What do you think?
Rate this book
螣 螝伪蟻蠀慰胃蟻伪蠉蟽蟿畏蟼 魏伪喂 慰 尾伪蟽喂位喂维蟼 蟿蠅谓 蟺慰谓蟿喂魏蠋谓
螤伪蟻伪渭慰谓萎 围蟻喂蟽蟿慰蠀纬苇谓谓蠅谓. 螚 螠伪蟻委 魏伪喂 慰 桅蟻喂蟿蟼 蟺蔚蟻喂渭苇谓慰蠀谓 渭蔚 伪谓蠀蟺慰渭慰谓畏蟽委伪 蟿伪 未蠋蟻伪 蟿蠅谓 纬慰谓喂蠋谓 蟿慰蠀蟼 魏伪喂 蟿慰蠀 谓慰谓慰蠉 螡蟿蟻蠈蟽蔚位渭伪蠆蔚蟻, 慰 慰蟺慰委慰蟼 蠁畏渭委味蔚蟿伪喂 纬喂伪 蟿喂蟼 蔚蠀蠁维谓蟿伪蟽蟿蔚蟼 魏伪蟿伪蟽魏蔚蠀苇蟼 蟿慰蠀. 惟蟽蟿蠈蟽慰, 蔚魏蟿蠈蟼 伪蟺蠈 蟿慰 蠀蟺苇蟻慰蠂慰 魏慰蠀魏位蠈蟽蟺喂蟿慰 渭蔚 蟿伪 伪谓胃蟻蠅蟺维魏喂伪 蟺慰蠀 蠂慰蟻蔚蠉慰蠀谓, 蠀蟺维蟻蠂蔚喂 伪魏蠈渭伪 苇谓伪 未蠋蟻慰: 螤位维喂 蟽蟿慰 蠂蟻喂蟽蟿慰蠀纬蔚谓谓喂维蟿喂魏慰 未苇谓蟿蟻慰 蟽蟿苇魏蔚喂 苇谓伪蟼 蠈蠂喂 蟺慰位蠉 蠈渭慰蟻蠁慰蟼, 伪位位维 蠀蟺慰渭慰谓蔚蟿喂魏蠈蟼 魏伪喂 蟽委纬慰蠀蟻伪 蟽蠀渭蟺伪胃畏蟿喂魏蠈蟼 魏伪蟻蠀慰胃蟻伪蠉蟽蟿畏蟼. 螤慰喂慰 蔚委谓伪喂, 蠈渭蠅蟼, 蟿慰 渭蠀蟽蟿喂魏蠈 蟿慰蠀; 螘委谓伪喂 维蟻伪纬蔚 蟺位伪蟽渭苇谓慰蟼 纬喂伪 谓伪 蟽蟺维蔚喂 魏伪蟻蠉未喂伪 萎 纬喂伪 魏维蟿喂 魏伪位蠉蟿蔚蟻慰; 螚 伪位萎胃蔚喂伪 胃伪 渭伪蟼 伪蟺慰魏伪位蠀蠁胃蔚委 渭苇蟽伪 伪蟺蠈 蟿慰 蟺伪蟻伪渭蠉胃喂 纬喂伪 蟿慰 蟽魏位畏蟻蠈 魏伪蟻蠉未喂 螝蟻伪魏伪蟿慰蠉魏 魏伪喂 蟿畏 渭伪纬蔚渭苇谓畏 蟺蟻喂纬魏委蟺喂蟽蟽伪 螤喂蟻位喂蟺维蟿. 螝伪喂 蠈蟿伪谓 苇蟻蠂蔚蟿伪喂 畏 蠋蟻伪 谓伪 谓喂魏畏胃慰蠉谓 蟿伪 蟺慰谓畏蟻维 魏伪喂 位伪委渭伪蟻纬伪 蟺慰谓蟿委魏喂伪 魏伪喂 谓伪 位蠀胃慰蠉谓 蟿伪 渭维纬喂伪, 畏 螠伪蟻委 胃伪 蟽蟿畏蟻委尉蔚喂 蟿慰谓 螝伪蟻蠀慰胃蟻伪蠉蟽蟿畏 渭蔚 蠈位畏 蟿畏蟼 蟿畏谓 魏伪蟻未喂维. 螣 蟺蟻委纬魏喂蟺伪蟼 蟿慰蠀 蠁伪谓蟿伪蟽蟿喂魏慰蠉 魏伪喂 "伪蟽蠀谓伪纬蠋谓喂蟽蟿慰蟼 蟿蔚蠂谓委蟿畏蟼 蟿慰蠀 蟺伪蟻维未慰尉慰蠀" 围蠈蠁渭伪谓 渭维蟼 蟺伪蟻伪未委未蔚喂 渭喂伪 渭伪纬蔚蠀蟿喂魏萎 喂蟽蟿慰蟻委伪 纬喂伪 蟿畏谓 蟺委蟽蟿畏, 蟿慰 胃维蟻蟻慰蟼 魏伪喂 蟿畏谓 伪纬维蟺畏, 渭喂伪 喂蟽蟿慰蟻委伪 蠈蟺慰蠀 畏 蟺蟻伪纬渭伪蟿喂魏蠈蟿畏蟿伪 伪谓萎魏蔚喂 蟽蟿畏谓 蔚蟺喂魏蟻维蟿蔚喂伪 蟿畏蟼 蠁伪谓蟿伪蟽委伪蟼, 纬喂伪 蠈蟺慰喂慰谓 苇蠂蔚喂 渭维蟿喂伪 纬喂伪 谓伪 尾位苇蟺蔚喂.
螚 魏伪喂谓慰蟿蠈渭慰蟼 谓慰蠀尾苇位伪 蟿慰蠀 1816 蟽蔚 谓苇伪 渭蔚蟿维蠁蟻伪蟽畏, 渭蔚 蔚喂魏慰谓慰纬蟻维蠁畏蟽畏 蟿慰蠀 螔慰畏渭慰蠉 伪蟻 谓慰蠀尾蠋 魏伪位位喂蟿苇蠂谓畏 Artus Scheiner 伪蟺蠈 蟿畏谓 蟺蟻伪纬喂谓萎, 蟽蠀位位蔚魏蟿喂魏萎 苇魏未慰蟽畏 蟿慰蠀 1924. (螒蟺蠈 蟿畏谓 蟺伪蟻慰蠀蟽委伪蟽畏 蟽蟿慰 慰蟺喂蟽胃蠈蠁蠀位位慰 蟿慰蠀 尾喂尾位委慰蠀)
螤蔚蚁喂蔚蠂蠈渭蔚谓伪
螤螒巍螒螠螣螡螚 围巍螜危韦螣违螕螘螡螡惟螡
韦螒 螖惟巍螒
螣 螤巍螣危韦螒韦螘违螣螠螘螡螣危
螛螒违螠螒危韦螒 螤巍螒螕螠螒韦螒
螚 螠螒围螚
螚 螒巍巍惟危韦螜螒
螤螒巍螒螠违螛螜 螕螜螒 螘螡螒 危螝螞螚巍螣 螝螒巍违螖螜
螚 危违螡螘围螘螜螒 韦螣违 螤螒巍螒螠违螛螜螣违 螕螜螒 韦螣 危螝螞螚巍螣 螝螒巍违螖螜
螛螘螜螣危 螝螒螜 螒螡螜唯螜螣危
螚 螡螜螝螚
韦螣 螔螒危螜螞螘螜螣 螠螘 韦螜危 螝螣违螝螞螘危
螚 螤巍惟韦螘违螣违危螒
韦螘蚂螣危
螚 魏伪喂谓慰蟿蠈渭慰蟼 谓慰蠀尾苇位伪 蟿慰蠀 1816 蟽蔚 谓苇伪 渭蔚蟿维蠁蟻伪蟽畏, 渭蔚 蔚喂魏慰谓慰纬蟻维蠁畏蟽畏 蟿慰蠀 螔慰畏渭慰蠉 伪蟻 谓慰蠀尾蠋 魏伪位位喂蟿苇蠂谓畏 Artus Scheiner 伪蟺蠈 蟿畏谓 蟺蟻伪纬喂谓萎, 蟽蠀位位蔚魏蟿喂魏萎 苇魏未慰蟽畏 蟿慰蠀 1924. (螒蟺蠈 蟿畏谓 蟺伪蟻慰蠀蟽委伪蟽畏 蟽蟿慰 慰蟺喂蟽胃蠈蠁蠀位位慰 蟿慰蠀 尾喂尾位委慰蠀)
螤蔚蚁喂蔚蠂蠈渭蔚谓伪
螤螒巍螒螠螣螡螚 围巍螜危韦螣违螕螘螡螡惟螡
韦螒 螖惟巍螒
螣 螤巍螣危韦螒韦螘违螣螠螘螡螣危
螛螒违螠螒危韦螒 螤巍螒螕螠螒韦螒
螚 螠螒围螚
螚 螒巍巍惟危韦螜螒
螤螒巍螒螠违螛螜 螕螜螒 螘螡螒 危螝螞螚巍螣 螝螒巍违螖螜
螚 危违螡螘围螘螜螒 韦螣违 螤螒巍螒螠违螛螜螣违 螕螜螒 韦螣 危螝螞螚巍螣 螝螒巍违螖螜
螛螘螜螣危 螝螒螜 螒螡螜唯螜螣危
螚 螡螜螝螚
韦螣 螔螒危螜螞螘螜螣 螠螘 韦螜危 螝螣违螝螞螘危
螚 螤巍惟韦螘违螣违危螒
韦螘蚂螣危
128 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1816
757 people are currently reading
16815 people want to read
About the author
E.T.A. Hoffmann
1,880听books844听followersErnst Theodor Wilhelm Hoffmann, better known by his pen name E. T. A. Hoffmann (Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann), was a German Romantic author of fantasy and horror, a jurist, composer, music critic, draftsman and caricaturist. His stories form the basis of Jacques Offenbach's famous opera The Tales of Hoffmann, in which Hoffman appears (heavily fictionalized) as the hero. He is also the author of the novella The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, on which the famous ballet The Nutcracker is based. The ballet 颁辞辫辫茅濒颈补 is based on two other stories that Hoffmann wrote, while Schumann's Kreisleriana is based on Hoffmann's character Johannes Kreisler.
Hoffmann's stories were very influential during the 19th century, and he is one of the major authors of the Romantic movement.
Hoffmann's stories were very influential during the 19th century, and he is one of the major authors of the Romantic movement.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,154 reviews
December 21, 2023
When I was a little boy I had a set of a dozen postcards titled The Nutcracker and the Mouse King but I had no fairy tale. When I perused the cards I imagined what a mysterious tale it must be. I read the story first time in my twenties when E. T. A. Hoffmann already became one of my favourite writers and I found the fairy tale really magical.
The Nutcracker is Marie鈥檚 most cherished Christmas present鈥�
But the Nutcracker has a deadly enemy who had sworn to kill him鈥� His enemy is the Mouse King鈥�
Marie falls ill and she is told the tale explaining the appearance of the Nutcracker in the world鈥� When she recovers she gets terrorized by the Mouse King threatening to destroy the Nutcracker鈥� But the brave and knightly hero defeats the monster鈥� And after the victory the Nutcracker shows Marie his fantastic realm of toys and confections鈥μ�
A fairy land of childhood is made of gingerbread, sweets and sweet dreams.
The Nutcracker is Marie鈥檚 most cherished Christmas present鈥�
The father then removed him cautiously from the table and, raising the wooden cape aloft, the manikin opened his mouth wide, wide, and showed two rows of very sharp, very tiny white teeth. When told to do so, Marie inserted a nut and 鈥� Crack! Crack! 鈥� he chewed up the nut, so that the shell dropped away, and the sweet kernel itself ended up in Marie鈥檚 hand.
But the Nutcracker has a deadly enemy who had sworn to kill him鈥� His enemy is the Mouse King鈥�
Right at her feet, as if driven by subterranean force, the ground spurted out sand and lime and crumbling wall stones, and seven mouse heads with seven brightly sparkling crowns loomed high from the ground, hissing and whistling quite unbearably.
Soon the mouse body, to whose neck the seven heads were attached, likewise worked its way out completely, and the large mouse, adorned with seven diadems, exulted in its full chorus.
Marie falls ill and she is told the tale explaining the appearance of the Nutcracker in the world鈥� When she recovers she gets terrorized by the Mouse King threatening to destroy the Nutcracker鈥� But the brave and knightly hero defeats the monster鈥� And after the victory the Nutcracker shows Marie his fantastic realm of toys and confections鈥μ�
No sooner had they walked a few paces than they reached the great marketplace, which offered the most thrilling view. The surrounding houses were shuttered by sweets, gallery was piled on gallery; and at the middle there stood a high, frosted layer cake as the obelisk. All about it, four very artful fountains spewed orgeat, lemonade, and other superb sweet drinks aloft. And the basin filled up with cream, which could have been spooned out right away.
A fairy land of childhood is made of gingerbread, sweets and sweet dreams.
October 26, 2016
Okay, I picked this book for a challenge here on 欧宝娱乐 but now I want the whole set of these books. I'm loving these covers and they are too expensive right now. Maybe get one a month.
I will also have to admit I have never seen the Nutcracker on tv. I might have seen bits of one when I was little. Yeah, I never thought I would be into the play, movies, whatever . . . but now I want to watch them.
I will also admit that this book creeped me out in the beginning when they were describing the sharp little teeth. Lol, I know I can make a horror movie out of anything.
But . . . Seriously 鈫�
He comes to life for little Marie and then it just gets all kinds of cray.
However, Marie could not finish. For when she pronounced Drosselmeier's name, Friend Nutcracker's face twisted up devilishly, and his eyes virtually emitted sparkling green prickles. But the moment Marie tried to get properly released, she was again viewed by the mournfully smiling face of honest Nutcracker. And now she knew that it was the draft and the quickly blazing ray of the lamp that had totally distorted his features.
Pfffft. . . I'm going to have Nutcracker nightmares now!
Sweet little book and I hope to own the whole collection with these little cardinals on them one day!
I will also have to admit I have never seen the Nutcracker on tv. I might have seen bits of one when I was little. Yeah, I never thought I would be into the play, movies, whatever . . . but now I want to watch them.
I will also admit that this book creeped me out in the beginning when they were describing the sharp little teeth. Lol, I know I can make a horror movie out of anything.
But . . . Seriously 鈫�
He comes to life for little Marie and then it just gets all kinds of cray.
However, Marie could not finish. For when she pronounced Drosselmeier's name, Friend Nutcracker's face twisted up devilishly, and his eyes virtually emitted sparkling green prickles. But the moment Marie tried to get properly released, she was again viewed by the mournfully smiling face of honest Nutcracker. And now she knew that it was the draft and the quickly blazing ray of the lamp that had totally distorted his features.
Pfffft. . . I'm going to have Nutcracker nightmares now!
Sweet little book and I hope to own the whole collection with these little cardinals on them one day!
December 29, 2019
This is a wonderful, magical tale which I regret not having read as a child.
December 12, 2024
The Nutcracker Ballet Suite, composed in 1892 by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, has become an indispensable part of Christmas celebrations all over the world. Many people who would be skeptical about attending an actual live performance by a ballet company nonetheless look forward to firing up their download or CD of Tchaikovsky鈥檚 evocative music and savoring its ties to the holiday season. And therefore it was a particular pleasure for me to turn, this Christmas season, to the story that inspired Tchaikovsky鈥檚 immortal music 鈥� E.T.A. Hoffmann鈥檚 1816 story Nussknacker und Mausek枚nig (The Nutcracker and the Mouse King), here published in a book volume that is titled simply The Nutcracker.
Hoffmann, who hailed from K枚nigsberg in the old Kingdom of Prussia, was one of the leading authors of the German Romantic movement. He, and other German Romantic authors were strongly identified with literary Gothicism. Indeed, no less a Gothicist than Edgar Allan Poe once faced critics' accusations that his stories were mere recreations of German Gothicism, and wrote in response that 鈥淭error is not of Germany but of the Soul.鈥� One can agree with Poe鈥檚 ideas regarding the universal and archetypal qualities of the Gothic, while at the same time acknowledging that Hoffmann had a particular talent for weaving elements of the weird and the uncanny into what might otherwise have been a story of ordinary, quotidian life.
And those aspects of Hoffmann鈥檚 work certainly make their way into The Nutcracker. The story begins on Christmas Eve, in the comfortable home of Dr. Stahlbaum, where the Stahlbaum children, Fritz and Marie, await the arrival of their godfather. Their Yuletide excitement is accentuated by their knowledge that Godpapa Drosselmeier, a talented inventor, invariably brings them hand-crafted gifts that demonstrate his creativity.
Marie鈥檚 present is 鈥渁 most delicious little man鈥� 鈥� green-eyed, with a little beard of white cotton 鈥� who strikes Marie as having 鈥渁 sweet nature and disposition鈥� along with a bold and soldierly bearing: 鈥淸T]he elegance of his costume鈥howed him to be a person of taste and cultivation. He had on a very pretty violet hussar鈥檚 jacket, knobs and braid all over, pantaloons of the same, and the loveliest little boots ever seen on a hussar officer 鈥� fitting his little legs just as if they had been painted on them鈥� (p. 8).
He is the Nutcracker; and when Fritz inconsiderately breaks the Nutcracker鈥檚 jaw and teeth by having the Nutcracker crack overly large nuts, Marie becomes his protector: 鈥淢arie got Nutcracker鈥檚 lost teeth together, bound a pretty white ribbon, taken from her dress, about his poor chin, and then wrapped the poor little fellow, who was looking very pale and frightened, more tenderly and carefully than before in her handkerchief. Thus she held him, rocking him like a child in her arms, as she looked at the picture books鈥� (p. 10). As the story goes on, the Nutcracker will protect Marie in turn.
For that night, Marie鈥檚 room is invaded by an army of mice; and their leader, the Mouse King, is a giant, seven-headed mouse, with each of his seven heads adorned with a royal crown! Here, in the midst of what is ostensibly a children鈥檚 story, the reader sees Hoffmann鈥檚 particular talent for adding a particular touch of horror. As with the Lernaean Hydra, the multi-headed serpent from Greek mythology, so the Mouse King, with his seven crowned heads, seems to represent a set of non-human intelligences joined together for one malign purpose. Fortunately, the Nutcracker at once comes to life, calling out to the rest of Marie鈥檚 toys: 鈥淵e, my trusty vassals, brethren and friends, are ye ready to stand by me in this great battle?鈥� (p. 17)
Battle is joined at once, but Nutcracker and his side seem in danger of being overcome; in a fun allusion to William Shakespeare鈥檚 play Richard III, the Nutcracker actually cries out at one point, 鈥淎 horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!鈥� Marie cries out in alarm, throws her own shoe at the Mouse King, feels 鈥渁 stinging pain in her left arm鈥� (p. 23), and鈥�
鈥wakens in her little bed to find that the family doctor has been treating her for a cut that Marie received when she broke a pane of the glass cupboard with her elbow! The battle between the toys and the mice was (evidently) a dream. Godpapa Drosselmeier is among the relatives who have come to check on the progress of Marie鈥檚 recovery, and among his gifts for Marie is 鈥淣utcracker! 鈥� whose teeth he had put in again quite firmly, and set his broken jaw completely to rights鈥� (p. 27).
In order to amuse Marie during her recovery, Godpapa Drosselmeier tells the children 鈥淭he Story of the Hard Nut,鈥� a sort of origin story for the Nutcracker. Once again, mice are the villains in this tale of a long-ago royal family whose princess daughter, Pirlipat, was cursed by Dame Mouserink, and immediately turned from her formerly beautiful appearance into a creature with 鈥淎n enormous bloated head鈥t the top of a diminutive, crumpled-up body, and green, wooden-looking eyes鈥� (p. 35). It is the kind of bizarre metamorphosis that is characteristic of this thoroughly Gothic story, as the lines between the organic and the mechanical, between human and toy, are regularly crossed and recrossed.
Drosselmeier is himself a character in the story 鈥� a clockmaker of Nuremberg, who is charged by the king with restoring Princess Pirlipat鈥檚 beautiful appearance, on pain of death. He learns from the Court Astronomer that the princess can only be restored by someone who can crack the uncrackable nut Crackatook to extract the nut鈥檚 sweet meat.
After a long search, it turns out that the hero who can accomplish this quest may be Drosselmeier鈥檚 young cousin 鈥� 鈥渁 nice-looking, well-grown young fellow who 鈥渟tood in his father鈥檚 shop exceedingly lovely to behold, and from his native galanterie鈥ccupied himself in cracking nuts for the young ladies, who called him 鈥榯he handsome nutcracker鈥欌€� (p. 40).
The king has promised Pirlipat鈥檚 hand to the man who can crack the nut Crackatook and restore the princess鈥檚 beauty. Young Drosselmeier, whom the princess already loves, 鈥渞eceived the nut from the hands of the Clerk of the Closet, put it between his teeth, made a strong effort with his head, and 鈥� crack 鈥� crack 鈥� the shell was shattered into a number of pieces鈥� (p. 42).
The princess鈥檚 beauty is at once restored, but just then Dame Mouserink reappears and invokes one final curse, this time against young Drosselmeier: 鈥淥h, misery! 鈥� all in an instant he was transmogrified, just as the princess had been before: his body all shrivelled up, and could scarcely support the great shapeless head with enormous projecting eyes and the wide gaping mouth. In the place where his pigtail used to be, a scanty wooden cloak hung down, controlling the movements of his nether jaw.鈥� In short, a young and human nut-cracker has become a toy Nutcracker.
With the end of Godpapa Drosselmeier鈥檚 鈥淪tory of the Hard Nut,鈥� Marie reflects upon her new awareness 鈥渢hat her Nutcracker was none other than young Mr. Drosselmeier, of Nuremberg, Godpapa Drosselmeier鈥檚 delightful nephew, unfortunately under the spells of Dame Mouserink鈥� (p. 45).
In the back-and-forth between dream-life and waking life that characterizes the remainder of the story, the mice renew their aggressions against Marie鈥檚 candy and toys, until the Nutcracker returns to life and asks Marie for a sword. Her brother Fritz sportingly offers the sword of one of his toy soldiers, and soon the Nutcracker is able to furnish Marie with good news: 鈥淭he treacherous King of the Mice lies vanquished and writhing in his gore!鈥� (p. 53)
At this point, the Nutcracker celebrates the victory over the Mice by taking Marie into the mystical realm of Toyland, where toys frolic and play in a landscape made up entirely of candy and sweets. These passages of The Nutcracker, with different groups and peoples among the the toys offering introductions and presenting themselves to Marie, no doubt inspired those 鈥淟and of Sweets鈥� passages from Tchaikovsky鈥檚 ballet in which personified candies from Russia, Denmark, Spain, Arabia, and China appear and dance before the protagonist.
In the royal court at Marzipan Castle, Marie is introduced by the Nutcracker as 鈥渢he daughter of a most worthy medical man and the preserver of my life鈥�, and Marie is welcomed by the ladies of the court as the 鈥渘oble preserver of our beloved royal brother!鈥� (p. 65)
Another of the story鈥檚 unsettling shifts back and forth between 鈥渄ream鈥� and reality and 鈥渄ream鈥� takes place, at the end of which Marie finds the restored young Drosselmeier, a handsome prince once again, proposing to her: 鈥淎h! Most exquisite lady! Bless me with your precious hand; share with me my crown and kingdom, and reign with me in Marzipan Castle, for there I am now king鈥� (p. 70). And thus it is that The Nutcracker concludes, with an ambiguous 鈥渉appy ending.鈥�
Fans of Tchaikovsky鈥檚 Nutcracker ballet will no doubt enjoy reading the original German story that provided the genesis for this beloved musical tradition of Christmastime 鈥� and they may find themselves appreciating the manner in which the great Russian composer 鈥渃leaned up鈥� some of the more openly bizarre and Gothic elements of Hoffmann鈥檚 original tale.
Hoffmann, who hailed from K枚nigsberg in the old Kingdom of Prussia, was one of the leading authors of the German Romantic movement. He, and other German Romantic authors were strongly identified with literary Gothicism. Indeed, no less a Gothicist than Edgar Allan Poe once faced critics' accusations that his stories were mere recreations of German Gothicism, and wrote in response that 鈥淭error is not of Germany but of the Soul.鈥� One can agree with Poe鈥檚 ideas regarding the universal and archetypal qualities of the Gothic, while at the same time acknowledging that Hoffmann had a particular talent for weaving elements of the weird and the uncanny into what might otherwise have been a story of ordinary, quotidian life.
And those aspects of Hoffmann鈥檚 work certainly make their way into The Nutcracker. The story begins on Christmas Eve, in the comfortable home of Dr. Stahlbaum, where the Stahlbaum children, Fritz and Marie, await the arrival of their godfather. Their Yuletide excitement is accentuated by their knowledge that Godpapa Drosselmeier, a talented inventor, invariably brings them hand-crafted gifts that demonstrate his creativity.
Marie鈥檚 present is 鈥渁 most delicious little man鈥� 鈥� green-eyed, with a little beard of white cotton 鈥� who strikes Marie as having 鈥渁 sweet nature and disposition鈥� along with a bold and soldierly bearing: 鈥淸T]he elegance of his costume鈥howed him to be a person of taste and cultivation. He had on a very pretty violet hussar鈥檚 jacket, knobs and braid all over, pantaloons of the same, and the loveliest little boots ever seen on a hussar officer 鈥� fitting his little legs just as if they had been painted on them鈥� (p. 8).
He is the Nutcracker; and when Fritz inconsiderately breaks the Nutcracker鈥檚 jaw and teeth by having the Nutcracker crack overly large nuts, Marie becomes his protector: 鈥淢arie got Nutcracker鈥檚 lost teeth together, bound a pretty white ribbon, taken from her dress, about his poor chin, and then wrapped the poor little fellow, who was looking very pale and frightened, more tenderly and carefully than before in her handkerchief. Thus she held him, rocking him like a child in her arms, as she looked at the picture books鈥� (p. 10). As the story goes on, the Nutcracker will protect Marie in turn.
For that night, Marie鈥檚 room is invaded by an army of mice; and their leader, the Mouse King, is a giant, seven-headed mouse, with each of his seven heads adorned with a royal crown! Here, in the midst of what is ostensibly a children鈥檚 story, the reader sees Hoffmann鈥檚 particular talent for adding a particular touch of horror. As with the Lernaean Hydra, the multi-headed serpent from Greek mythology, so the Mouse King, with his seven crowned heads, seems to represent a set of non-human intelligences joined together for one malign purpose. Fortunately, the Nutcracker at once comes to life, calling out to the rest of Marie鈥檚 toys: 鈥淵e, my trusty vassals, brethren and friends, are ye ready to stand by me in this great battle?鈥� (p. 17)
Battle is joined at once, but Nutcracker and his side seem in danger of being overcome; in a fun allusion to William Shakespeare鈥檚 play Richard III, the Nutcracker actually cries out at one point, 鈥淎 horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!鈥� Marie cries out in alarm, throws her own shoe at the Mouse King, feels 鈥渁 stinging pain in her left arm鈥� (p. 23), and鈥�
鈥wakens in her little bed to find that the family doctor has been treating her for a cut that Marie received when she broke a pane of the glass cupboard with her elbow! The battle between the toys and the mice was (evidently) a dream. Godpapa Drosselmeier is among the relatives who have come to check on the progress of Marie鈥檚 recovery, and among his gifts for Marie is 鈥淣utcracker! 鈥� whose teeth he had put in again quite firmly, and set his broken jaw completely to rights鈥� (p. 27).
In order to amuse Marie during her recovery, Godpapa Drosselmeier tells the children 鈥淭he Story of the Hard Nut,鈥� a sort of origin story for the Nutcracker. Once again, mice are the villains in this tale of a long-ago royal family whose princess daughter, Pirlipat, was cursed by Dame Mouserink, and immediately turned from her formerly beautiful appearance into a creature with 鈥淎n enormous bloated head鈥t the top of a diminutive, crumpled-up body, and green, wooden-looking eyes鈥� (p. 35). It is the kind of bizarre metamorphosis that is characteristic of this thoroughly Gothic story, as the lines between the organic and the mechanical, between human and toy, are regularly crossed and recrossed.
Drosselmeier is himself a character in the story 鈥� a clockmaker of Nuremberg, who is charged by the king with restoring Princess Pirlipat鈥檚 beautiful appearance, on pain of death. He learns from the Court Astronomer that the princess can only be restored by someone who can crack the uncrackable nut Crackatook to extract the nut鈥檚 sweet meat.
After a long search, it turns out that the hero who can accomplish this quest may be Drosselmeier鈥檚 young cousin 鈥� 鈥渁 nice-looking, well-grown young fellow who 鈥渟tood in his father鈥檚 shop exceedingly lovely to behold, and from his native galanterie鈥ccupied himself in cracking nuts for the young ladies, who called him 鈥榯he handsome nutcracker鈥欌€� (p. 40).
The king has promised Pirlipat鈥檚 hand to the man who can crack the nut Crackatook and restore the princess鈥檚 beauty. Young Drosselmeier, whom the princess already loves, 鈥渞eceived the nut from the hands of the Clerk of the Closet, put it between his teeth, made a strong effort with his head, and 鈥� crack 鈥� crack 鈥� the shell was shattered into a number of pieces鈥� (p. 42).
The princess鈥檚 beauty is at once restored, but just then Dame Mouserink reappears and invokes one final curse, this time against young Drosselmeier: 鈥淥h, misery! 鈥� all in an instant he was transmogrified, just as the princess had been before: his body all shrivelled up, and could scarcely support the great shapeless head with enormous projecting eyes and the wide gaping mouth. In the place where his pigtail used to be, a scanty wooden cloak hung down, controlling the movements of his nether jaw.鈥� In short, a young and human nut-cracker has become a toy Nutcracker.
With the end of Godpapa Drosselmeier鈥檚 鈥淪tory of the Hard Nut,鈥� Marie reflects upon her new awareness 鈥渢hat her Nutcracker was none other than young Mr. Drosselmeier, of Nuremberg, Godpapa Drosselmeier鈥檚 delightful nephew, unfortunately under the spells of Dame Mouserink鈥� (p. 45).
In the back-and-forth between dream-life and waking life that characterizes the remainder of the story, the mice renew their aggressions against Marie鈥檚 candy and toys, until the Nutcracker returns to life and asks Marie for a sword. Her brother Fritz sportingly offers the sword of one of his toy soldiers, and soon the Nutcracker is able to furnish Marie with good news: 鈥淭he treacherous King of the Mice lies vanquished and writhing in his gore!鈥� (p. 53)
At this point, the Nutcracker celebrates the victory over the Mice by taking Marie into the mystical realm of Toyland, where toys frolic and play in a landscape made up entirely of candy and sweets. These passages of The Nutcracker, with different groups and peoples among the the toys offering introductions and presenting themselves to Marie, no doubt inspired those 鈥淟and of Sweets鈥� passages from Tchaikovsky鈥檚 ballet in which personified candies from Russia, Denmark, Spain, Arabia, and China appear and dance before the protagonist.
In the royal court at Marzipan Castle, Marie is introduced by the Nutcracker as 鈥渢he daughter of a most worthy medical man and the preserver of my life鈥�, and Marie is welcomed by the ladies of the court as the 鈥渘oble preserver of our beloved royal brother!鈥� (p. 65)
Another of the story鈥檚 unsettling shifts back and forth between 鈥渄ream鈥� and reality and 鈥渄ream鈥� takes place, at the end of which Marie finds the restored young Drosselmeier, a handsome prince once again, proposing to her: 鈥淎h! Most exquisite lady! Bless me with your precious hand; share with me my crown and kingdom, and reign with me in Marzipan Castle, for there I am now king鈥� (p. 70). And thus it is that The Nutcracker concludes, with an ambiguous 鈥渉appy ending.鈥�
Fans of Tchaikovsky鈥檚 Nutcracker ballet will no doubt enjoy reading the original German story that provided the genesis for this beloved musical tradition of Christmastime 鈥� and they may find themselves appreciating the manner in which the great Russian composer 鈥渃leaned up鈥� some of the more openly bizarre and Gothic elements of Hoffmann鈥檚 original tale.
![Profile Image for [ J o ].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1673171874i%2F4639825._UY200_CR4%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
January 26, 2023
Translations are, as a rule, pretty bad. I feel like this translation did not do the original story justice at all and a lot of the magic had seeped through the cracks as a result.
The story itself has dark layers to it that the ballet does not possess. It has a rather disjointed flow to it and altogether it is a fairly obvious story of a time long ago (when attractiveness was the most important quality in any thing). However, the most important thing about this story is that it was the inspiration for the ballet, and that makes it expressly priceless and worthy of more than five measly golden stars.
The difference of the ballet to the story is utterly necessary, and makes the original story even more dear. Differences are what make adaptations, not their strict adherence to their founders. You can clearly follow the magical path, clearly feel the Christmas spirit and clearly find joy in the book, but from a personal point of view, only if you've seen the marvellous spectacle that is The Nutcracker ballet.
[First read: 9th December, 2016. 3 stars.
Second read: 19th December, 2017. 3 stars, 5 stars for the illustrated edition.]
The story itself has dark layers to it that the ballet does not possess. It has a rather disjointed flow to it and altogether it is a fairly obvious story of a time long ago (when attractiveness was the most important quality in any thing). However, the most important thing about this story is that it was the inspiration for the ballet, and that makes it expressly priceless and worthy of more than five measly golden stars.
The difference of the ballet to the story is utterly necessary, and makes the original story even more dear. Differences are what make adaptations, not their strict adherence to their founders. You can clearly follow the magical path, clearly feel the Christmas spirit and clearly find joy in the book, but from a personal point of view, only if you've seen the marvellous spectacle that is The Nutcracker ballet.
[First read: 9th December, 2016. 3 stars.
Second read: 19th December, 2017. 3 stars, 5 stars for the illustrated edition.]
January 2, 2021
What a truly imaginative and festive little classic! A timeless story I had never actually read before, but was so charmed by the imagination of E.T.A. Hoffman, as a young girl called Marie witnesses toys coming to life at the stroke of midnight, including a Nutcracker. The Nutcracker is in battle with the Mouse King, and Marie begins to discover the history of the Nutcracker and a whole kingdom of toys beyond her wildest dreams.
Really enjoyed the classic writing style of this and the fact it is rather short makes it a lovely little story to read in one sitting, and one I could probably re-read once a year in the run-up to Christmas. The edition I read has gorgeous illustrations by Sanna Annukka and they really do add something extra to the text. All in all, it's short but effective.
Really enjoyed the classic writing style of this and the fact it is rather short makes it a lovely little story to read in one sitting, and one I could probably re-read once a year in the run-up to Christmas. The edition I read has gorgeous illustrations by Sanna Annukka and they really do add something extra to the text. All in all, it's short but effective.
December 26, 2024
Once again, the manic holiday season means I am finishing my Christmas Eve reads on Boxing Day 馃槄 such an exhausting time of the year for everyone, but especially for us chronically ill and neurodivergent people. Please show us extra understanding and grace.
Upon reading the gorgeous Clothbound Classics version of the Nutcracker, it is easy for one to forget just how dark and gruesome the original tale is. A standout moment is between the Nutcracker and the (seven-headed!) Mouse King. The best Christmas stories are those laced with horror-elements, but sadly this one had an issue with the pacing. The pay-off to the moments that the story builds up towards feels rushed once it arrives. Most of it is set over the course of one day, but then suddenly the action gets split over a few days, and that鈥檚 when the pacing felt wonky to me. We have the character, Marie, having fainting spells, and having to rest-up for a while (relatable, me).
This is a story about letting your imagination run wild, and both the positives and negatives of doing so. Marie embraces the freedom of the Nutcracker鈥檚 realm, after feeling so constricted by her own life. But she has to make a choice, seeing all the Nutcracker鈥檚 wonders means she will have to leave the world she knows and her family behind forever, but she does already feel rejected by her family.
3 Stars
Upon reading the gorgeous Clothbound Classics version of the Nutcracker, it is easy for one to forget just how dark and gruesome the original tale is. A standout moment is between the Nutcracker and the (seven-headed!) Mouse King. The best Christmas stories are those laced with horror-elements, but sadly this one had an issue with the pacing. The pay-off to the moments that the story builds up towards feels rushed once it arrives. Most of it is set over the course of one day, but then suddenly the action gets split over a few days, and that鈥檚 when the pacing felt wonky to me. We have the character, Marie, having fainting spells, and having to rest-up for a while (relatable, me).
This is a story about letting your imagination run wild, and both the positives and negatives of doing so. Marie embraces the freedom of the Nutcracker鈥檚 realm, after feeling so constricted by her own life. But she has to make a choice, seeing all the Nutcracker鈥檚 wonders means she will have to leave the world she knows and her family behind forever, but she does already feel rejected by her family.
3 Stars
December 23, 2020
El Cascanueces y el Rey Rat贸n /Nu脽knacker und Mausek枚nig/The Nutcracker and the Mouse King
Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann (1816)
"Me dirijo a ti, ben茅volo lector u oyente, y te ruego que recuerdes vivamente tu 煤ltima mesa de Navidad, repleta de lindos y atractivos regalos. Entonces podr谩s imaginarte tambi茅n a los ni帽os,de pie, quietos, mudos, con ojos brillantes"
"muy cerca del 谩rbol, se pudo ver un hombrecillo, peque帽o y llamativo, que estaba de pie, en silencio y sin llamar la atenci贸n, como si esperara tranquilamente a que le tocara la vez. Hab铆a mucho que objetar a su figura, pues, aparte de que su torso, demasiado grande y largo, no concordaba con sus cortas y finas piernecillas, ten铆a una cabeza tambi茅n excesivamente grande. Su correcta vestimenta mejoraba bastante las cosas, pues dejaba traslucir que se trataba de un hombre culto y refinado"
"Ya habr茅is comprendido, mis excelentes y ben茅volos oyentes, que el Cascanueces hab铆a percibido desde el principio, antes de que adquiriera aut茅ntica vida, todo el amor y bondad que Marie le hab铆a mostrado"
Curiosamente parece que hay cierto desconocimiento o confusi贸n sobre esta obra. Pensando que la original es la de Alexandre Dumas. Si bien de la Adaptaci贸n de Dumas se desprenden ..la obra de Ballet, la composici贸n musical e infinidad de adaptaciones: graficas,animadas,etc .y por estos medios es altamente conocida la premisa. Pero en definitiva la original es la de Hoffmann.
Una historia que ha sido de inmensa influencia, as铆 tambi茅n como su autor. Al punto de influenciar a escritores como Poe entre muchos otros.
Es una historia en la que las barreras entre lo real y la fantas铆a, son delgadas y ef铆meras
Una obra,que que a la hora de que un ni帽o se siente a leerla, podr谩 disfrutar de su envoltura. Aunque nunca hay que subestimar la mente de un ni帽o, por el contrario.
y para los que tenemos cierto camino recorrido, podemos pretender apreciar ciertos detalles, algunos mensajes subliminales, simbolismos, al menos eso, pretender.
Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann (1816)
"Me dirijo a ti, ben茅volo lector u oyente, y te ruego que recuerdes vivamente tu 煤ltima mesa de Navidad, repleta de lindos y atractivos regalos. Entonces podr谩s imaginarte tambi茅n a los ni帽os,de pie, quietos, mudos, con ojos brillantes"
"muy cerca del 谩rbol, se pudo ver un hombrecillo, peque帽o y llamativo, que estaba de pie, en silencio y sin llamar la atenci贸n, como si esperara tranquilamente a que le tocara la vez. Hab铆a mucho que objetar a su figura, pues, aparte de que su torso, demasiado grande y largo, no concordaba con sus cortas y finas piernecillas, ten铆a una cabeza tambi茅n excesivamente grande. Su correcta vestimenta mejoraba bastante las cosas, pues dejaba traslucir que se trataba de un hombre culto y refinado"
"Ya habr茅is comprendido, mis excelentes y ben茅volos oyentes, que el Cascanueces hab铆a percibido desde el principio, antes de que adquiriera aut茅ntica vida, todo el amor y bondad que Marie le hab铆a mostrado"
Curiosamente parece que hay cierto desconocimiento o confusi贸n sobre esta obra. Pensando que la original es la de Alexandre Dumas. Si bien de la Adaptaci贸n de Dumas se desprenden ..la obra de Ballet, la composici贸n musical e infinidad de adaptaciones: graficas,animadas,etc .y por estos medios es altamente conocida la premisa. Pero en definitiva la original es la de Hoffmann.
Una historia que ha sido de inmensa influencia, as铆 tambi茅n como su autor. Al punto de influenciar a escritores como Poe entre muchos otros.
Es una historia en la que las barreras entre lo real y la fantas铆a, son delgadas y ef铆meras
Una obra,que que a la hora de que un ni帽o se siente a leerla, podr谩 disfrutar de su envoltura. Aunque nunca hay que subestimar la mente de un ni帽o, por el contrario.
y para los que tenemos cierto camino recorrido, podemos pretender apreciar ciertos detalles, algunos mensajes subliminales, simbolismos, al menos eso, pretender.
February 13, 2024
I clearly remember that when I had to read E.T.A. Hoffmann鈥檚 fairy tales for a course on German Romanticism I was taking during my undergraduate degree (in 1986, at Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick) how strangely surprised I was at just how creepily uncanny and also how generally quite majorly different his 1816 Nu脽knacker und Mausek枚nig is from the main storyline of The Nutcracker ballet so universally well known and beloved on a global basis. And yes, our professor then told us that Tchaikovsky鈥檚 Nutcracker ballet is in fact based on a loose French adaptation of Nu脽knacker und Mausek枚nig by Alexandre Dumas p猫re (his 1844 Histoire d鈥檜n casse-noisette), a story which is of course still vaguely similar to E.T.A. Hoffmann鈥檚 original theme and content wise, but leaves out all of the psychological questions, the possibility that Marie is actually emotionally afflicted and 鈥渟eeing things鈥� and equally has a standard fairy tale ending for Clara (not Marie) and her princely suitor that is pure and sweet fantasy and not the vacillation between fairy tale and reality found in Nu脽knacker und Mausek枚nig and where readers themselves are not even really all that sure exactly what is fantasy and what are Marie鈥檚 fever dreams and visions.
Now while in 1986, I was actually a bit disappointed that Nu脽knacker und Mausek枚nig was so very different from The Nutcracker ballet storyline, over the years and after multiple rereads, I have come to absolutely and totally adore E.T.A. Hoffmann鈥檚 poetic vision and in particular that there are no easy answers with regard to Marie and what she sees and experiences. And yes indeed, the entire not knowing what is reality and what is fantasy, including the battle of the Nutcracker with the Mouse King, I do consider this absolutely readable and most delightful as an adult reader. But honestly, if I had read, if I had encountered Nu脽knacker und Mausek枚nig as a child, much of E.T.A. Hoffmann鈥檚 presented text would definitely have massively freaked me out, and I do thus also totally understand why Alexandre Dumas p猫re did such a very much less Hoffmannesque and more standardly traditional fairy tale adaptation of Nu脽knacker und Mausek枚nig and why Tchaikovsky then also used the Dumas adaptation as the basis for his ballet.
Now while in 1986, I was actually a bit disappointed that Nu脽knacker und Mausek枚nig was so very different from The Nutcracker ballet storyline, over the years and after multiple rereads, I have come to absolutely and totally adore E.T.A. Hoffmann鈥檚 poetic vision and in particular that there are no easy answers with regard to Marie and what she sees and experiences. And yes indeed, the entire not knowing what is reality and what is fantasy, including the battle of the Nutcracker with the Mouse King, I do consider this absolutely readable and most delightful as an adult reader. But honestly, if I had read, if I had encountered Nu脽knacker und Mausek枚nig as a child, much of E.T.A. Hoffmann鈥檚 presented text would definitely have massively freaked me out, and I do thus also totally understand why Alexandre Dumas p猫re did such a very much less Hoffmannesque and more standardly traditional fairy tale adaptation of Nu脽knacker und Mausek枚nig and why Tchaikovsky then also used the Dumas adaptation as the basis for his ballet.
December 18, 2019
Is it just me or does anyone else think that and just for the fun of it, , were on some kind of drugs when they wrote their most popular books? LOL!!
I knew absolutely nothing going into this book. Never saw a play. Never saw a movie. Had always heard about it but never gave it much thought. That being said I must say that I was completely mesmerized! What a delightful story! So happy that I finally read the book! Now I know I'll have to watch a movie or see a play! I'll never look at my nutcracker the same way again!
Merry Christmas everyone! 馃巹
I knew absolutely nothing going into this book. Never saw a play. Never saw a movie. Had always heard about it but never gave it much thought. That being said I must say that I was completely mesmerized! What a delightful story! So happy that I finally read the book! Now I know I'll have to watch a movie or see a play! I'll never look at my nutcracker the same way again!
Merry Christmas everyone! 馃巹
December 25, 2017
Maurice Sendak did the illustrations for this edition. I love them. They are quirky and what you expect from Maurice.
This is the full edition and it is night something you can read in a single bedtime story. This is long. This is also all about how things look. Is someone pretty or not. Marie sees the beauty on the inside over what is on the outside.
The nutcracker ballet focuses more on the candyland part of the story and the beauty there. The book spends much of the story on war - heaven help us. I mean, it is a lot about fighting and war. This is so 1800.
I think I prefer the ballet to the book and I did enjoy this. Having a shorter version you can read in a night is nice too. Still, I'm glad I finally read this whole thing. Merry Christmas.
This is the full edition and it is night something you can read in a single bedtime story. This is long. This is also all about how things look. Is someone pretty or not. Marie sees the beauty on the inside over what is on the outside.
The nutcracker ballet focuses more on the candyland part of the story and the beauty there. The book spends much of the story on war - heaven help us. I mean, it is a lot about fighting and war. This is so 1800.
I think I prefer the ballet to the book and I did enjoy this. Having a shorter version you can read in a night is nice too. Still, I'm glad I finally read this whole thing. Merry Christmas.
Read
September 18, 2024I've already read some short stories by the German writer E.T.A. Hoffmann (1776-1822) and so I knew that there always was a dark side to his writings. And that is also the case here. This starts as a Christmas caroll, situated in what is clearly an early 19th century bourgeois family. But in the course of the story there are real battles, aweful curses are uttered, certain main 'characters' are physically deformed and quite a few of them die. Of course it ends well, but this is not exactly Disney material. Still, one can recognize some typical fairy tale story elements: enchanted princesses and princes, animals and dolls that come to life, curses that are pronounced, and adults who do not take the fantasy of children seriously. Especially the fantasy world that opens up for protagonist Marie at the end of the story rings a bell: there is not only the Swan Lake, but the entrance to that strange world via the wardrobe (yes, C.S. Lewis), and the big candy paradise including little men (yes, Roald Dahl). As said, the whole thing seems very strange and artificial, and is very much marked by its own time (1816): the girls are sweet and empathetic, the boys egocentric and brutal; and the little men in the candy paradise are called 鈥榥iggers鈥� without scruples (In the first version of Dahl's Chocolate Factory, there were little pygmies). I've heard also the stories by the Grimm Brothers are not as sweet as we get them in the Disney version, and Hoffmann clearly has to be situated in the same vain.
December 27, 2022
La storia perfetta per il periodo natalizio. Tralasciando alcune situazioni stereotipate e qualche considerazione banale sugli animali, mi sono abbandonato all'atmosfera zuccherosa e natalizia che queste pagine esprimono in modo estremamente emozionante.
La versione originale, quella di Hoffmann, l'ho letta per prima, anche se nell'edizione che ho appena letto 猫 inserita per ultima, mettendo per prima quella di Dumas, cio猫 quella rimodellata a suo piacere, ma che rispetta fedelmente.
Nel complesso le due versioni si intersecano perfettamente, creando una versione, che definirei, unica. Anche se leggendole una dietro l'altra ci si trova a situazioni ripetute, per貌 per contro la storia prende ancora pi霉 corpo e l'atmosfera si raddoppia, facendo s矛 che ci si trovi l矛 immersi in quella quantit脿 di caramello, zucchero e...
Ora per evitare di far schizzare la glicemia a livelli spropositati, dovr貌 leggere qualcosa di molto estremo!!
La versione originale, quella di Hoffmann, l'ho letta per prima, anche se nell'edizione che ho appena letto 猫 inserita per ultima, mettendo per prima quella di Dumas, cio猫 quella rimodellata a suo piacere, ma che rispetta fedelmente.
Nel complesso le due versioni si intersecano perfettamente, creando una versione, che definirei, unica. Anche se leggendole una dietro l'altra ci si trova a situazioni ripetute, per貌 per contro la storia prende ancora pi霉 corpo e l'atmosfera si raddoppia, facendo s矛 che ci si trovi l矛 immersi in quella quantit脿 di caramello, zucchero e...
Ora per evitare di far schizzare la glicemia a livelli spropositati, dovr貌 leggere qualcosa di molto estremo!!
December 27, 2018
"Cum spuneam, to葲i erau binedispu葯i, numai regina p膬rea foarte speriat膬 葯i nelini葯tit膬, 葯i nimeni nu 葯tia de ce. B膬t膬tor la ochi era 卯ndeosebi faptul c膬 ea pusese sub stra葯nic膬 paz膬 p膬tucul lui Pirlipat. De葯i u葯ile erau p膬zite de o葯teni, 卯n afara celor dou膬 卯ngrijitoare care nu se dezlipeau de leag膬n - alte 葯ase trebuiau s膬 葯ad膬 noapte de noapte prin preajm膬, 卯n toate ungherele camerei."
"Maria ridic膬 ochii. Consilierul de curte pusese din nou peruca de sticl膬 pe cap, 卯葯i 卯mbr膬case haina cea galben膬 葯i z芒mbea foarte mul葲umit, 卯n vreme ce 葲inea de m芒n膬 un t芒n膬r domn, ce-i drept, mic de statur膬, dar bine f膬cut."
"Maria ridic膬 ochii. Consilierul de curte pusese din nou peruca de sticl膬 pe cap, 卯葯i 卯mbr膬case haina cea galben膬 葯i z芒mbea foarte mul葲umit, 卯n vreme ce 葲inea de m芒n膬 un t芒n膬r domn, ce-i drept, mic de statur膬, dar bine f膬cut."
December 13, 2017
鈥漎ou鈥檒l have to suffer a lot if you want to take charge of a poor, deformed Nutcracker. Only you can rescue him. Be strong and loyal.鈥�
Synopsis: E.T.A. Hoffman forever ruins your favorite Christmas time ballet. Try overcoming this sucker, Tchaikovsky.
Biblio-Babble:
Wonderful Christian Entertainment This Is Not: Like a lot of people, my family and I watch The Nutcracker every Christmas, since it seems to be a holiday staple. However, either I鈥檓 totally missing something or I just wasn鈥檛 paying attention when we started watching it when I was a child, but I don鈥檛 remember it being so darn dark in nature. However, after doing some research, Tchaikovsky adapted it from not only Hoffman鈥檚 story, but Alexandre Dumas adapted story as well. So I think a lot of it had to do with the fact that we were given a very PG rated version of the story. Cause let me tell you something, children; this book is dark as HELL. I was in a constant state of surprise at how such an innocent looking ballet show stemmed from such a dark and twisted story.
Dance of the Demented Mice: I don鈥檛 quite know what mice might have ever done to E.T.A. Hoffman for him to make them as vicious, twisted, and icky as he did in this story, but they sure did something. Cause the mice in this book are horrible. If you already don鈥檛 like mice, then you probably sure as hell won鈥檛 like the seven headed Mouse King. Yes, he does have seven. One for each of the deadly sins, I supposed. And these mice are sneaky little turds who are extremely good at blackmail. I mean, they extort food, puzzles, and dolls from an innocent eight year old child! And they really don鈥檛 do anything with their loot!
CGI Barbie Acted More Animated Then This: Added to my Nutcracker fueled phase was the release of the horribly CGI animated (but still classic) Christmas special, Barbie and the Nutcracker. Re-watching it with one of my nieces, the animation was absolutely atrocious, with the characters moving and looking like they were chronically constipated. However, compared to the writing in this book, they moved so fluidly. The writing in this book was perhaps the biggest downfall for me. It was just so boring that I had trouble finding the willpower to finish this book, even though it鈥檚 only a little over 100 pages. The narration style is very off, and waivers from first to third perspective (which is exceedingly hard to do).
The Words No Bookworm Wants to Hear: The ballet is better. There; I said it. Without the wooden writing driving the narrative, the story feels more alive with both the ballet and even the animated specials. I also believe that the magic of the story, and the visuals of both the Christmas season and the Nutcracker land (or whatever the hell it鈥檚 called) comes off a lot better visually rather than in written word form, in this case. Hoffman鈥檚 writing just bogged it all down, and I wasn鈥檛 able to feel or see the magic of the wondrous Christmas season that he wanted to impart on us.
Was This Just a Wet Dream?: Perhaps the most disturbing thing about this novel isn鈥檛 the killer mice that will haunt your nightmares, or the creepy human that is supposed to be the kindly Drosselmeier. Nah, it鈥檚 what happens at the end of the book, when a certain nephew of a certain Drosselmeier shows up. And it鈥檚鈥� well, I don鈥檛 want to give too much of it away. However, I found the creep level in this book to be reaching maximum proportions. So, In fact, for the whole novel, you don鈥檛 really know what鈥檚 real and what鈥檚 in Marie鈥檚 imagination. This would be dandy, but the writing and pacing of the book really doesn鈥檛 make it work.
***
This book was not all it was cracked up to be. Not even the most sugary sweet Sugar Plum Fairy could save this cracker of a book. The writing bogged the story down and sucked all the Christmas magic out of it. While the darkness and absurdity of this novel may charm some readers, it didn鈥檛 cast its spell on me.
Synopsis: E.T.A. Hoffman forever ruins your favorite Christmas time ballet. Try overcoming this sucker, Tchaikovsky.
Biblio-Babble:
Wonderful Christian Entertainment This Is Not: Like a lot of people, my family and I watch The Nutcracker every Christmas, since it seems to be a holiday staple. However, either I鈥檓 totally missing something or I just wasn鈥檛 paying attention when we started watching it when I was a child, but I don鈥檛 remember it being so darn dark in nature. However, after doing some research, Tchaikovsky adapted it from not only Hoffman鈥檚 story, but Alexandre Dumas adapted story as well. So I think a lot of it had to do with the fact that we were given a very PG rated version of the story. Cause let me tell you something, children; this book is dark as HELL. I was in a constant state of surprise at how such an innocent looking ballet show stemmed from such a dark and twisted story.
Dance of the Demented Mice: I don鈥檛 quite know what mice might have ever done to E.T.A. Hoffman for him to make them as vicious, twisted, and icky as he did in this story, but they sure did something. Cause the mice in this book are horrible. If you already don鈥檛 like mice, then you probably sure as hell won鈥檛 like the seven headed Mouse King. Yes, he does have seven. One for each of the deadly sins, I supposed. And these mice are sneaky little turds who are extremely good at blackmail. I mean, they extort food, puzzles, and dolls from an innocent eight year old child! And they really don鈥檛 do anything with their loot!
CGI Barbie Acted More Animated Then This: Added to my Nutcracker fueled phase was the release of the horribly CGI animated (but still classic) Christmas special, Barbie and the Nutcracker. Re-watching it with one of my nieces, the animation was absolutely atrocious, with the characters moving and looking like they were chronically constipated. However, compared to the writing in this book, they moved so fluidly. The writing in this book was perhaps the biggest downfall for me. It was just so boring that I had trouble finding the willpower to finish this book, even though it鈥檚 only a little over 100 pages. The narration style is very off, and waivers from first to third perspective (which is exceedingly hard to do).
The Words No Bookworm Wants to Hear: The ballet is better. There; I said it. Without the wooden writing driving the narrative, the story feels more alive with both the ballet and even the animated specials. I also believe that the magic of the story, and the visuals of both the Christmas season and the Nutcracker land (or whatever the hell it鈥檚 called) comes off a lot better visually rather than in written word form, in this case. Hoffman鈥檚 writing just bogged it all down, and I wasn鈥檛 able to feel or see the magic of the wondrous Christmas season that he wanted to impart on us.
Was This Just a Wet Dream?: Perhaps the most disturbing thing about this novel isn鈥檛 the killer mice that will haunt your nightmares, or the creepy human that is supposed to be the kindly Drosselmeier. Nah, it鈥檚 what happens at the end of the book, when a certain nephew of a certain Drosselmeier shows up. And it鈥檚鈥� well, I don鈥檛 want to give too much of it away. However, I found the creep level in this book to be reaching maximum proportions. So, In fact, for the whole novel, you don鈥檛 really know what鈥檚 real and what鈥檚 in Marie鈥檚 imagination. This would be dandy, but the writing and pacing of the book really doesn鈥檛 make it work.
***
This book was not all it was cracked up to be. Not even the most sugary sweet Sugar Plum Fairy could save this cracker of a book. The writing bogged the story down and sucked all the Christmas magic out of it. While the darkness and absurdity of this novel may charm some readers, it didn鈥檛 cast its spell on me.
December 10, 2018
Conoc铆a la historia de El Cascanueces por pel铆culas, pero nunca me hab铆a adentrado a leer el libro. Esta Navidad decid铆 ponerle remedio y leerlo y 隆ha sido una gran sorpresa!
Una historia donde se mezcla fantas铆a y realidad y donde en muchos momentos no sabemos s铆 lo que est谩 sucediendo es real o no.
Un cuento ideal para adultos para disfrutar en esta 茅poca del a帽o, y cuya experiencia lectora mejora si os pon茅is a Tchaikovsky mientras lo le茅is.
No os quiero contar mucho, ya que es muy cortito y no os quiero desvelar nada de la trama, pero es encantador y est谩 genialmente escrito, con unos personajes muy entra帽ables que os llegar谩n al coraz贸n.
Una historia donde se mezcla fantas铆a y realidad y donde en muchos momentos no sabemos s铆 lo que est谩 sucediendo es real o no.
Un cuento ideal para adultos para disfrutar en esta 茅poca del a帽o, y cuya experiencia lectora mejora si os pon茅is a Tchaikovsky mientras lo le茅is.
No os quiero contar mucho, ya que es muy cortito y no os quiero desvelar nada de la trama, pero es encantador y est谩 genialmente escrito, con unos personajes muy entra帽ables que os llegar谩n al coraz贸n.
June 22, 2023
my younger self would have been obsessed with this book
October 15, 2020
Raecke's text is drawn from the Hoffman original, so it is a bit simpler than the ballet with which more of us today are familiar. Marie doesn't turn into a grown woman, there is only the slightest hint of romance, and the godfather is a kindly background figure rather than a threat.
Yana Sedova's illustrations were very pretty, although a bit heavy on the clockwork motif, which drops out of the story after the first few pages. Perhaps some kindly librarian could add her as the illustrator, as well as shoving the word "the" in front of "Mouse King" (which ought be two words).
Yana Sedova's illustrations were very pretty, although a bit heavy on the clockwork motif, which drops out of the story after the first few pages. Perhaps some kindly librarian could add her as the illustrator, as well as shoving the word "the" in front of "Mouse King" (which ought be two words).
December 29, 2023
Un classique parmi les classiques 脿 lire et 脿 relire.
April 2, 2018
I read this book years ago, but since I am reviewing Christmas books that I am reading this year, I have added this.
Back in the 1970s my friend Cathy took me and her grandmother to see The Nutcracker Ballet in San Francisco. It was the highlight of my Christmas and many to come. We did a lot of Christmas things when I lived in Berkeley. San Francisco was always great for looking in store windows to see the old fashion Christmas displays and Union Square was always lit up. And then we enjoyed the Dunsmuir Mansion in Oakland where they had the house all decorated and a Christmas craft fair on the grounds. I miss those things. But where I live at least we have the Thompson House where they have a craft fair every year and homemade cookies, candy, and breads.
Back in the 1970s my friend Cathy took me and her grandmother to see The Nutcracker Ballet in San Francisco. It was the highlight of my Christmas and many to come. We did a lot of Christmas things when I lived in Berkeley. San Francisco was always great for looking in store windows to see the old fashion Christmas displays and Union Square was always lit up. And then we enjoyed the Dunsmuir Mansion in Oakland where they had the house all decorated and a Christmas craft fair on the grounds. I miss those things. But where I live at least we have the Thompson House where they have a craft fair every year and homemade cookies, candy, and breads.
December 21, 2022
This has another short story, but I only read The Nutcracker because, quite frankly, that was unhinged enough.
This was probably one of the strangest stories I've read. We have a psychopath mouse queen who wants to eat everything - including babies, we have a sad boy Nutcracker who's actually real and just cursed, and we have some kind of magical wonderland with Christmas trees thrown in. Absolute carnage, and I'm still not entirely sure what I read. For 90 pages this also took me about 5 days to read because I just could not find the energy to pick this up.
Maybe just watch the ballet instead.
This was probably one of the strangest stories I've read. We have a psychopath mouse queen who wants to eat everything - including babies, we have a sad boy Nutcracker who's actually real and just cursed, and we have some kind of magical wonderland with Christmas trees thrown in. Absolute carnage, and I'm still not entirely sure what I read. For 90 pages this also took me about 5 days to read because I just could not find the energy to pick this up.
Maybe just watch the ballet instead.
December 23, 2020
I like to read lots of Christmas-y things during the Advent so I perused the internet to find 鈥瀗ew鈥� things and discovered this special edition of one of THE German literary exports. Yep, you read correctly: The Nutcracker was a tale by E.T.A. Hoffmann (a Prussian/German) before it ever became a Russian ballet.
The tale, which is sometimes also called The Nutcracker and the Mouse-King is as well-known as it is beloved:
On Christmas Eve, the siblings Marie, Louise and Fritz are anxious to be allowed into the parlour to see their gifts (Germans open the present on Christmas Eve). Their godfather, a clockmaker, has made them a mechanical/clockwork castle complete with moving mechanical people. Sadly, the kids quickly tire of their new toy and Marie falls in love with the family's nutcracker (which her brother breaks soon after). Soon, it's time for bed and mysterious changes beset the children's toys. But not only are they coming to life, mice also begin to come out from beneath the floor boards, including the seven-headed Mouse King!
Thus begins a fantastical adventure, including a tale within the tale, that takes place over the course of more than just one night (most movie adaptations get that completely wrong).
What makes this edition so special are Sanna Annukka鈥檚 illustrations:
A modern take (which usually fails to enchant me), but like I said in my other review, I found myself enjoying a fresh look and it really did fit nicely with the tale itself and brought this adventure to life in a wonderfully atmospheric way.
If you haven鈥檛 read this (either alone or with your kid), go correct that. Because this really is one of those stories that ARE Christmas.
The tale, which is sometimes also called The Nutcracker and the Mouse-King is as well-known as it is beloved:
On Christmas Eve, the siblings Marie, Louise and Fritz are anxious to be allowed into the parlour to see their gifts (Germans open the present on Christmas Eve). Their godfather, a clockmaker, has made them a mechanical/clockwork castle complete with moving mechanical people. Sadly, the kids quickly tire of their new toy and Marie falls in love with the family's nutcracker (which her brother breaks soon after). Soon, it's time for bed and mysterious changes beset the children's toys. But not only are they coming to life, mice also begin to come out from beneath the floor boards, including the seven-headed Mouse King!
Thus begins a fantastical adventure, including a tale within the tale, that takes place over the course of more than just one night (most movie adaptations get that completely wrong).
What makes this edition so special are Sanna Annukka鈥檚 illustrations:
A modern take (which usually fails to enchant me), but like I said in my other review, I found myself enjoying a fresh look and it really did fit nicely with the tale itself and brought this adventure to life in a wonderfully atmospheric way.
If you haven鈥檛 read this (either alone or with your kid), go correct that. Because this really is one of those stories that ARE Christmas.
December 18, 2020
4 馃専
Me ha gustado mucho conocer la historia original de El Cascanueces 鉁� Un cuento creado para ni帽os, aunque en ocasiones acoge cierto estilo siniestro y algo perturbador. La historia en s铆 me ha parecido muy entretenida y atrapante.
Marie, una ni帽a de 7 a帽os, tiene como padrino al t铆o Drosselmeyer, un hombre algo exc茅ntrico -con peluca de cristal, un parche en el ojo y un abrigo amarillo-, que construye unos juguetes magn铆ficos y que siempre le trae regalos estupendos. En navidad, uno de los presentes que lleva a la casa de Marie es un mu帽eco Cascanueces, el cual cautiva a la peque帽a. Este mu帽eco parece cobrar vida y Marie se ve inmersa en una batalla en la que los contrincantes son este Cascanueces y el Rey de los ratones. Al percatarse de ello el 煤nico af谩n de esta ni帽a es proteger a su querido Cascanueces y salvarlo de todo mal. Seremos part铆cipes de la lucha con este Rey Rat贸n de siete cabezas, conoceremos la historia de La Nuez dura (que nos ayudar谩 a entender qui茅n es realmente este Cascanueces) y visitaremos el Reino de los Juguetes, bastante apetecible por cierto (s铆, s铆, apetecible).
He de decir que ya conoc铆a el cuento a trav茅s de la pel铆cula de los a帽os 90, titulada El pr铆ncipe Cascanueces, que me encantaba; no s茅 si eso ha influido en que haya disfrutado m谩s de esta historia. No es del todo igual, pero la base s铆 es la misma, bastante fiel. Dir铆a que es un cuento que a todo ni帽o gustar谩 y que al adulto tambi茅n le hace pasar un buen rato ley茅ndolo. Esta edici贸n ilustrada es un tesorito (con preciosas ilustraciones de Robert Ingpen acompa帽ando al cuento, haci茅ndolo m谩s disfrutable a煤n).
Personalmente me parece una historia genial, con una fantas铆a muy atractiva, con ese toque siniestro disfrutable tambi茅n (aunque a m铆 de peque帽a me daban cosilla ciertas escenas de la pel铆cula, que tambi茅n se viven en el libro) y unos personajes muy bien presentados. Lo recomiendo y viene muy bien para leerlo en 茅pocas navide帽as.
Me ha gustado mucho conocer la historia original de El Cascanueces 鉁� Un cuento creado para ni帽os, aunque en ocasiones acoge cierto estilo siniestro y algo perturbador. La historia en s铆 me ha parecido muy entretenida y atrapante.
Marie, una ni帽a de 7 a帽os, tiene como padrino al t铆o Drosselmeyer, un hombre algo exc茅ntrico -con peluca de cristal, un parche en el ojo y un abrigo amarillo-, que construye unos juguetes magn铆ficos y que siempre le trae regalos estupendos. En navidad, uno de los presentes que lleva a la casa de Marie es un mu帽eco Cascanueces, el cual cautiva a la peque帽a. Este mu帽eco parece cobrar vida y Marie se ve inmersa en una batalla en la que los contrincantes son este Cascanueces y el Rey de los ratones. Al percatarse de ello el 煤nico af谩n de esta ni帽a es proteger a su querido Cascanueces y salvarlo de todo mal. Seremos part铆cipes de la lucha con este Rey Rat贸n de siete cabezas, conoceremos la historia de La Nuez dura (que nos ayudar谩 a entender qui茅n es realmente este Cascanueces) y visitaremos el Reino de los Juguetes, bastante apetecible por cierto (s铆, s铆, apetecible).
He de decir que ya conoc铆a el cuento a trav茅s de la pel铆cula de los a帽os 90, titulada El pr铆ncipe Cascanueces, que me encantaba; no s茅 si eso ha influido en que haya disfrutado m谩s de esta historia. No es del todo igual, pero la base s铆 es la misma, bastante fiel. Dir铆a que es un cuento que a todo ni帽o gustar谩 y que al adulto tambi茅n le hace pasar un buen rato ley茅ndolo. Esta edici贸n ilustrada es un tesorito (con preciosas ilustraciones de Robert Ingpen acompa帽ando al cuento, haci茅ndolo m谩s disfrutable a煤n).
Personalmente me parece una historia genial, con una fantas铆a muy atractiva, con ese toque siniestro disfrutable tambi茅n (aunque a m铆 de peque帽a me daban cosilla ciertas escenas de la pel铆cula, que tambi茅n se viven en el libro) y unos personajes muy bien presentados. Lo recomiendo y viene muy bien para leerlo en 茅pocas navide帽as.
Read
December 22, 2023I am pro-seven-headed-Mouse-King.
March 12, 2024
Decidi ler para relembrar, este maravilhoso conto de Natal, editado pela primeira vez em meados do s茅c XIX, porque vou assistir ao Ballet Russo O Quebra Nozes.
Quem n茫o o conhece?
Memor谩vel e encantador!
Intemporal e para todas as idades!
Quem n茫o o conhece?
Memor谩vel e encantador!
Intemporal e para todas as idades!
December 30, 2024
4/5 猸�
Un cl谩sico ideal para estas fechas navide帽as y volver a so帽ar como un ni帽o con mundos donde la fantas铆a se mezcla con la realidad
Este cl谩sico ilustrado de la editorial Alma me ha gustado much铆simo y me ha permitido acercarme a la historia del Cascanueces que desconoc铆a por completo a pesar de tanto haber o铆do hablar de la misma
Muy recomendable para ni帽os y adultos
Un cl谩sico ideal para estas fechas navide帽as y volver a so帽ar como un ni帽o con mundos donde la fantas铆a se mezcla con la realidad
Este cl谩sico ilustrado de la editorial Alma me ha gustado much铆simo y me ha permitido acercarme a la historia del Cascanueces que desconoc铆a por completo a pesar de tanto haber o铆do hablar de la misma
Muy recomendable para ni帽os y adultos
July 31, 2019
E.T.A. Hoffmann th矛 qu谩 n峄昳 ti岷縩g r峄搃, t谩c gi岷� c峄 truy峄噉 c峄� t铆ch 鈥淐h脿ng c岷痭 h峄� 膽脿o 惫脿 Vua Chu峄檛鈥�, 膽茫 膽瓢峄 chuy峄僴 th峄� th脿nh v峄� ballet n峄昳 ti岷縩g 鈥淜岷筽 H岷 D岷烩€�, v峄沬 ph岷 芒m nh岷 do P. I. Tchaikovsky bi锚n so岷 膽贸 ^^ C芒u chuy峄噉 c峄� t铆ch n脿y c农ng g贸p m岷穞 trong quy峄僴 s谩ch n脿y, c啤 m脿 kh么ng ng峄� b岷 g峄慶 c峄 鈥淜岷筽 H岷 D岷烩€� l岷 chi ti岷縯 nh瓢 v岷瓂, c贸 c岷� ph岷 gi岷 th铆ch/k峄� l岷 s峄� th峄� v矛 sao ch脿ng ho脿ng t峄� l岷 tr峄� th脿nh m峄檛 ch脿ng c岷痭 h峄� 膽脿o. M峄檛 c芒u chuy峄噉 li锚n quan 膽岷縩 s峄� thay l貌ng 膽峄昳 d岷� nhanh ch贸ng c峄 m峄檛 n脿ng c么ng ch煤a 膽峄慽 v峄沬 m峄檛 ch脿ng trai, v矛 膽峄� c峄﹗ l岷 n脿ng kh峄廼 s峄� t岷 c么ng c峄 b脿 chu峄檛 谩c 膽峄檆 m脿 膽茫 b峄� d铆nh ph岷 l峄漣 nguy峄乶 tr峄� th脿nh m峄檛 c谩i k岷筽 h岷 d岷�, 膽峄� r峄搃 sau n脿y 膽峄慽 膽岷 v峄沬 Vua Chu峄檛 b岷 膽岷 - con trai c峄 m峄� chu峄檛 谩c 膽峄檆. V脿 c么 b茅 c贸 di峄卪 ph煤c 膽瓢峄 ch峄﹏g ki岷縩 nh峄痭g ph茅p m脿u th岷璽 s峄� 膽岷眓g sau m峄檛 ch脿ng c岷痭 h峄� 膽脿o t瓢峄焠g ch峄玭g ch峄� l脿 m贸n 膽峄� ch啤i 惫脿o d峄媝 Gi谩ng sinh, h贸a ra t锚n l脿 Marie 峄� b岷 g峄慶, ch峄� kh么ng ph岷 l脿 Clara nh瓢 trong b岷 ballet :))))
Ngo脿i ra, t岷璸 truy峄噉 c峄� t铆ch si锚u th峄眂 n脿y c貌n gi峄沬 thi峄噓 hai truy峄噉 c峄� t铆ch kh谩c c峄 E.T.A. Hoffmann, c农ng kh谩 n峄昳 ti岷縩g, 膽贸 l脿 鈥淐hi岷縞 脗u V脿ng鈥� 惫脿 鈥淶aches T铆 Hon m峄噉h danh Zinnober鈥�. 膼i峄乽 m矛nh th铆ch nh岷 峄� hai truy峄噉 c峄� t铆ch n脿y, b锚n c岷h ch岷 k峄� 岷 ph茅p thu岷璽 h貌a quy峄噉 m峄檛 c谩ch ho脿n h岷 v峄沬 b峄慽 c岷h 膽峄漣 th瓢峄漬g, 膽贸 ch铆nh l脿 c谩i c谩ch m脿 t谩c gi岷� kh么ng cho ch煤ng ta bi岷縯 r玫 nh芒n v岷璽 n脿o l脿 thi峄噉, nh芒n v岷璽 n脿o l脿 谩c, ho岷穋 c峄� th峄� ai thu峄檆 phe 谩c, ai thu峄檆 phe thi峄噉 峄� 膽岷 c芒u chuy峄噉. V脿 c么ng vi峄嘽 c峄 ng瓢峄漣 膽峄峜 l脿 ph岷 theo d玫i h岷縯 to脿n b峄� c芒u chuy峄噉 c霉ng s峄� ph谩t tri峄僴 c峄 c谩c t矛nh ti岷縯 膽峄� r峄搃 nh岷璶 ra, h贸a ra truy峄噉 c峄� t铆ch c峄 E.T.A. Hoffmann ch岷� theo m峄檛 m么 t铆p kinh 膽i峄僴 th瓢峄漬g th岷 n脿o c岷�.
V铆 d峄� nh瓢 vi峄嘽 ch脿ng sinh vi锚n Anselmus trong 鈥淐hi岷縞 脗u V脿ng鈥� si m锚 n脿ng r岷痭 xanh Serpentina - sau n脿y h贸a ra l脿 ng瓢峄漣 con g谩i 膽岷縩 t峄� m峄檛 th岷� gi峄沬 ng岷璸 tr脿n ph茅p thu岷璽 - ph岷 ch膬ng l脿 do s峄� t谩c 膽峄檔g c峄 m峄檛 lo岷 ma thu岷璽 tinh vi n脿o 膽贸 (v矛 b矛nh th瓢峄漬g lo脿i r岷痭, trong v膬n h贸a ph瓢啤ng T芒y, c贸 khi n脿o 膽瓢峄 xem l脿 con v岷璽 膽岷 di峄噉 cho s峄� t峄憈 b峄g thi峄噉 l瓢啤ng g矛 cho cam鈥�), 惫脿 vi峄嘽 n脿ng Veronika xinh 膽岷筽 ki峄乽 di峄卪, si m锚 ch脿ng nh瓢 膽i岷縰 膽峄�, 膽茫 vi峄噉 nh峄� 膽岷縩 ph茅p thu岷璽 c峄 b脿 ph霉 th峄 Liese l脿 h脿nh 膽峄檔g c峄﹗ gi煤p ch脿ng kh峄廼 b霉a m锚? Hay ph岷 ch膬ng t矛nh y锚u m脿 Anselmus d脿nh cho n脿ng r岷痭 xanh 岷 l脿 th岷璽 l貌ng, l脿 ch芒n 谩i, 惫脿 vi峄嘽 b脿 ph霉 th峄 Liese d霉ng ph茅p thu岷璽 c峄 b脿 tr锚n danh ngh末a gi脿nh l岷 t矛nh y锚u cho n脿ng Veronika th峄眂 ch岷 l脿 m峄檛 h脿nh 膽峄檔g ph谩 膽谩m c贸 ch峄� 膽铆ch?
Trong 鈥淶aches T铆 Hon m峄噉h danh Zinnober鈥� c农ng v岷瓂. M峄檛 b脿 m岷� ngh猫o kh贸 sinh ra m峄檛 膽峄゛ con nh矛n nh瓢 qu谩i thai, c峄� hi峄僽 l脿 c岷璾 b茅 Zaches T铆 Hon tr么ng nh瓢 m峄檛 c峄� c岷 bi岷縯 膽i 膽i. C岷 th瓢啤ng tr瓢峄沜 s峄� ph岷璶 c峄 Zaches ph岷 g谩nh ch峄媢 m峄檛 ngo岷 h矛nh lu么n b峄� ng瓢峄漣 kh谩c ch锚 c瓢峄漣, n脿ng ti锚n Hoa H峄搉g 膼岷筽 膽茫 ban ph茅p cho Zaches T铆 Hon tr峄� th脿nh ng瓢峄漣 m脿 鈥渒hi g茫 c贸 m岷穞 th矛 b岷 k峄� 媒 ngh末, l峄漣 n贸i 惫脿 膽i峄乽 g矛 xu岷 ch煤ng m脿 ng瓢峄漣 kh谩c c贸 膽峄乽 膽瓢峄 g谩n cho g茫, th岷璵 ch铆 峄� n啤i c贸 nh峄痭g ng瓢峄漣 uy锚n b谩c, hi峄僽 bi岷縯 惫脿 th么ng minh, g茫 c农ng s岷� 膽瓢峄 t么n vinh l脿 uy锚n b谩c, hi峄僽 bi岷縯 惫脿 th么ng minh, 惫脿 c貌n h啤n th岷� n峄痑, g茫 膽瓢峄 coi l脿 ho脿n thi峄噉 nh岷 trong nh峄痭g ng瓢峄漣 k峄� c岷璶.鈥� C芒u chuy峄噉 c峄 Zaches T铆 Hon c贸 v岷� gi峄憂g S峄� D峄玜, c农ng sinh ra v峄沬 th芒n h矛nh qu谩i d峄�. Nh瓢ng n岷縰 b岷 ngh末 s峄� d峄� d岷g c峄 nh芒n v岷璽 ch铆nh 膽峄搉g ngh末a v峄沬 vi峄嘽 c岷璾 ta l峄沶 l锚n v瓢峄 bao s贸ng gi贸 kh贸 kh膬n, th脿nh ng瓢峄漣 l瓢啤ng thi峄噉 nh瓢 nhi峄乽 m么 t铆p truy峄噉 c峄� t铆ch kh谩c, th矛 b岷 膽茫 l岷. Zaches T铆 Hon 膽茫 l峄 d峄g s峄� 膽瓢峄 ban ph茅p c峄 m矛nh 膽峄� leo l锚n 膽岷縩 ch峄ヽ quan th瓢峄g th瓢 Zinnober, nh瓢ng th峄眂 ra ch岷� c贸 t铆 t脿i c谩n g矛, v峄沬 bao chuy峄噉 d峄� kh贸c d峄� c瓢峄漣 m峄塧 mai, c霉ng quy岷縯 t芒m c峄 m峄檛 nh贸m ng瓢峄漣 mu峄憂 lo岷 b峄� th峄� ph茅p thu岷璽 l峄玜 d峄慽 惫脿 h岷� b峄� Zinnober. Cu峄慽 c霉ng th矛 kh么ng ph岷 ph茅p thu岷璽 n脿o, v峄沬 m峄 膽铆ch ban 膽岷 t峄憈 膽岷筽, c农ng mang l岷 nh峄痭g k岷縯 qu岷� t峄憈 膽岷筽 ^^
K岷縯 l岷 th矛 c贸 l岷� nh峄痭g g矛 H. G. Roetzer n贸i v峄� nh峄痭g c芒u chuy峄噉 c峄� t铆ch si锚u th峄眂 c峄 E.T.A. Hoffmann 膽茫 mi锚u t岷� ch铆nh x谩c nh岷 di s岷 m脿 nh脿 v膬n Hoffmann 膽茫 膽峄� l岷:
Cu峄憂 n脿y hay, t锚n tu峄昳 c峄 E.T.A. Hoffmann n峄昳 ti岷縩g l岷珁 l峄玭g r峄搃, 岷 th岷� m脿 c贸 v岷� Nh茫 Nam truy峄乶 th么ng cho cu峄憂 n脿y kh么ng t峄憈 m峄檛 ch煤t n脿o th矛 ph岷鈥� M矛nh ph岷 惫脿o nh脿 s谩ch m峄沬 bi岷縯 n贸 c贸 t峄搉 t岷 tr锚n 膽峄漣鈥� H么m b峄痑 l锚n Tiki c貌n th岷 cu峄憂 n脿y 膽ang 膽瓢峄 b谩n gi岷 gi谩 50%鈥� Tr峄漣 啤i, s谩ch c峄 E.T.A. Hoffmann m脿 b谩n gi岷 gi谩 ph芒n n峄璦 th岷� n脿y sao?... Qu谩 bu峄搉鈥�
Ngo脿i ra, t岷璸 truy峄噉 c峄� t铆ch si锚u th峄眂 n脿y c貌n gi峄沬 thi峄噓 hai truy峄噉 c峄� t铆ch kh谩c c峄 E.T.A. Hoffmann, c农ng kh谩 n峄昳 ti岷縩g, 膽贸 l脿 鈥淐hi岷縞 脗u V脿ng鈥� 惫脿 鈥淶aches T铆 Hon m峄噉h danh Zinnober鈥�. 膼i峄乽 m矛nh th铆ch nh岷 峄� hai truy峄噉 c峄� t铆ch n脿y, b锚n c岷h ch岷 k峄� 岷 ph茅p thu岷璽 h貌a quy峄噉 m峄檛 c谩ch ho脿n h岷 v峄沬 b峄慽 c岷h 膽峄漣 th瓢峄漬g, 膽贸 ch铆nh l脿 c谩i c谩ch m脿 t谩c gi岷� kh么ng cho ch煤ng ta bi岷縯 r玫 nh芒n v岷璽 n脿o l脿 thi峄噉, nh芒n v岷璽 n脿o l脿 谩c, ho岷穋 c峄� th峄� ai thu峄檆 phe 谩c, ai thu峄檆 phe thi峄噉 峄� 膽岷 c芒u chuy峄噉. V脿 c么ng vi峄嘽 c峄 ng瓢峄漣 膽峄峜 l脿 ph岷 theo d玫i h岷縯 to脿n b峄� c芒u chuy峄噉 c霉ng s峄� ph谩t tri峄僴 c峄 c谩c t矛nh ti岷縯 膽峄� r峄搃 nh岷璶 ra, h贸a ra truy峄噉 c峄� t铆ch c峄 E.T.A. Hoffmann ch岷� theo m峄檛 m么 t铆p kinh 膽i峄僴 th瓢峄漬g th岷 n脿o c岷�.
V铆 d峄� nh瓢 vi峄嘽 ch脿ng sinh vi锚n Anselmus trong 鈥淐hi岷縞 脗u V脿ng鈥� si m锚 n脿ng r岷痭 xanh Serpentina - sau n脿y h贸a ra l脿 ng瓢峄漣 con g谩i 膽岷縩 t峄� m峄檛 th岷� gi峄沬 ng岷璸 tr脿n ph茅p thu岷璽 - ph岷 ch膬ng l脿 do s峄� t谩c 膽峄檔g c峄 m峄檛 lo岷 ma thu岷璽 tinh vi n脿o 膽贸 (v矛 b矛nh th瓢峄漬g lo脿i r岷痭, trong v膬n h贸a ph瓢啤ng T芒y, c贸 khi n脿o 膽瓢峄 xem l脿 con v岷璽 膽岷 di峄噉 cho s峄� t峄憈 b峄g thi峄噉 l瓢啤ng g矛 cho cam鈥�), 惫脿 vi峄嘽 n脿ng Veronika xinh 膽岷筽 ki峄乽 di峄卪, si m锚 ch脿ng nh瓢 膽i岷縰 膽峄�, 膽茫 vi峄噉 nh峄� 膽岷縩 ph茅p thu岷璽 c峄 b脿 ph霉 th峄 Liese l脿 h脿nh 膽峄檔g c峄﹗ gi煤p ch脿ng kh峄廼 b霉a m锚? Hay ph岷 ch膬ng t矛nh y锚u m脿 Anselmus d脿nh cho n脿ng r岷痭 xanh 岷 l脿 th岷璽 l貌ng, l脿 ch芒n 谩i, 惫脿 vi峄嘽 b脿 ph霉 th峄 Liese d霉ng ph茅p thu岷璽 c峄 b脿 tr锚n danh ngh末a gi脿nh l岷 t矛nh y锚u cho n脿ng Veronika th峄眂 ch岷 l脿 m峄檛 h脿nh 膽峄檔g ph谩 膽谩m c贸 ch峄� 膽铆ch?
Trong 鈥淶aches T铆 Hon m峄噉h danh Zinnober鈥� c农ng v岷瓂. M峄檛 b脿 m岷� ngh猫o kh贸 sinh ra m峄檛 膽峄゛ con nh矛n nh瓢 qu谩i thai, c峄� hi峄僽 l脿 c岷璾 b茅 Zaches T铆 Hon tr么ng nh瓢 m峄檛 c峄� c岷 bi岷縯 膽i 膽i. C岷 th瓢啤ng tr瓢峄沜 s峄� ph岷璶 c峄 Zaches ph岷 g谩nh ch峄媢 m峄檛 ngo岷 h矛nh lu么n b峄� ng瓢峄漣 kh谩c ch锚 c瓢峄漣, n脿ng ti锚n Hoa H峄搉g 膼岷筽 膽茫 ban ph茅p cho Zaches T铆 Hon tr峄� th脿nh ng瓢峄漣 m脿 鈥渒hi g茫 c贸 m岷穞 th矛 b岷 k峄� 媒 ngh末, l峄漣 n贸i 惫脿 膽i峄乽 g矛 xu岷 ch煤ng m脿 ng瓢峄漣 kh谩c c贸 膽峄乽 膽瓢峄 g谩n cho g茫, th岷璵 ch铆 峄� n啤i c贸 nh峄痭g ng瓢峄漣 uy锚n b谩c, hi峄僽 bi岷縯 惫脿 th么ng minh, g茫 c农ng s岷� 膽瓢峄 t么n vinh l脿 uy锚n b谩c, hi峄僽 bi岷縯 惫脿 th么ng minh, 惫脿 c貌n h啤n th岷� n峄痑, g茫 膽瓢峄 coi l脿 ho脿n thi峄噉 nh岷 trong nh峄痭g ng瓢峄漣 k峄� c岷璶.鈥� C芒u chuy峄噉 c峄 Zaches T铆 Hon c贸 v岷� gi峄憂g S峄� D峄玜, c农ng sinh ra v峄沬 th芒n h矛nh qu谩i d峄�. Nh瓢ng n岷縰 b岷 ngh末 s峄� d峄� d岷g c峄 nh芒n v岷璽 ch铆nh 膽峄搉g ngh末a v峄沬 vi峄嘽 c岷璾 ta l峄沶 l锚n v瓢峄 bao s贸ng gi贸 kh贸 kh膬n, th脿nh ng瓢峄漣 l瓢啤ng thi峄噉 nh瓢 nhi峄乽 m么 t铆p truy峄噉 c峄� t铆ch kh谩c, th矛 b岷 膽茫 l岷. Zaches T铆 Hon 膽茫 l峄 d峄g s峄� 膽瓢峄 ban ph茅p c峄 m矛nh 膽峄� leo l锚n 膽岷縩 ch峄ヽ quan th瓢峄g th瓢 Zinnober, nh瓢ng th峄眂 ra ch岷� c贸 t铆 t脿i c谩n g矛, v峄沬 bao chuy峄噉 d峄� kh贸c d峄� c瓢峄漣 m峄塧 mai, c霉ng quy岷縯 t芒m c峄 m峄檛 nh贸m ng瓢峄漣 mu峄憂 lo岷 b峄� th峄� ph茅p thu岷璽 l峄玜 d峄慽 惫脿 h岷� b峄� Zinnober. Cu峄慽 c霉ng th矛 kh么ng ph岷 ph茅p thu岷璽 n脿o, v峄沬 m峄 膽铆ch ban 膽岷 t峄憈 膽岷筽, c农ng mang l岷 nh峄痭g k岷縯 qu岷� t峄憈 膽岷筽 ^^
K岷縯 l岷 th矛 c贸 l岷� nh峄痭g g矛 H. G. Roetzer n贸i v峄� nh峄痭g c芒u chuy峄噉 c峄� t铆ch si锚u th峄眂 c峄 E.T.A. Hoffmann 膽茫 mi锚u t岷� ch铆nh x谩c nh岷 di s岷 m脿 nh脿 v膬n Hoffmann 膽茫 膽峄� l岷:
鈥淜岷縯 h峄 h脿i h貌a nh峄痭g tr岷 nghi峄噈 c峄 膽峄漣 s峄憂g th瓢峄漬g nh岷璽 v峄沬 th岷� gi峄沬 c峄� t铆ch ma qu谩i, x贸a b峄� m峄峣 ranh gi峄沬 gi峄痑 Hi峄噉 th峄眂 惫脿 T瓢峄焠g t瓢峄g, 膽峄慽 v峄沬 Hoffmann l脿 tr貌 ch啤i t峄� do v膬n ch瓢啤ng, l脿 th峄� ph谩p ngh峄� thu岷璽 l脿m s谩ng t峄� nh峄痭g s峄ヽ m岷h phi l媒 m脿 tr铆 tu峄� kh么ng th峄� th岷 hi峄僽 惫脿 l媒 gi岷.鈥�
Cu峄憂 n脿y hay, t锚n tu峄昳 c峄 E.T.A. Hoffmann n峄昳 ti岷縩g l岷珁 l峄玭g r峄搃, 岷 th岷� m脿 c贸 v岷� Nh茫 Nam truy峄乶 th么ng cho cu峄憂 n脿y kh么ng t峄憈 m峄檛 ch煤t n脿o th矛 ph岷鈥� M矛nh ph岷 惫脿o nh脿 s谩ch m峄沬 bi岷縯 n贸 c贸 t峄搉 t岷 tr锚n 膽峄漣鈥� H么m b峄痑 l锚n Tiki c貌n th岷 cu峄憂 n脿y 膽ang 膽瓢峄 b谩n gi岷 gi谩 50%鈥� Tr峄漣 啤i, s谩ch c峄 E.T.A. Hoffmann m脿 b谩n gi岷 gi谩 ph芒n n峄璦 th岷� n脿y sao?... Qu谩 bu峄搉鈥�
January 4, 2022
袝屑斜谢械屑邪褌懈褔薪邪褌邪 褌胁芯褉斜邪 鈥炐浶笛埿叫感盒狙傃€芯褕邪褔泻邪褌邪鈥� 薪邪 袝褉薪褋褌 孝械芯写芯褉 袗屑邪写械褍褋 啸芯褎屑邪薪 褋械 械 锌褉械胁褗褉薪邪谢邪 胁 薪械写械谢懈屑邪 褔邪褋褌 芯褌 蟹邪锌邪写薪邪褌邪 泻褍谢褌褍褉邪 懈 懈褋褌懈薪褋泻懈 褋懈屑胁芯谢 薪邪 袣芯谢械写邪. 袙写褗褏薪芯胁懈谢邪 斜芯卸械褋褌胁械薪懈褟 斜邪谢械褌 薪邪 袩褜芯褌褗褉 袠谢懈褔 效邪泄泻芯胁褋泻懈, 褌邪蟹懈 胁械褔薪邪 锌褉懈泻邪蟹泻邪 薪芯褋懈 胁 褋械斜械 褋懈 褌芯谢泻芯胁邪 屑薪芯谐芯 锌褉邪蟹薪懈褔薪芯 胁褗谢褕械斜褋褌胁芯, 褔械 锌褉芯写褗谢卸邪胁邪 写邪 芯屑邪谐褜芯褋胁邪 褔懈褌邪褌械谢懈褌械 懈 写薪械褋, 锌芯胁械褔械 芯褌 写胁械褋褌邪 谐芯写懈薪懈 褋谢械写 褋胁芯械褌芯 薪邪锌懈褋胁邪薪械. 鈥炐浶笛埿叫感盒狙傃€芯褕邪褔泻邪褌邪鈥� 械 芯褋薪芯胁芯锌芯谢邪谐邪褖 蟹邪 褋褗胁褉械屑械薪薪芯褌芯 写械褌褋泻芯 褎械薪褌褗蟹懈 褋褞卸械褌. 效邪褋芯胁薪懈泻芯胁懈 屑械褏邪薪懈蟹屑懈, 芯卸懈胁械谢懈 懈谐褉邪褔泻懈, 褋褌褉邪褏芯胁懈褌懈 蟹谢芯写械懈鈥� 啸芯褎屑邪薪芯胁邪褌邪 袦邪褉懈 懈蟹锌褉械胁邪褉胁邪 泻邪泻褌芯 锌褉懈薪褑械褋邪 袗泄褉懈泄薪 薪邪 袛卸芯褉写卸 袦邪泻写芯薪邪谢写, 褌邪泻邪 懈 袗谢懈褋邪 薪邪 袥褍懈褋 袣邪褉芯谢 懈 袛芯褉芯褌懈 薪邪 袥. 肖褉邪薪泻 袘邪褍屑. 效械褌械屑 谢褍泻褋芯蟹薪芯褌芯 懈蟹写邪薪懈械 薪邪 鈥炐浶笛埿叫感盒狙傃€芯褕邪褔泻邪褌邪鈥� 芯褌 懈蟹写. 鈥炐毿拘靶恍� 锌褉械褋鈥�, 懈谢褞褋褌褉懈褉邪薪芯 芯褌 褍泻褉邪懈薪褋泻邪褌邪 褏褍写芯卸薪懈褔泻邪 袦邪褉懈薪邪 袩褍蟹懈褉械薪泻芯. 袩褉芯褔械褌械褌械 褉械胁褞褌芯 薪邪 鈥炐毿叫感缎叫� 袣褉懈谢械鈥�:
January 2, 2019
Le fiabe riescono sempre a darti quell'illusione, anche se momentanea ed effimera, che tutto andr脿 bene e che tutto sar脿 possibile. E sognare 猫 sempre bello, anche quando la speranza vacilla.
December 11, 2015
Para quem gosta de hist贸rias de natal, imperd铆vel
Meu primeiro contato com O Quebra-Nozes foi por volta dos 9 anos de idade, atrav茅s do filme estrelado por Macaulay Culkin (1993), que nada mais era do que uma perfomance do New York City Ballet adaptada para a tv. De l谩 pra c谩, tive a oportunidade e o prazer inenarr谩vel de assistir a The Nutcracker com o NYC Ballet ao vivo, em pleno natal, no Lincoln Center, e sigo completamente apaixonada, tanto pelo ballet quanto por seu compositor, Tchaikovsky. Faltava o qu锚? Faltava o livro, claro!
Para situar melhor essa famosa hist贸ria, explico: o alem茫o E.T.A. Hoffmann escreveu The Nutcracker em 1816; em 1844, Alexandre Dumas fez uma revis茫o da obra de Hoffmann, e esta serviu, em 1892, de base para o ballet composto por ningu茅m menos que Tchaikovsky. Por茅m, foi apenas a partir 1954, quando o ilustre core贸grafo George Balanchine produziu uma nova vers茫o do ballet, que ele se popularizou, se tornando o ballet mais famoso do mundo e uma tradi莽茫o natalina.
Encontramos muitos filmes, desenhos (da Barbie, inclusive) e livros adaptados de O Quebra-Nozes, mas h谩 um bom tempo procuro uma edi莽茫o com texto integral em portugu锚s, sem sucesso (achei! Falo sobre ela ap贸s a resenha). At茅 que me deparei com a cole莽茫o de cl谩ssicos de natal da Penguin e, opa, The Nutcracker estava l谩, por que n茫o pensei antes em l锚-lo em ingl锚s?!
Era noite de Natal quando a pequena Marie ganhou um boneco de madeira de seu padrinho Drosselmeier. O boneco era um quebra-nozes e, naquela noite, ele ganhou vida para proteger Marie do Mouse King, o camundongo-rei. Machucada ap贸s a noite e aventura de natal, Marie, acamada, recebe a visita de Drosselmeier, que lhe conta a hist贸ria de uma princesa e de como o Quebra-Nozes j谩 fora bonito um dia, antes de ter sido enfeiti莽ado pela m茫e do camundongo. Nessa mistura de sonho e realidade, Marie 茅 levada pelo Pr铆ncipe para lugares encantados, florestas de Natal e de frutas cristalizadas, lagos de am锚ndoas e muita, muita magia.
Por ser uma hist贸ria infantil, esperei uma linguagem mais simples, com frases mais curtas e bobas, e, para minha surpresa, me deparei com um texto bel铆ssimo, com rico vocabul谩rio, frases bem elaboradas e lugares muito bem descritos. Surpreendeu-me tamb茅m a parte sombria da hist贸ria, meio tenebrosa, daquelas que deixam os pequeninos um pouco assustados, mas que, sem d煤vidas, estimula a bravura.
O livro tem tudo de que gosto: se passa no Natal, tem fam铆lia reunida, um tio que fabrica brinquedos ex贸ticos e conta hist贸rias maravilhosas aos sobrinhos, tem sonhos m谩gicos com pr铆ncipes e princesas e um ex茅rcito que luta corajosamente para derrotar o mal e, claro, tem final rom芒ntico e feliz.
Um conto de natal majestoso, um cl谩ssico que deveria ser lido todos os anos no natal para as crian莽as, uma hist贸ria que desperta a imagina莽茫o e a criatividade e que mant茅m vivo o fasc铆nio pelos brinquedos e o encantamento pelo natal.
鈽� 鈽� 鈽� 鈽� 鈽�
鉂� 鉂� 鉂� 鉂� 鉂�
ig: @historiasdepapel_
**No Brasil 茅 muito f谩cil encontrar adapta莽玫es dessa hist贸ria, mas o livro com seu texto integral s贸 encontrei em uma vers茫o da editora Berlendis e Vertecchia, que diz ser a primeira vez que a obra 茅 publicada diretamente do original e na 铆ntegra. O t铆tulo se chama 鈥極 Quebra-Nozes e o Camundongo Rei鈥�.
Meu primeiro contato com O Quebra-Nozes foi por volta dos 9 anos de idade, atrav茅s do filme estrelado por Macaulay Culkin (1993), que nada mais era do que uma perfomance do New York City Ballet adaptada para a tv. De l谩 pra c谩, tive a oportunidade e o prazer inenarr谩vel de assistir a The Nutcracker com o NYC Ballet ao vivo, em pleno natal, no Lincoln Center, e sigo completamente apaixonada, tanto pelo ballet quanto por seu compositor, Tchaikovsky. Faltava o qu锚? Faltava o livro, claro!
Para situar melhor essa famosa hist贸ria, explico: o alem茫o E.T.A. Hoffmann escreveu The Nutcracker em 1816; em 1844, Alexandre Dumas fez uma revis茫o da obra de Hoffmann, e esta serviu, em 1892, de base para o ballet composto por ningu茅m menos que Tchaikovsky. Por茅m, foi apenas a partir 1954, quando o ilustre core贸grafo George Balanchine produziu uma nova vers茫o do ballet, que ele se popularizou, se tornando o ballet mais famoso do mundo e uma tradi莽茫o natalina.
Encontramos muitos filmes, desenhos (da Barbie, inclusive) e livros adaptados de O Quebra-Nozes, mas h谩 um bom tempo procuro uma edi莽茫o com texto integral em portugu锚s, sem sucesso (achei! Falo sobre ela ap贸s a resenha). At茅 que me deparei com a cole莽茫o de cl谩ssicos de natal da Penguin e, opa, The Nutcracker estava l谩, por que n茫o pensei antes em l锚-lo em ingl锚s?!
Era noite de Natal quando a pequena Marie ganhou um boneco de madeira de seu padrinho Drosselmeier. O boneco era um quebra-nozes e, naquela noite, ele ganhou vida para proteger Marie do Mouse King, o camundongo-rei. Machucada ap贸s a noite e aventura de natal, Marie, acamada, recebe a visita de Drosselmeier, que lhe conta a hist贸ria de uma princesa e de como o Quebra-Nozes j谩 fora bonito um dia, antes de ter sido enfeiti莽ado pela m茫e do camundongo. Nessa mistura de sonho e realidade, Marie 茅 levada pelo Pr铆ncipe para lugares encantados, florestas de Natal e de frutas cristalizadas, lagos de am锚ndoas e muita, muita magia.
Por ser uma hist贸ria infantil, esperei uma linguagem mais simples, com frases mais curtas e bobas, e, para minha surpresa, me deparei com um texto bel铆ssimo, com rico vocabul谩rio, frases bem elaboradas e lugares muito bem descritos. Surpreendeu-me tamb茅m a parte sombria da hist贸ria, meio tenebrosa, daquelas que deixam os pequeninos um pouco assustados, mas que, sem d煤vidas, estimula a bravura.
O livro tem tudo de que gosto: se passa no Natal, tem fam铆lia reunida, um tio que fabrica brinquedos ex贸ticos e conta hist贸rias maravilhosas aos sobrinhos, tem sonhos m谩gicos com pr铆ncipes e princesas e um ex茅rcito que luta corajosamente para derrotar o mal e, claro, tem final rom芒ntico e feliz.
Um conto de natal majestoso, um cl谩ssico que deveria ser lido todos os anos no natal para as crian莽as, uma hist贸ria que desperta a imagina莽茫o e a criatividade e que mant茅m vivo o fasc铆nio pelos brinquedos e o encantamento pelo natal.
鈽� 鈽� 鈽� 鈽� 鈽�
鉂� 鉂� 鉂� 鉂� 鉂�
ig: @historiasdepapel_
**No Brasil 茅 muito f谩cil encontrar adapta莽玫es dessa hist贸ria, mas o livro com seu texto integral s贸 encontrei em uma vers茫o da editora Berlendis e Vertecchia, que diz ser a primeira vez que a obra 茅 publicada diretamente do original e na 铆ntegra. O t铆tulo se chama 鈥極 Quebra-Nozes e o Camundongo Rei鈥�.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,154 reviews
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get help and learn more about the design.