REVIEW: The Nutcracker (E.T.A Hoffmann)

Book: The Nutcracker

Author: E.T.A Hoffmann

Premise: The gift of a handsomely decorated, enigmatic nutcracker sets the stage for a Christmas like no other: there will be legends of ancient curses, battles with the dreaded Mouse King, and a visit to the wonderful Kingdom of Dolls.

I love the Nutcracker, specifically the ballet and music by Tchaikovsky. So this little book was a must. The story is similar to the ballet but much darker and more unsettling. There's a section where the Rat King terrorises Marie. The nutcracker himself has sharp teeth and eyes that flash with anger. But there's also a lot of magic. I did enjoy the story of how the nutcracker came to be, which takes a few chapters but is absent from the ballet.

This edition also came with 2 more short stories. The Sandman is about a man and how his obsession with the sandman turns him mad. The Mines of Falun is about a man joining the mines and also going mad. Both of these were very unsettling and twisted. Probably more appropriate at Halloween than Christmas!