stories that seem both familiar and uncanny.