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Το χρυσό δοχείο
Ο κόσμος της φαντασίας και ο κόσμος της πραγματικότητας. Στο «Χρυσό Δοχείο» ο Χόφμαν προσπαθεί να δείξει τον κόσμο της φαντασίας και της πραγματικότητας στο σημείο τομής και συνάντησής τους. Με αυτό το μοντέρνο ρομαντικό παραμύθι, με την προτίμηση της φόρμας του παραμυθιού, με την εμμονή στη ρομαντική θεματική και με το τόλμημα της μοντέρνας αφηγηματικής τεχνικής του, ο Χόφμαν φαίνεται να κλείνει με νόημα το μάτι στον σύγχρονο αναγνώστη: «όσο πιο ποιητικό, τόσο πιο αληθινό».
180 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1814
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About the author
E.T.A. Hoffmann
1,874books837followersErnst 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 DZé 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 247 reviews
January 27, 2022
E.T.A. Hoffmann wrote surrealistic stories long before the term surrealism was coined.
The Golden Pot is one of the best surreal tales ever written. Magic and love combine and love becomes magical.
I’ve read it thrice and every time it filled me with wonder and every time I discovered some new nuances and hues.
Eventually magical love wins and sweethearts reside in poesy ever after�
Anselmus observed that one snake held out its little head to him. Through all his limbs there went a shock like electricity; he quivered in his inmost heart: he kept gazing up, and a pair of glorious dark-blue eyes were looking at him with unspeakable longing; and an unknown feeling of highest blessedness and deepest sorrow nearly rent his heart asunder. And as he looked, and still looked, full of warm desire, into those kind eyes, the crystal bells sounded louder in harmonious accord, and the glittering emeralds fell down and encircled him, flickering round him in a thousand sparkles and sporting in resplendent threads of gold.
The Golden Pot is one of the best surreal tales ever written. Magic and love combine and love becomes magical.
I am probably right in doubting, gracious reader, that you were ever sealed up in a glass bottle, or even that you have ever been oppressed with such sorcery in your most vivid dreams. If you have had such dreams, you will understand the Student Anselmus's woe and will feel it keenly enough; but if you have not, then your flying imagination, for the sake of Anselmus and me, will have to be obliging enough to enclose itself for a few moments in the crystal. You are drowned in dazzling splendour; everything around you appears illuminated and begirt with beaming rainbow hues: in the sheen everything seems to quiver and waver and clang and drone. You are swimming, but you are powerless and cannot move, as if you were imbedded in a firmly congealed ether which squeezes you so tightly that it is in vain that your spirit commands your dead and stiffened body. Heavier and heavier the mountainous burden lies on you; more and more every breath exhausts the tiny bit of air that still plays up and down in the tight space around you; your pulse throbs madly; and cut through with horrid anguish, every nerve is quivering and bleeding in your dead agony.
I’ve read it thrice and every time it filled me with wonder and every time I discovered some new nuances and hues.
Eventually magical love wins and sweethearts reside in poesy ever after�
November 5, 2019
I don't like this, I thought.
Clumsy Anselmus makes a silly appearance (well described, admittedly), causing a mess of carts and apples and people in a market place. I hate slapstick, and I hate clumsiness in literature, having to live with it every minute of every day in my real life!
I still don't like this, I thought.
Ambition and bourgeois wedding plans emerge on the scene, and I can't be bothered with who makes the race to the best position in the tedious work life on offer, and I am still less interested in who gets to marry Veronica, who is the human prize for professional promotion.
Wait a minute, I think I like this, I thought.
A salamander appears in the story, with three beautiful daughters to marry off. They are shiny, golden-green snakes, and they are tempting my brain. Did I just really read that, or have I been losing concentration? No, it really happened on paper, but is it meant to be REALLY real, or just a figment of a character's imagination?
All of a sudden poetry and reality merge and golden snakes turn out to be better matches for young creative students than matronly, ambitious women looking for a title-by-proxy and a nice house to be envied.
Anselmus chooses poetry over prose, and this fairy tales shows the way to modern escapism and magic realism! Pure delight in creative power!
Clumsy Anselmus makes a silly appearance (well described, admittedly), causing a mess of carts and apples and people in a market place. I hate slapstick, and I hate clumsiness in literature, having to live with it every minute of every day in my real life!
I still don't like this, I thought.
Ambition and bourgeois wedding plans emerge on the scene, and I can't be bothered with who makes the race to the best position in the tedious work life on offer, and I am still less interested in who gets to marry Veronica, who is the human prize for professional promotion.
Wait a minute, I think I like this, I thought.
A salamander appears in the story, with three beautiful daughters to marry off. They are shiny, golden-green snakes, and they are tempting my brain. Did I just really read that, or have I been losing concentration? No, it really happened on paper, but is it meant to be REALLY real, or just a figment of a character's imagination?
All of a sudden poetry and reality merge and golden snakes turn out to be better matches for young creative students than matronly, ambitious women looking for a title-by-proxy and a nice house to be envied.
Anselmus chooses poetry over prose, and this fairy tales shows the way to modern escapism and magic realism! Pure delight in creative power!
January 4, 2024
These five stories are strange, funny, thoughtful, absurd, magic—of a time when the world was less convinced of the possible and impossible. I finish the collection persuaded that Hoffmann was one of the great innovators of literary history; that he had a profound influence not only on fantasy and science fiction, but on a whole list of -isms: absurdism, surrealism, modernism itself; that he was Poe before Poe, Gogol before Gogol; that his use of the fantastic as a vehicle to explore the human mind and its unconscious desires made him midwife to the modern fantastic.
What is it about the firsts? Is it that we know they are firsts? Is the difference in our minds? Or is it that to pave new ground requires genius? Perhaps geniuses always produce firsts, and so to find what is truly great one must go in search of what was once novel. Or is it that in early days, before a genre is a genre, possibilities are endless, horizons only dimly glimpsed, and so art has a freedom impossible to recapture. Is this why the greatest and most captivating painting I have ever seen was done by Jan van Eyck—the very first European oil painter? Is this why Tolstoy, Tagore, Emily Brontë, inexplicably, impossibly, remain unsurpassed as novelists? Why the greatest poet in English lived at a moment when the language was in its infancy, unfixed, filled to bursting with words shortly to be abandoned? Or is it only myth-making that makes it look so? Some irresistible mystique?
Did Hoffmann invent urban fantasy when he brought together the magic and mundane and wrote of magical houses, bigger on the inside? It is here, that is the main thing—the freedom, the wonder, the mystery, the ineffable power of a literary mode near to the moment of its birth, a reaching for something half-envisioned.
The collection is wonderfully assembled. The three long novellas, The Golden Pot, Princess Brambrilla, and Master Flea, echo each other in form and concept and appear almost as aspects of a single mythos, Hoffmann groping towards the modern idea of a fantasy world linked to our own through hidden portals and by the coming and going of wizards and magical creatures—a world with its own arcane history, at once a place people go to, a force that acts on our world from without, and a mysterious dimension of our own inner selves. He weaves the uncanny and the mundane together as inextricable aspects of the human mystery.
The Sandman deals in many of the same themes, but is shorter, darker, at once madder and more sane. Ritchie Robertson's masterstroke as an editor, however, is to end the collection with a dramatic shift in tone and subject. The short, observational, autobiographical My Cousin's Window enriches all that came before it by replacing Hoffmann’s characteristic blend of the magic and mundane with the magic of the mundane. My Cousin's Window is a paean to the power of imagination to elevate the experience of daily life: “My cousin lives in a small room with a low ceiling,� Hoffmann tells us, “high above the street. That is the usual custom of writers and poets. What does the low ceiling matter? Imagination soars aloft and builds a high and cheerful dome that rises to the radiant blue sky.�
What is it about the firsts? Is it that we know they are firsts? Is the difference in our minds? Or is it that to pave new ground requires genius? Perhaps geniuses always produce firsts, and so to find what is truly great one must go in search of what was once novel. Or is it that in early days, before a genre is a genre, possibilities are endless, horizons only dimly glimpsed, and so art has a freedom impossible to recapture. Is this why the greatest and most captivating painting I have ever seen was done by Jan van Eyck—the very first European oil painter? Is this why Tolstoy, Tagore, Emily Brontë, inexplicably, impossibly, remain unsurpassed as novelists? Why the greatest poet in English lived at a moment when the language was in its infancy, unfixed, filled to bursting with words shortly to be abandoned? Or is it only myth-making that makes it look so? Some irresistible mystique?
Did Hoffmann invent urban fantasy when he brought together the magic and mundane and wrote of magical houses, bigger on the inside? It is here, that is the main thing—the freedom, the wonder, the mystery, the ineffable power of a literary mode near to the moment of its birth, a reaching for something half-envisioned.
The collection is wonderfully assembled. The three long novellas, The Golden Pot, Princess Brambrilla, and Master Flea, echo each other in form and concept and appear almost as aspects of a single mythos, Hoffmann groping towards the modern idea of a fantasy world linked to our own through hidden portals and by the coming and going of wizards and magical creatures—a world with its own arcane history, at once a place people go to, a force that acts on our world from without, and a mysterious dimension of our own inner selves. He weaves the uncanny and the mundane together as inextricable aspects of the human mystery.
The Sandman deals in many of the same themes, but is shorter, darker, at once madder and more sane. Ritchie Robertson's masterstroke as an editor, however, is to end the collection with a dramatic shift in tone and subject. The short, observational, autobiographical My Cousin's Window enriches all that came before it by replacing Hoffmann’s characteristic blend of the magic and mundane with the magic of the mundane. My Cousin's Window is a paean to the power of imagination to elevate the experience of daily life: “My cousin lives in a small room with a low ceiling,� Hoffmann tells us, “high above the street. That is the usual custom of writers and poets. What does the low ceiling matter? Imagination soars aloft and builds a high and cheerful dome that rises to the radiant blue sky.�
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January 9, 2020This collection contains The Golden Pot, The Sandman, Master Flea, Princess Brambilla, and My Cousin's Corner Window. They are the first Hoffmann stories that I have ever read. I feel that they are The Arabian Nights crossed with Fairy Tales and Romanticism with a splash of Realism that gives birth to the monstrous world of literature, pulp fiction and cinemas that comes after. There is an utter indifference to consistency and delight in invention, every thriller story that features an innocent hero lost in a world they do not understand, manipulated by powerful figures for no clear reason is a child of Hoffmann. I think that Arthur C. Clarke wrote that "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic" Hoffmann I see anticipated him, while one of Hoffmann's characters fails the Turing test. While the world in which a travelling salesman wakes up one day to find that he is an insect, would be par for the course in Hoffmann's fiction. What is distinctive about Hoffmann is that he happily piles up elements - a quest for Romantic love and fulfilment in marriage (in which the participants can be curiously passive), self discovery, manipulation by powerful others, uncertainty about the nature of reality, nanotechnology, big data, talking animals, sentient plants, human like machines, drama, humour, imprisonment, magic, science, distant and exotic places, familiar and everyday places - elements which might be considered contradictory, but which with an application of humour and energy work together to form a story.
Hoffmann appeals directly to the reader, suggesting that the author is merely the editor, implying that the story is a true account of real events in which for instance a hapless and penniless man is employed by a Salamander to copy manuscripts with a promise to marry his daughter who is a little green snake called Serpentina . The Salamander's request that his identity is protected for fear of loosing his government job is faithfully recorded by Hoffmann.
At the same time Hoffmann offers up alternative readings - this is an allegory, the participants are drunk, or mad to allow the reader to take the story as it is. It's insane, but it mostly works - I found Princess Brambilla a bit much, but maybe I was tired or brain burnt. In The Sandman a character writes "It is the phantom of our own self which, thanks to its intimate relationship with us & its deep influence on our minds, casts us down to hell or transports us to heaven" - Gogol, Dostoevsky, and Freud can all read Hoffmann and go off in the direction of psychology - Angela Carter in provides a calmer 20th century version of a Hoffmann adventure .
The editor of this volume suggests that the literature of the Biedermeier era saw a turning inward away from the contested (and dangerous) public political world. However in Hoffmann, the private interior life is no safe space you might find love (or is that actually psychic unity) but only by means of progressing through allegory, drunkenness, madness, (and) or increasingly bizarre adventures which might see you trapped inside a bottle, or in a bird cage, or observing a duel with telescopes fought by (dead) Antonie van Leeuwenhoek against (an equally dead) Jan Swammerdam who may in fact be ancient magi (which might explain that despite being dead they are able to wander about freely in Frankfurt Am Main).
A festival of invention.
Hoffmann appeals directly to the reader, suggesting that the author is merely the editor, implying that the story is a true account of real events in which for instance a hapless and penniless man is employed by a Salamander to copy manuscripts with a promise to marry his daughter who is a little green snake called Serpentina . The Salamander's request that his identity is protected for fear of loosing his government job is faithfully recorded by Hoffmann.
At the same time Hoffmann offers up alternative readings - this is an allegory, the participants are drunk, or mad to allow the reader to take the story as it is. It's insane, but it mostly works - I found Princess Brambilla a bit much, but maybe I was tired or brain burnt. In The Sandman a character writes "It is the phantom of our own self which, thanks to its intimate relationship with us & its deep influence on our minds, casts us down to hell or transports us to heaven" - Gogol, Dostoevsky, and Freud can all read Hoffmann and go off in the direction of psychology - Angela Carter in provides a calmer 20th century version of a Hoffmann adventure .
The editor of this volume suggests that the literature of the Biedermeier era saw a turning inward away from the contested (and dangerous) public political world. However in Hoffmann, the private interior life is no safe space you might find love (or is that actually psychic unity) but only by means of progressing through allegory, drunkenness, madness, (and) or increasingly bizarre adventures which might see you trapped inside a bottle, or in a bird cage, or observing a duel with telescopes fought by (dead) Antonie van Leeuwenhoek against (an equally dead) Jan Swammerdam who may in fact be ancient magi (which might explain that despite being dead they are able to wander about freely in Frankfurt Am Main).
A festival of invention.
October 26, 2020
Χόφμαν.
«Ζει σ’ένα� κόσμο όπου το τρεμάμενο φως ενός κεριού κάνει τις σκιές να χορεύουν στους τοίχους, το φύσημα του ανέμου μοιάζει με στεναγμό και το τρίξιμο ενός επίπλου με βήμα που πλησιάζει»
E. T. A. HOFFMANN (1776-1822)
Σε όλη του τη ζωή παλεύει με την πιο βαθιά του αγωνία: το φόβο της τρέλας.
Στοιχειωμένος απο τα θάνατο βλέπει το φάντασμα του. Η ανιαρή ζωή του δικαστικού συμβούλου καταπιέζει τη μεγαλειώδη καλλιτεχνική φύση του και τον σπρώχνει στο ποτό και τη μελαγχολία. Ιδιαίτερα άσχημος, νάρκισσος, αλκοολικός, δειλός, πεισματάρης, πάντοτε μόνος και άτυχος στον έρωτα.
« Αυτό που λέμε γενικά όνειρο και φαντασία θα μπορούσε να είναι η συμβολική γνώση του μυστικού νήματος που διαπερνά τη ζωή μας»
( Πρόλογος του Χόφμαν στα
«Ελιξίρια του διαβόλου»)
Όποιος δεν έχει διαβάσει τα «ελιξίρια του διαβόλου»
και δεν έχει γευτεί το μυαλό και την ευφυΐα, την παρανοϊκή τρυφερή υψηλή του διανόηση για τον
χώρο -χρόνο, το αόριστο, τον πόνο, το δέος,
τον τρόμο που ξυπνά την προσδοκία του απείρου, που ε��ναι η ουσία της ρομαντικής ύπαρξης,όποιος δεν λάτρεψε Χόφμαν, δεν λογίζεται για αναγνώστης.
Εδώ, μέσα, έξω, πάνω, κάτω, σε κάθε έκφανση του υπεραισθητού κόσμου, στο χρυσό δοχείο, της οξείας ειρωνικής σύλληψης της πραγματικότητας και της αμφιταλάντευσης ως συνάντηση των αντίθετων αλλά και ως εισχώρηση του κόσμου των πνευμάτων μέσα στην πραγματική ζωή, μπαίνει η σφραγίδα του Χόφμαν, η προσωπική χρυσή σφραγίδα του εξαιρετικού δημιουργού όσον αφορά την εκτίμηση της πραγματιμοτητας και της γνωστικής αλήθειας, η φαντασία και η καθημερινότητα με άπλετο λυρισμό και έντονο ρεαλισμό γκρεμίζουν τα σύνορα μεταξύ τους και ξεθωριάζουν κάθε εκλογικευμένη ανάλυση
στα οράματα, τα περιγράμματα και τα όνειρα.
«Όσο πιο ποιητικό τόσο πιο αληθινό» ( Novalis)
Το μυθικό συμβάν είναι η ιστορία του φοιτητή Άνσελμου και η συναναστροφή του με τον αρχειοφύλακα και την Σερπεντίνα.
Κι όταν ο Χόφμαν κλείνει πονηρά το άγρυπνο μάτι του στον αναγνώστη, ρωτώντας τον εάν έχει νιώσει ένα σκοτεινό συναίσθημα εκπλήρωσης κάποιας ανώτερης επιθυμίας του, η οποία υπερβαίνει τον κύκλο όλων των γήινων απολαύσεων και την οποία δεν δύναται να διατυπώσει ρητά το πνεύμα, τότε ίσως γίνει κατανοητό όπως η μεγάλη χαρά και η ανείπωτη θλίψη ότι υπάρχει μια μαγευτική επικράτεια που βρίθει εξαίσιων θαυμάτων και τα οποία προκαλούν την ύψιστη αγαλλίαση ή και τη βαθύτερη φρίκη.
Αυτή η επικράτεια που αποκαλύπτεται μέσα απο το πνεύμα τουλάχιστον στα όνειρα μας, έχει τη λαμπρή δυνατότητα να χαρίσει την αναγνώριση στην καθημερινότητα και τη συνηθισμένη ζωή διότι βρίσκεται πολύ πιο κοντά απο όσο νομίζουμε ως γνωστικοί και περνώντας στην εκστατική θλίψη αναπέμπουν τα σωθικά μας ένα άγνωστο κάτι,πράγμα που είναι ακριβώς η λαχτάρα που υπόσχεται στον άνθρωπο ένα άλλο, ανώτερο Ον.
Μόνο ο Χόφμαν μπορεί να σε φέρει σε επικοινωνία με τον «αόρατο κόσμο» και να σε ικανοποιήσει με έναν υπέροχο και ηδονικά μυστικό τρόμο.
Anselmus, "είπε ο πρίγκιπας των πνευμάτων," δεν ήσασταν εσείς αλλά μια εχθρική αρχή μαγείας που προσπάθησε καταστροφικά να διεισδύσει στη φύση σας και να σας αντικατοπτρίσει ενάντια στον εαυτό σας, και η οποία φταίει για την έλλειψη πίστης σας. Αποδείξατε την πίστη σας. Πρέπει να είσαι ελεύθερος και ευτυχισμένος! "
Στην Ατλαντίδα που δεν χάθηκε και δεν βρέθηκε ποτέ βρήκε ο Άνσελμος το δικό του υποστατικό, την ποιητική ιδιοκτησία της εσώτερης αίσθησης του.
Η ευδαιμονία δεν είναι τίποτε άλλο παρά να μπορέσεις να ζεις μέσα στην ποίηση, στο παραμύθι της αλήθειας που αποκαλύπτεται απο την ιερή αρμονία όλων των πλασμάτων ως το βαθύτερο μυστικό της θεάς φύσης.
🍯🟥🍯🟥✡️🍯⬛️🍯⬛️🟦🍯
Καλή ανάγνωση.
Πολλούς ασπασμούς.
«Ζει σ’ένα� κόσμο όπου το τρεμάμενο φως ενός κεριού κάνει τις σκιές να χορεύουν στους τοίχους, το φύσημα του ανέμου μοιάζει με στεναγμό και το τρίξιμο ενός επίπλου με βήμα που πλησιάζει»
E. T. A. HOFFMANN (1776-1822)
Σε όλη του τη ζωή παλεύει με την πιο βαθιά του αγωνία: το φόβο της τρέλας.
Στοιχειωμένος απο τα θάνατο βλέπει το φάντασμα του. Η ανιαρή ζωή του δικαστικού συμβούλου καταπιέζει τη μεγαλειώδη καλλιτεχνική φύση του και τον σπρώχνει στο ποτό και τη μελαγχολία. Ιδιαίτερα άσχημος, νάρκισσος, αλκοολικός, δειλός, πεισματάρης, πάντοτε μόνος και άτυχος στον έρωτα.
« Αυτό που λέμε γενικά όνειρο και φαντασία θα μπορούσε να είναι η συμβολική γνώση του μυστικού νήματος που διαπερνά τη ζωή μας»
( Πρόλογος του Χόφμαν στα
«Ελιξίρια του διαβόλου»)
Όποιος δεν έχει διαβάσει τα «ελιξίρια του διαβόλου»
και δεν έχει γευτεί το μυαλό και την ευφυΐα, την παρανοϊκή τρυφερή υψηλή του διανόηση για τον
χώρο -χρόνο, το αόριστο, τον πόνο, το δέος,
τον τρόμο που ξυπνά την προσδοκία του απείρου, που ε��ναι η ουσία της ρομαντικής ύπαρξης,όποιος δεν λάτρεψε Χόφμαν, δεν λογίζεται για αναγνώστης.
Εδώ, μέσα, έξω, πάνω, κάτω, σε κάθε έκφανση του υπεραισθητού κόσμου, στο χρυσό δοχείο, της οξείας ειρωνικής σύλληψης της πραγματικότητας και της αμφιταλάντευσης ως συνάντηση των αντίθετων αλλά και ως εισχώρηση του κόσμου των πνευμάτων μέσα στην πραγματική ζωή, μπαίνει η σφραγίδα του Χόφμαν, η προσωπική χρυσή σφραγίδα του εξαιρετικού δημιουργού όσον αφορά την εκτίμηση της πραγματιμοτητας και της γνωστικής αλήθειας, η φαντασία και η καθημερινότητα με άπλετο λυρισμό και έντονο ρεαλισμό γκρεμίζουν τα σύνορα μεταξύ τους και ξεθωριάζουν κάθε εκλογικευμένη ανάλυση
στα οράματα, τα περιγράμματα και τα όνειρα.
«Όσο πιο ποιητικό τόσο πιο αληθινό» ( Novalis)
Το μυθικό συμβάν είναι η ιστορία του φοιτητή Άνσελμου και η συναναστροφή του με τον αρχειοφύλακα και την Σερπεντίνα.
Κι όταν ο Χόφμαν κλείνει πονηρά το άγρυπνο μάτι του στον αναγνώστη, ρωτώντας τον εάν έχει νιώσει ένα σκοτεινό συναίσθημα εκπλήρωσης κάποιας ανώτερης επιθυμίας του, η οποία υπερβαίνει τον κύκλο όλων των γήινων απολαύσεων και την οποία δεν δύναται να διατυπώσει ρητά το πνεύμα, τότε ίσως γίνει κατανοητό όπως η μεγάλη χαρά και η ανείπωτη θλίψη ότι υπάρχει μια μαγευτική επικράτεια που βρίθει εξαίσιων θαυμάτων και τα οποία προκαλούν την ύψιστη αγαλλίαση ή και τη βαθύτερη φρίκη.
Αυτή η επικράτεια που αποκαλύπτεται μέσα απο το πνεύμα τουλάχιστον στα όνειρα μας, έχει τη λαμπρή δυνατότητα να χαρίσει την αναγνώριση στην καθημερινότητα και τη συνηθισμένη ζωή διότι βρίσκεται πολύ πιο κοντά απο όσο νομίζουμε ως γνωστικοί και περνώντας στην εκστατική θλίψη αναπέμπουν τα σωθικά μας ένα άγνωστο κάτι,πράγμα που είναι ακριβώς η λαχτάρα που υπόσχεται στον άνθρωπο ένα άλλο, ανώτερο Ον.
Μόνο ο Χόφμαν μπορεί να σε φέρει σε επικοινωνία με τον «αόρατο κόσμο» και να σε ικανοποιήσει με έναν υπέροχο και ηδονικά μυστικό τρόμο.
Anselmus, "είπε ο πρίγκιπας των πνευμάτων," δεν ήσασταν εσείς αλλά μια εχθρική αρχή μαγείας που προσπάθησε καταστροφικά να διεισδύσει στη φύση σας και να σας αντικατοπτρίσει ενάντια στον εαυτό σας, και η οποία φταίει για την έλλειψη πίστης σας. Αποδείξατε την πίστη σας. Πρέπει να είσαι ελεύθερος και ευτυχισμένος! "
Στην Ατλαντίδα που δεν χάθηκε και δεν βρέθηκε ποτέ βρήκε ο Άνσελμος το δικό του υποστατικό, την ποιητική ιδιοκτησία της εσώτερης αίσθησης του.
Η ευδαιμονία δεν είναι τίποτε άλλο παρά να μπορέσεις να ζεις μέσα στην ποίηση, στο παραμύθι της αλήθειας που αποκαλύπτεται απο την ιερή αρμονία όλων των πλασμάτων ως το βαθύτερο μυστικό της θεάς φύσης.
🍯🟥🍯🟥✡️🍯⬛️🍯⬛️🟦🍯
Καλή ανάγνωση.
Πολλούς ασπασμούς.
January 29, 2024
From the many E.T.A. Hoffmann works of shorter fiction that we read and analysed in my 1986 German Romanticism course at Mount Allison University (during my second undergraduate year), it was (and yes, still is) his novella Der goldne Topf (The Golden Pot in English translation, but please do note that I have actually never read this story in English) which remains my hands-down favourite (although I must admit that I have never been all that sure if I would necessarily label Der goldne Topf as a novella, as even the author himself, even E.T.A. Hoffmann considered it more a new-fashioned fairy tale, ein Märchen aus der neuen Zeit).
The basic plot line, the storyline of Der goldne Topf comprises twelve chapters, which Hoffmann describes as vigils, as Nachtwachen (and I do have wonder whether this designation by the author is perhaps one of the reasons that occasionally, E.T.A. Hoffmann has been considered as the possible author of the anonymous satire Nachtwachen von Bonaventura, which is now, though, usually thought to have been penned by August Klingemann).
Although as already mentioned above, E.T.A. Hoffmann considers his Der goldne Topf as being basically a contemporary fairy tale (or at least, contemporary and modern for the late 18th and early 19th centuries), the story actually begins realistically enough and in an actual and bona fide German city, in Dresden. The by nature physically clumsy and awkward university student Anselmus rushes through the famous Black Gate, upending an old apple monger's crate of produce, with the latter reacting not only angrily but actually cursing Anselmus, calling him a child of Satan and predicting that he soon will become incased and incarcerated in crystal. Much perturbed and a bit frightened, Anselmus flees to the River Elbe and it is there that reality and fantasy for the first time become intermingled and intertwined, as Anselmus sees three beautiful and graceful singing snakes dancing amongst the leaves of an elder tree, falling in love with the most beautiful one (a delicate and sweet voiced blue-eyed serpent who though soon disappears, leaving Anselmus longing and passionate). Will Anselmus be able to circumvent the machinations of philistine reality (mostly in the form of his friend Paulmann's amorous daughter Veronika) and make the lovely and esoterically poetic Serpentina his bride and the famous magician and alchemist Lindhorst his father-in-law, a scenario that both Lindhorst and Anselmus actually much desire, for the former, for Lindhorst, may only return from his banishment and exile from the mythical realm of Atlantis (where he was a Salamander, a spirit of fire and flame) if he succeeds in marrying off his three serpentine daughters to appropriate human mates, and with "appropriate" is meant poetic, spiritual, childlike and never too bourgeois.
Trying to thwart Serpentina's and Anselmus' togetherness, Veronika (who after meeting Anselmus at her father's house has fallen head over heels in love with the same and wants to make him hers and hers alone) unknowingly hires the old apple monger to produce a love potion for her. However, the apple witch is more than what she appears to be (is not just an old crone who occasionally dabbles with and in magical potions). No, she is in fact very much a dangerous and vicious enemy of Lindhorst, and her specific and very targeted magic causes Anselmus to doubt himself, to doubt Lindhorst and his daughters, finally splashing ink on one of Lindhorst's precious manuscripts, which to and for the latter entails such a major and unforgivable faux pax that the enraged magician imprisons Anselmus in a glass bottle (like the prediction of the old apple monger, although thankfully, Lindhorst soon does realise that Anselmus has been under the influence of hostile, malevolent forces beyond his control and releases him from his crystal prison after having battled and overcome his enemy, the apple witch, and turning her of all things into a large and rather misshapen beet, not only funny but delightfully mundane, lowbrow).
And while Veronika finally accepts a marriage proposal from Registrar Heerbrand, we at the end of Der goldne Topf learn that Anselmus and Serpentina are indeed now married, however while the two of them are indeed and happily residing at Lindhorst's country estate in Atlantis, Lindhorst, the mythical Atlantis Salamander, must still remain in Dresden, must still remain separated from Atlantis, from the realm of myth, until he has married off his remaining daughters to appropriate, read romantic, poetic bridegrooms (and please note that at least for E.T.A. Hoffmann, poetry means not simply rhyming lyricism, but actually any type of creative writing, period).
Now I have always been both enchanted with and somewhat confused by Der goldne Topf, namely because during the course of the presented narrative, the story, reality and fantasy are often so tightly and intensely intertwined that it is often not at all easy to figure out where reality ends and fantasy begins, and vice versa. And while imagination, poetic striving and following one's instincts are generally regarded as more important, more essential and as such more positive than being simply logical, Hoffmann also does not ever completely and absolutely reject reality and realism, but seemingly tries to find a golden mean (and sorry, no pun intended with regard to the title, with regard to der goldne Topf), a combination of fantasy and reality, of imagination and logic, a harmony of nature and modernity, with the poetic definitely situated above the prosaic, but the latter also not simply and utterly being rejected out of hand either.
Thus in Der goldne Topf, reality is not ever simply denigrated and rejected; rather it is interwoven with and by the realm of the fantastical, and while poetry and the imagination are of course and indeed naturally presented by the author, by E.T.A. Hoffmann as more positively shining, more sparkling than mundane reality, the two are actually also never seem as total polar opposites, as enemies, but as two specific aspects, two specific and important components of what the world, what the universe means and is. And while Hoffmann does always and indeed show his contempt towards the truly philistine and bourgeois (narrow-mindedness, indolence, self entitlement), the characters of both Heerbrand and Paulmann are, for example, very clearly depicted and portrayed as perhaps a bit unimaginative but as always pleasant, convivial and accepting of both Anselmus and Lindhorst (their personalities might be staid and their emotions a bit stagnant, but they are generous and for all intents and purposes true friends). And even Veronika is not really in any way a nasty, manipulative or evil individual (for she and unknowingly visits the truly evil apple monger not out of a desire to destroy Anselmus but simply because she has fallen hopelessly in love with him and has to realise that his affections are obviously elsewhere, which naturally she wants to change to her advantage).
And really, far from the mundane, the philistine, reality being in any way wholly approached as dangerous or considered as evil, the one and main true villain of Hoffmann's Der goldne Topf, the old apple woman, is actually and in fact (even if she at first seems and appears as simply a mundane and inoffensive old peasant hawking her ware) an inhabitant of the realm of fantasy, a mythical and esoteric foe from Lindhorst's Atlantis past (and likely related to or sent by Phosphorus, the Prince of Spirits, who banished Lindhorst from Atlantis in the first place). And therefore, while in and of itself, the mythical and romantic poetic realm of Atlantis, while the ideals of poetry, fantasy and imagination might not in fact ever be completely open to and for individuals like Heerbrand, Paulmann and Veronika, they are also and nevertheless presented in Der goldne Topf as never inherently negative, problematic or loathsome, but as pleasant, even-tempered, although perhaps and a trifle annoyingly unimaginative, rather mildly tedious personages.
The basic plot line, the storyline of Der goldne Topf comprises twelve chapters, which Hoffmann describes as vigils, as Nachtwachen (and I do have wonder whether this designation by the author is perhaps one of the reasons that occasionally, E.T.A. Hoffmann has been considered as the possible author of the anonymous satire Nachtwachen von Bonaventura, which is now, though, usually thought to have been penned by August Klingemann).
Although as already mentioned above, E.T.A. Hoffmann considers his Der goldne Topf as being basically a contemporary fairy tale (or at least, contemporary and modern for the late 18th and early 19th centuries), the story actually begins realistically enough and in an actual and bona fide German city, in Dresden. The by nature physically clumsy and awkward university student Anselmus rushes through the famous Black Gate, upending an old apple monger's crate of produce, with the latter reacting not only angrily but actually cursing Anselmus, calling him a child of Satan and predicting that he soon will become incased and incarcerated in crystal. Much perturbed and a bit frightened, Anselmus flees to the River Elbe and it is there that reality and fantasy for the first time become intermingled and intertwined, as Anselmus sees three beautiful and graceful singing snakes dancing amongst the leaves of an elder tree, falling in love with the most beautiful one (a delicate and sweet voiced blue-eyed serpent who though soon disappears, leaving Anselmus longing and passionate). Will Anselmus be able to circumvent the machinations of philistine reality (mostly in the form of his friend Paulmann's amorous daughter Veronika) and make the lovely and esoterically poetic Serpentina his bride and the famous magician and alchemist Lindhorst his father-in-law, a scenario that both Lindhorst and Anselmus actually much desire, for the former, for Lindhorst, may only return from his banishment and exile from the mythical realm of Atlantis (where he was a Salamander, a spirit of fire and flame) if he succeeds in marrying off his three serpentine daughters to appropriate human mates, and with "appropriate" is meant poetic, spiritual, childlike and never too bourgeois.
Trying to thwart Serpentina's and Anselmus' togetherness, Veronika (who after meeting Anselmus at her father's house has fallen head over heels in love with the same and wants to make him hers and hers alone) unknowingly hires the old apple monger to produce a love potion for her. However, the apple witch is more than what she appears to be (is not just an old crone who occasionally dabbles with and in magical potions). No, she is in fact very much a dangerous and vicious enemy of Lindhorst, and her specific and very targeted magic causes Anselmus to doubt himself, to doubt Lindhorst and his daughters, finally splashing ink on one of Lindhorst's precious manuscripts, which to and for the latter entails such a major and unforgivable faux pax that the enraged magician imprisons Anselmus in a glass bottle (like the prediction of the old apple monger, although thankfully, Lindhorst soon does realise that Anselmus has been under the influence of hostile, malevolent forces beyond his control and releases him from his crystal prison after having battled and overcome his enemy, the apple witch, and turning her of all things into a large and rather misshapen beet, not only funny but delightfully mundane, lowbrow).
And while Veronika finally accepts a marriage proposal from Registrar Heerbrand, we at the end of Der goldne Topf learn that Anselmus and Serpentina are indeed now married, however while the two of them are indeed and happily residing at Lindhorst's country estate in Atlantis, Lindhorst, the mythical Atlantis Salamander, must still remain in Dresden, must still remain separated from Atlantis, from the realm of myth, until he has married off his remaining daughters to appropriate, read romantic, poetic bridegrooms (and please note that at least for E.T.A. Hoffmann, poetry means not simply rhyming lyricism, but actually any type of creative writing, period).
Now I have always been both enchanted with and somewhat confused by Der goldne Topf, namely because during the course of the presented narrative, the story, reality and fantasy are often so tightly and intensely intertwined that it is often not at all easy to figure out where reality ends and fantasy begins, and vice versa. And while imagination, poetic striving and following one's instincts are generally regarded as more important, more essential and as such more positive than being simply logical, Hoffmann also does not ever completely and absolutely reject reality and realism, but seemingly tries to find a golden mean (and sorry, no pun intended with regard to the title, with regard to der goldne Topf), a combination of fantasy and reality, of imagination and logic, a harmony of nature and modernity, with the poetic definitely situated above the prosaic, but the latter also not simply and utterly being rejected out of hand either.
Thus in Der goldne Topf, reality is not ever simply denigrated and rejected; rather it is interwoven with and by the realm of the fantastical, and while poetry and the imagination are of course and indeed naturally presented by the author, by E.T.A. Hoffmann as more positively shining, more sparkling than mundane reality, the two are actually also never seem as total polar opposites, as enemies, but as two specific aspects, two specific and important components of what the world, what the universe means and is. And while Hoffmann does always and indeed show his contempt towards the truly philistine and bourgeois (narrow-mindedness, indolence, self entitlement), the characters of both Heerbrand and Paulmann are, for example, very clearly depicted and portrayed as perhaps a bit unimaginative but as always pleasant, convivial and accepting of both Anselmus and Lindhorst (their personalities might be staid and their emotions a bit stagnant, but they are generous and for all intents and purposes true friends). And even Veronika is not really in any way a nasty, manipulative or evil individual (for she and unknowingly visits the truly evil apple monger not out of a desire to destroy Anselmus but simply because she has fallen hopelessly in love with him and has to realise that his affections are obviously elsewhere, which naturally she wants to change to her advantage).
And really, far from the mundane, the philistine, reality being in any way wholly approached as dangerous or considered as evil, the one and main true villain of Hoffmann's Der goldne Topf, the old apple woman, is actually and in fact (even if she at first seems and appears as simply a mundane and inoffensive old peasant hawking her ware) an inhabitant of the realm of fantasy, a mythical and esoteric foe from Lindhorst's Atlantis past (and likely related to or sent by Phosphorus, the Prince of Spirits, who banished Lindhorst from Atlantis in the first place). And therefore, while in and of itself, the mythical and romantic poetic realm of Atlantis, while the ideals of poetry, fantasy and imagination might not in fact ever be completely open to and for individuals like Heerbrand, Paulmann and Veronika, they are also and nevertheless presented in Der goldne Topf as never inherently negative, problematic or loathsome, but as pleasant, even-tempered, although perhaps and a trifle annoyingly unimaginative, rather mildly tedious personages.
November 27, 2020
The overall score for this 5-story collection is 3.9. But I am giving it 5 stars rather than 4 because 3/5 stories were stellar (ergo the majority of the book was stellar and that is what I want the take home message to be)…think E.T. A. Hoffmann�.stellar! 😊
� The Golden Pot � 5 stars
� The Sandman � 5 stars
� Princess Brambilla � 1.5 stars
� Master Flea � 5 stars
� My Cousin’s Corner Window � 3 stars
Several ŷ friends thought highly of ‘The Sandman� and that is what turned me onto E. T. A. Hoffmann (stellar!). I already reviewed ‘The Sandman� separately but here is a snippet of that review:
� I guess I would have to say this was one of the best short stories I have ever read. 😊 It has it all. Horror. Comedy. Macabre. Disasters. And the format of the story is so, so cool. It starts off with letters between Nathaniel and a friend Lothar but Lothar’s sister who is in love with Nathaniel reads one of them and knows Nathaniel loves her…and then the story eventually transitions to an unknown person who tells the “gentle reader� what happens to Nathaniel and others�
‘The Sandman� was in another book and after I read it, I had to read more of this fellow’s oeuvre so I ordered this book. I couldn’t believe what I was reading when I read ‘The Sandman� (in a good way…I was delighted…like “OMG, where have I been…burying my head in the sand all these years�). And so the first story was ‘The Golden Pot� and I had the same feelings...like wow! I was laughing out loud a couple of times…I was just captivated.
So here’s the thing: I do not like fantastical. But that is my problem and just part of my persona. Lots of other people love fantastical works and I respect that. But these stories…these stories are different - part of the stories are fantastical and part of them are realistic, and they are blended together in a wonderful way. From the scholar who wrote the introduction to this Oxford World’s Classics edition, Ritchie Robertson:
� In his modern fairy-tale Hoffmann juxtaposed fantasy and reality. He intended it (Jim: ‘it� referring to ‘The Golden Pot� but this applies to his other fairy tales including ‘Master Flea�) to be ‘fairy-like and wondrous, but stepping boldly into ordinary everyday life.�
� “…raises the unanswerable question of where to draw the boundary between inner and outer reality. The uncertainty of the boundary pervades Hoffmann’s stories. We are constantly in doubt about the limits of reality. Is Lindhorst in ‘The Golden Pot� an archivist or an elemental spirit? When he suddenly vanishes at the end of the Fourth Vigil, does he really fly away in the form of a kite? Is the old woman an earth-spirit, a nursemaid, or a mangel-wurzel, or all three? We need not answer these questions; what Hoffmann’s stories invite us to do is to accept and enjoy their perpetual bewildering interplay of reality and imagination. …�
From the back cover:
� Hoffmann is among the greatest and most popular of the German Romantics. This edition selects those tales in which the real and the supernatural are brought into conflict and reality. Their humour is a result of the incongruity of supernatural beings at large in an ostentatiously everyday world.
Notes
� ‘The Golden Pot� is told in twelve vigils. Each vigil has a quasi-synopsis preceding the actual text. For example: Seventh Vigil � How Sub-Rector Paulmann knocked out his pipe and went to bed. Rembrandt and Hell Brueghel. The magic mirror and Dr. Eckstein’s prescription for an unknown ailment.
� Master Flea is told in seven adventures. One of the plot twists I loved was that the main protagonist, Peregrinus Tyss, is given a special optical eyepiece so that he can read the thoughts of other people that are speaking to them. Quite often what they are telling him is the polar opposite of what they are really thinking. Such knowledge comes in handy in many a situation in the story so that people who have bad motives do not harm Tyss. At least not always…or maybe never…but I cannot say as that would spoil the ending. 😐
� To be honest, I did not like ‘Princess Brambilla�. It was 90% fantasy and 10% reality and rarely did the two intermix. ‘My Cousin’s Corner Window� was not really fantasy…it was the narrator visiting his wheelchair-bound cousin who looked out his bedroom window every day and guessed people’s characters in the market place below from their dress and how they behaved…so when the cousin visits they both engage in this guessing game. It was an interesting enough read but nothing to write home about.
To sum up: I’ve never read anything quite like ‘The Golden Pot�, ‘The Sandman�, and 'Master Flea�. They were wonderful reads.
� The Golden Pot � 5 stars
� The Sandman � 5 stars
� Princess Brambilla � 1.5 stars
� Master Flea � 5 stars
� My Cousin’s Corner Window � 3 stars
Several ŷ friends thought highly of ‘The Sandman� and that is what turned me onto E. T. A. Hoffmann (stellar!). I already reviewed ‘The Sandman� separately but here is a snippet of that review:
� I guess I would have to say this was one of the best short stories I have ever read. 😊 It has it all. Horror. Comedy. Macabre. Disasters. And the format of the story is so, so cool. It starts off with letters between Nathaniel and a friend Lothar but Lothar’s sister who is in love with Nathaniel reads one of them and knows Nathaniel loves her…and then the story eventually transitions to an unknown person who tells the “gentle reader� what happens to Nathaniel and others�
‘The Sandman� was in another book and after I read it, I had to read more of this fellow’s oeuvre so I ordered this book. I couldn’t believe what I was reading when I read ‘The Sandman� (in a good way…I was delighted…like “OMG, where have I been…burying my head in the sand all these years�). And so the first story was ‘The Golden Pot� and I had the same feelings...like wow! I was laughing out loud a couple of times…I was just captivated.
So here’s the thing: I do not like fantastical. But that is my problem and just part of my persona. Lots of other people love fantastical works and I respect that. But these stories…these stories are different - part of the stories are fantastical and part of them are realistic, and they are blended together in a wonderful way. From the scholar who wrote the introduction to this Oxford World’s Classics edition, Ritchie Robertson:
� In his modern fairy-tale Hoffmann juxtaposed fantasy and reality. He intended it (Jim: ‘it� referring to ‘The Golden Pot� but this applies to his other fairy tales including ‘Master Flea�) to be ‘fairy-like and wondrous, but stepping boldly into ordinary everyday life.�
� “…raises the unanswerable question of where to draw the boundary between inner and outer reality. The uncertainty of the boundary pervades Hoffmann’s stories. We are constantly in doubt about the limits of reality. Is Lindhorst in ‘The Golden Pot� an archivist or an elemental spirit? When he suddenly vanishes at the end of the Fourth Vigil, does he really fly away in the form of a kite? Is the old woman an earth-spirit, a nursemaid, or a mangel-wurzel, or all three? We need not answer these questions; what Hoffmann’s stories invite us to do is to accept and enjoy their perpetual bewildering interplay of reality and imagination. …�
From the back cover:
� Hoffmann is among the greatest and most popular of the German Romantics. This edition selects those tales in which the real and the supernatural are brought into conflict and reality. Their humour is a result of the incongruity of supernatural beings at large in an ostentatiously everyday world.
Notes
� ‘The Golden Pot� is told in twelve vigils. Each vigil has a quasi-synopsis preceding the actual text. For example: Seventh Vigil � How Sub-Rector Paulmann knocked out his pipe and went to bed. Rembrandt and Hell Brueghel. The magic mirror and Dr. Eckstein’s prescription for an unknown ailment.
� Master Flea is told in seven adventures. One of the plot twists I loved was that the main protagonist, Peregrinus Tyss, is given a special optical eyepiece so that he can read the thoughts of other people that are speaking to them. Quite often what they are telling him is the polar opposite of what they are really thinking. Such knowledge comes in handy in many a situation in the story so that people who have bad motives do not harm Tyss. At least not always…or maybe never…but I cannot say as that would spoil the ending. 😐
� To be honest, I did not like ‘Princess Brambilla�. It was 90% fantasy and 10% reality and rarely did the two intermix. ‘My Cousin’s Corner Window� was not really fantasy…it was the narrator visiting his wheelchair-bound cousin who looked out his bedroom window every day and guessed people’s characters in the market place below from their dress and how they behaved…so when the cousin visits they both engage in this guessing game. It was an interesting enough read but nothing to write home about.
To sum up: I’ve never read anything quite like ‘The Golden Pot�, ‘The Sandman�, and 'Master Flea�. They were wonderful reads.
Read
February 14, 2025Zostawiam bez oceny; nie jestem w stanie czerpać jakiejkolwiek przyjemności z tego zbiorku (od biedy, jedynie "Piaskun" jakoś mną ruszył). Na plus wydanie - ilustracje są przepiękne.
July 3, 2021
bulduğum her fırsatta her yerde yazdığım/söylediğim gibi, bu kitabın benim radarıma girme sebebi kapağını kardeşimin tasarlamış olması. 💜 alman edebiyatıyla henüz pek haşır neşir olamadık, hele ki bu alman romantizmi denen tür bana hayli uzakmış ne yalan söyleyeyim. ama yine de keyifli bir okumaydı. bol sembolizm içeren bir masal okumayalı kim bilir kaç yıl oldu.
November 29, 2022
In Peter Richters „Dresden Revisited� nimmt er bei der Beschreibung seines Wiedersehens mit Dresden Bezug auf den Studenten Anselmus in „Der goldene Topf�, der durch das schwarze Tor zur Stadt hereinstolpert, in der mitunter merkwürdige Dinge geschehen. Das Dresden-Setting ließ Hoffmanns Buch auf meine Leseliste wandern. Für ein Märchen gibt es erstaunlich viel realen Bezug, auch wenn es die Orte inzwischen ausnahmslos nicht mehr gibt, sind sie historisch belegt und stimmen von den beschriebenen Blickbeziehungen sehr genau.
Anselmus stolpert also ungeschickt in die Stadt und kommt dabei einer Marktfrau (dem Apfelweib) in die Quere, die ihn beschimpft und ein paar unverständliche Flüche ablässt. Er, ein ganz guter Student, der aber in jedes Fettnäpfchen tappt und sich vor allem durch Missgeschick auszeichnet, sorgt sich um sein weiteres Fortkommen und hofft sehr auf seinen Freund, den Konrektor Paulmann und dessen Beziehungen. So ergibt sich eine Abschreibübung in gelehrtem Hause. Anselmus� Ungeschick wie sein Können gehen immer einher mit fantastischen Erscheinungen. Nahtlos wechselt die Realität in die Fantastik, so dass man nicht mehr unterschieden kann, was real und was Einbildung, der augenblicklichen Stimmung, Träumen oder dem Alkoholgenuss geschuldet ist. Und nicht nur Anselmus mit seinen Träumereien lebt mitunter in einer Märchenwelt, auch die Tochter des Konrektors verbündet sich mit den finsteren Mächten der Märchen oder will einfach ihrem Glück ein wenig nachhelfen. Nach allerhand Konfusion und Missverständnis ergibt sich ein märchenhaftes Ende.
Das Buch entstand zu einer Zeit als die Volksmärchen gesammelt wurden und Kunstmärchen erschienen. Es ist aber keiner dieser Formen einfach zuzuordnen, sondern unterscheidet sich von beidem. An in Märchen sonst unüblichen realen Schauplätzen passieren nicht einfach Wunderdinge, sondern die Ereignisse scheinen evtl. erklärbare Hintergründe zu haben, nur eingebildet oder die Einbildung weit ausgeschmückt zu sein, manchmal könnten es Traumbilder sein, manchmal könnte aber auch eine psychische Krankheit, die damals gerade wahrgenommen wurden, dahinter stecken. Dieses Verwischen zwischen Realität und Geisterwelt hat etwas Zeitloses. Manchmal erinnerte es mich an heutige esoterische Richtungen oder noch immer aktuellen Aberglauben.
Ebenso ungewöhnlich für sonst bekannte Märchen ist der humorvolle oder ironische Ton, der das Lesen zur Freude macht. Ganz wunderbar ist die Szene, bei der die sonst so gesitteten Herren gemeinsam Punsch trinken und ungewöhnliche Dinge tun. Hoffmann nimmt sein manchmal übertrieben fantastisches Geschehen selbst nicht ganz ernst, sonst hätte ich z. B. die absurde Liebe zu einer kleinen Schlange deutlich schwerer ertragen können.
Erkennbar ist Gesellschaftskritik. Konrektor Paulmann mit Töchterchen Veronika und der Registrator Heerbrand streben nach materieller Sicherheit, gesellschaftlichem Stand und Anerkennung, Fantasie ist Ihnen unheimlich. Die Liebe setzt eine gute Position in der Gesellschaft voraus. Der Archivarius Lindhorst dagegen verkörpert die fantastische Welt. Beide Seiten ringen um den Studenten Anselmus � Beamtentum gegen Fantasie (auch das zeitlos?), eine Seite wird gewinnen.
Fazit: Die Handlung ist im Grunde einfach und nicht sehr spannend, aber der leicht ironische Ton und die vielen Deutungsebenen, die sich gut auf die heutige Zeit übertragen lassen, machen das Buch zu einem Genuss.
Anselmus stolpert also ungeschickt in die Stadt und kommt dabei einer Marktfrau (dem Apfelweib) in die Quere, die ihn beschimpft und ein paar unverständliche Flüche ablässt. Er, ein ganz guter Student, der aber in jedes Fettnäpfchen tappt und sich vor allem durch Missgeschick auszeichnet, sorgt sich um sein weiteres Fortkommen und hofft sehr auf seinen Freund, den Konrektor Paulmann und dessen Beziehungen. So ergibt sich eine Abschreibübung in gelehrtem Hause. Anselmus� Ungeschick wie sein Können gehen immer einher mit fantastischen Erscheinungen. Nahtlos wechselt die Realität in die Fantastik, so dass man nicht mehr unterschieden kann, was real und was Einbildung, der augenblicklichen Stimmung, Träumen oder dem Alkoholgenuss geschuldet ist. Und nicht nur Anselmus mit seinen Träumereien lebt mitunter in einer Märchenwelt, auch die Tochter des Konrektors verbündet sich mit den finsteren Mächten der Märchen oder will einfach ihrem Glück ein wenig nachhelfen. Nach allerhand Konfusion und Missverständnis ergibt sich ein märchenhaftes Ende.
Das Buch entstand zu einer Zeit als die Volksmärchen gesammelt wurden und Kunstmärchen erschienen. Es ist aber keiner dieser Formen einfach zuzuordnen, sondern unterscheidet sich von beidem. An in Märchen sonst unüblichen realen Schauplätzen passieren nicht einfach Wunderdinge, sondern die Ereignisse scheinen evtl. erklärbare Hintergründe zu haben, nur eingebildet oder die Einbildung weit ausgeschmückt zu sein, manchmal könnten es Traumbilder sein, manchmal könnte aber auch eine psychische Krankheit, die damals gerade wahrgenommen wurden, dahinter stecken. Dieses Verwischen zwischen Realität und Geisterwelt hat etwas Zeitloses. Manchmal erinnerte es mich an heutige esoterische Richtungen oder noch immer aktuellen Aberglauben.
Ebenso ungewöhnlich für sonst bekannte Märchen ist der humorvolle oder ironische Ton, der das Lesen zur Freude macht. Ganz wunderbar ist die Szene, bei der die sonst so gesitteten Herren gemeinsam Punsch trinken und ungewöhnliche Dinge tun. Hoffmann nimmt sein manchmal übertrieben fantastisches Geschehen selbst nicht ganz ernst, sonst hätte ich z. B. die absurde Liebe zu einer kleinen Schlange deutlich schwerer ertragen können.
Erkennbar ist Gesellschaftskritik. Konrektor Paulmann mit Töchterchen Veronika und der Registrator Heerbrand streben nach materieller Sicherheit, gesellschaftlichem Stand und Anerkennung, Fantasie ist Ihnen unheimlich. Die Liebe setzt eine gute Position in der Gesellschaft voraus. Der Archivarius Lindhorst dagegen verkörpert die fantastische Welt. Beide Seiten ringen um den Studenten Anselmus � Beamtentum gegen Fantasie (auch das zeitlos?), eine Seite wird gewinnen.
Fazit: Die Handlung ist im Grunde einfach und nicht sehr spannend, aber der leicht ironische Ton und die vielen Deutungsebenen, die sich gut auf die heutige Zeit übertragen lassen, machen das Buch zu einem Genuss.
April 1, 2020
Ο νεαρός φοιτητής Ανσέλμος, την μέρα της Αναλήψεως, θα πέσει πάνω σε ένα πανέρι από μήλα που ανήκει σε μια γρια μάγισσα - γέννημα της ένωσης ενός φτερού μαύρου δράκοντα και ενός παντζαριού, η οποία για να τον εκδικηθεί θα προσπαθήσει να καταστρέψει τον έρωτα του με την κόρη ενός Μάγου που προήλθε από ένα μυθικό βασίλειο εκδιωγμένος από τον βασιλιά Φώσφορο σαν σαλαμάνδρα για μια απαγορευμένη ένωσή με το φίδι! Και έχει και συνέχεια!
Η κόρη του μάγου είναι ένα φιδάκι μικρό με όμορφα μάτια και έχει και 2 αδελφές που πρέπει να βρουν το ταίρι τους με νεαρούς που έχουν παιδική και αμόλυντη ψυχή σαν αυτή του Ανσέλμου, με τον οποίον όμως είναι ερωτευμένη και η κόρη ενός προύχοντα της Δρέσδης η οποία πάνω στην απελπισία που γεννάει ο έρωτας χωρίς ανταπόκριση, θα στραφεί στην γριά μάγισσα και την ανίερη βοήθεια της.. Μόνο αν παγιδευτεί στον κρύσταλλο και δεν χάσει την αθώα του ψυχή θα σωθεί ο φοιτητής και παράλληλα θα κερδίσει τον έρωτα του φιδιού...
Εντυπωσιακό; Μπερδεμένο; Πρωτότυπο;
Όλα μαζί και κάτι παραπάνω είναι αυτό το εξαιρετικό ρομαντικό παραμύθι του αγαπημένου ΕΤΑ Χοφμαν, ο οποίος με έναν σχεδόν παραληρηματικό τρόπο γραφής μας οδηγεί σε μια κατάσταση παράνοιας, ονείρου και μέθης γεμίζοντας με μαγικές εικόνες και ήχους την φαντασία μας. Πρωτοπόρος για την εποχή του και σχεδόν με τρόπο μεταμοντέρνο, ο Γερμανός συγγραφέας μας θυμίζει μια σχεδόν ξεχασμένη έκφραση του Νοβάλις, η οποία λέει πως"όσο πιο ποιητικό ένα έργο, τόσο πιο αληθινό είναι!
4/5
ΥΓ: Προσεγμένη έκδοση από την Printa, η οποία περιλαμβάνει στο τέλος και την βιογραφία του ΕΤΑ ΧΟΦΜΑΝ υπό μορφή ιστορίας.
Η κόρη του μάγου είναι ένα φιδάκι μικρό με όμορφα μάτια και έχει και 2 αδελφές που πρέπει να βρουν το ταίρι τους με νεαρούς που έχουν παιδική και αμόλυντη ψυχή σαν αυτή του Ανσέλμου, με τον οποίον όμως είναι ερωτευμένη και η κόρη ενός προύχοντα της Δρέσδης η οποία πάνω στην απελπισία που γεννάει ο έρωτας χωρίς ανταπόκριση, θα στραφεί στην γριά μάγισσα και την ανίερη βοήθεια της.. Μόνο αν παγιδευτεί στον κρύσταλλο και δεν χάσει την αθώα του ψυχή θα σωθεί ο φοιτητής και παράλληλα θα κερδίσει τον έρωτα του φιδιού...
Εντυπωσιακό; Μπερδεμένο; Πρωτότυπο;
Όλα μαζί και κάτι παραπάνω είναι αυτό το εξαιρετικό ρομαντικό παραμύθι του αγαπημένου ΕΤΑ Χοφμαν, ο οποίος με έναν σχεδόν παραληρηματικό τρόπο γραφής μας οδηγεί σε μια κατάσταση παράνοιας, ονείρου και μέθης γεμίζοντας με μαγικές εικόνες και ήχους την φαντασία μας. Πρωτοπόρος για την εποχή του και σχεδόν με τρόπο μεταμοντέρνο, ο Γερμανός συγγραφέας μας θυμίζει μια σχεδόν ξεχασμένη έκφραση του Νοβάλις, η οποία λέει πως"όσο πιο ποιητικό ένα έργο, τόσο πιο αληθινό είναι!
4/5
ΥΓ: Προσεγμένη έκδοση από την Printa, η οποία περιλαμβάνει στο τέλος και την βιογραφία του ΕΤΑ ΧΟΦΜΑΝ υπό μορφή ιστορίας.
September 9, 2018
This is the story The Golden Flower Pot or simply The n Flower Pot, as it is called in English. The German title is .
Here follows a free online link to the short story translated into English:
I had trouble with it, and I will explain why. I felt I ought to love it, but I don’t. Is it that when ’s tales were read to me as a child, I was enticed by delightful drawings in a picture book or by the sound and scenery of the theatrical performance that played out before me?
The prose does not draw me in. The telling is without atmosphere. It is flat. In a fantasy I want to feel magic ; I do not want to merely be told of occurrences that must be caused by magic because they cannot, using common sense, realistically happen. I want to be drawn into believing the magic could happen. This does not occur here.
The story is composed of events. One event leads to another and another. It is plot oriented. Characters in a novel or in a tale should bind the events together. Only do we care about what happens to them if we come to care about them. An author must make them live and breathe for the reader. I want to feel empathy for them. I want to worry when something bad happens to them. I felt none of that here. The characters fell flat. As a result the plot did not engage me.
So what is the message of the tale? I have read that , as one of the German Romantic school of writing, sought to elevate the value of imagination and fantasy over the commonly accepted merits of fact and realism. He advocated an intertwining of the two. With this I do agree, but I do not see how this tale does that. I was looking for an inviting blend of the real and the unreal. I saw the real and the imaginary side by side, but they did not blend. I was never tantalized by the thought that they could, that they just might overlap.
I think ’s tales in picture books and up on stage are more my cup of tea.
Here follows a free online link to the short story translated into English:
I had trouble with it, and I will explain why. I felt I ought to love it, but I don’t. Is it that when ’s tales were read to me as a child, I was enticed by delightful drawings in a picture book or by the sound and scenery of the theatrical performance that played out before me?
The prose does not draw me in. The telling is without atmosphere. It is flat. In a fantasy I want to feel magic ; I do not want to merely be told of occurrences that must be caused by magic because they cannot, using common sense, realistically happen. I want to be drawn into believing the magic could happen. This does not occur here.
The story is composed of events. One event leads to another and another. It is plot oriented. Characters in a novel or in a tale should bind the events together. Only do we care about what happens to them if we come to care about them. An author must make them live and breathe for the reader. I want to feel empathy for them. I want to worry when something bad happens to them. I felt none of that here. The characters fell flat. As a result the plot did not engage me.
So what is the message of the tale? I have read that , as one of the German Romantic school of writing, sought to elevate the value of imagination and fantasy over the commonly accepted merits of fact and realism. He advocated an intertwining of the two. With this I do agree, but I do not see how this tale does that. I was looking for an inviting blend of the real and the unreal. I saw the real and the imaginary side by side, but they did not blend. I was never tantalized by the thought that they could, that they just might overlap.
I think ’s tales in picture books and up on stage are more my cup of tea.
August 8, 2018
Among all the short stories, novellas and fictional books by Hoffmann that I've read in the original language (German) this has been the most difficult one. Usually the magical and the realistic part are perfectly intervowen so that the reader is partially confused and doesn't know what is real and what not. This magical realism is something I like a lot in his stories. In this novella, or fairy tale as Hoffmann calls it, the imaginary part is really very unreal and exaggerated, therefore not a lot to my liking. Not being a native German speaker made things even more difficult. I had often to re-read some parts twice to see if I understood it correctly and what I've read really happened, or if maybe I misunderstood some parts. I had these problems above all with the explanation of why Lindhorst had been sent away from Atlantis, and with a part dedicated to the life of a witch that cursed Anselmus, the main character. I would say that I had some problems with German with the magical parts: I surely missed some details but I was however able to understand the meaning of those parts, though I like to understand every single word. I wonder if I would have liked it more if I would have read it in my mothertongue.
I won't write about the plot because it's pretty complicated and confused. The story has basically two love stories (though very magical and surreal ones) and at the end pure love wins over love risen only because of personal interests. To tell the truth, both main characters, Anselmus and Veronika, will find at the end what they wanted, though they had to go through a lot of magic, curses, witchcraft and whatever. This isn't a spoiler, because the end is not predictable.
I won't write about the plot because it's pretty complicated and confused. The story has basically two love stories (though very magical and surreal ones) and at the end pure love wins over love risen only because of personal interests. To tell the truth, both main characters, Anselmus and Veronika, will find at the end what they wanted, though they had to go through a lot of magic, curses, witchcraft and whatever. This isn't a spoiler, because the end is not predictable.
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May 20, 2024Nedavno sam sasvim slučajno videla jednu sliku Pola Klea i magično me privukla ta zlatno-žuta boja, i drvo u koje gleda jedna izvijena figura, kazaljke časovnika koje vire iz njega kao da hoće da dopru do izvijene figure koja je previše opsednuta gledanjem u drvo. Pre nego što sam mogla da osvestim da mi je sve ovo odnekud poznato, videla sam naziv slike i glasno se nasmejala. Pa, da! „Tale à la Hoffmann�. Neverovatno kako podsvest uvek izvuče taj osećaj koji je knjiga ostavila na nas, kakav god on bio. Taj užurbani, nespretni Anslemo, koji jadikuje nad svojom nesrećnom sudbom, i trenutak kada pogleda u drvo i čuje lelujanje i šuštanje koje će mu zauvek promeniti život! “Zlatni ćup� je bila jedna od prvih knjiga koju sam pročitala, a otkud ona u kućnoj biblioteci, niko ne zna! Zahvalna majstoru Kleu što me je podsetio na jednu fantastičnu priču, jednu od onih u kojoj se magično upliće podrazumevano i očekivano, baš onako kako najviše volim.
August 15, 2021
Sa Hofmanovim pričama sam se susreo u najranijem detinjstvu u slikovnicama iz biblioteke „Ljiljan� (što ih je Marija Paskval ilustrovala) i na to sam potpuno zaboravio. Čituckajući, nedavno, pingvinovo izdanje , i odatle priču "The Sandman" sve vreme sam imao utisak da sam je već čitao ranije i da mi je mnogo poznata. Tada sam se setio pomenute slikovnice i pronašao je � „Čovek iz peska� bila je prva od tri priče u njoj. Što se „Zlatnog ćupa� tiče, malo je reći da sam oduševljen načinom na koji je ispripovedana, količinom detalja, poetičnošću jezika i zadivljujućom činjenicom da je stara skoro dva veka. Inspirisana je, vrlo očigledno, nemačkim narodnim pričama i legendama, ali je piščev pečat dominantan. Vrlo je tanka granica između stvarnog i fantastičnog i ta dva sveta su potpuno isprepletena, a pripovedanje vrlo neposredno, pa se tek pažljivim čitanjem može steći utisak da li se radnja u tom delu odvija u stvarnom svetu (u Drezdenu) ili je reč o reminiscencijama iz Atlantide, odakle potiče alhemičar Salamander koji je sada otelotvoren u čovečjem liku i čije su tri ćerke urokom preobraćene u zelene zmijice, iz kojih u ljudski oblik može da ih vrati samo onaj koji ih stvarno zavoli (ništa neobično za romantičare) a one će mu u miraz doneti zlatni ćup (tačnije ćup od zlatnih cvetova ljiljana). Onaj koji će priču izneti na svojim plećima jeste siromašni student Anselmo, po svim odlikama više anti-junak nego junak per se. Još na početku priče, zamerio se staroj torbarki kada joj je, nehotice, prevrnuo i izgazio jabuke koje je prodavala na trgu. Ispostaviće se da je torbarka đavolji nakot, nastao od pera zmaja koji je glavni neprijatelj Salamanderu. Odmorivši se jednom ispod zovinog drveta, učiniće se Anselmu u snoviđajnoj kopreni da vidi tri zelene zmije koje se viju po granama i da čuje njihov umilni glas. Od te scene, Hofman nastavlja da se igra sa čitaocem, preplićući konstantno ovaj i onaj svet i borbe mladog Anselma sa torbarkom i njenim slugama, sve do samog kraja, koji je, shodno romantičarima, srećan rasplet. „Zlatni ćup� je biser fantazijske priče u pravom smislu i biser nemačke romantičarske književnosti, koji me je podsetio da njenog pisca uvrstim u omiljene i nastavim da istražujem njegov književni opus.
February 7, 2017
he's basically stoned all the time
February 19, 2024
Πολύ προσεγμένη έκδοση. Έξτρα bonus αστεράκι για την βιογραφία του Χόφμαν στο τέλος!
July 24, 2019
Nicht immer leicht zu verstehen und ein etwas kryptischer Erzählstil - aber genau dieser stetige Wechsel zwischen der fantastischen und rationalen Erzählung erzeugt letztendlich die ganz besondere Spannung. Diese Gegensätzlichkeit der zwei Welten erschafft ein einzigartiges sowie stellenweise romantikkritisches Märchen.
Anselmus Charakter zeichnet sich vor allem durch seine Ambivalenz aus. Einerseits wünscht sich dieser ein bürgerliches und beständiges Leben, wie etwa durch eine Eheschließung mit Serpentina oder den beständigen Wunsch nach einer Akzeptanz in der bürgerlichen Welt. Andererseits sehnt er sich eine Fantasiewelt herbei und lebt für das Leben als freier Künstler. Dieses Gefühl der Sehnsucht, seine naive Natur und künstlerische Ader werden durch die Begegnungen mit Archivarius Lindhorst noch verstärkt, der ihn nicht nur in die Kunst der Poesie, sondern auch in die märchenhafte Welt von Atlantis einführt.
Archivarius Lindhorst gilt selbst als eine Art Sonderling und nimmt für Anselmus die Rolle eines Lehrmeisters ein, welcher seinen Schüler in die verschiedensten Bereiche der Magie einführt. Als Fantasiemensch und Romantiker entfremdet sich Anselmus noch weiter von der Welt des Rationalen und weicht schließlich immer mehr von der bürgerlichen Norm ab. Diese innere Entfremdung gegenüber der realistischen Welt führt schließlich soweit, dass er von seiner Umwelt als Bedrohung wahrgenommen wird. So zeigen sich seine Mitmenschen nicht einmal betroffen, als Anselmus plötzlich verschwindet, was ebenso die Ignoranz des sogenannten "Spießbürgertums" verdeutlicht.
Trotz Anselmus künstlerischer Ader, die sich etwa durch sein musikalisches Talent manifestiert, ist es für ihn nicht von Beginn an ein Leichtes, die Schriften aus der Bibliothek zu kopieren. Erst im weiteren Verlauf seiner Arbeit werden diese immer verständlicher und führen ihn schließlich in jene wundersame Welt ein, die ihn nicht mehr loslassen wird. Während ihm die Hieroglyphen anfangs völlig fremd erscheinen, gelangt er später zu der Fähigkeit, selbst eigene Zeichen zu gestalten.
Dieser Weg zum Poeten und Dichter entgeht auch nicht Archivarius Lindhorst. So äußert sich dieser über Anselmus Charakter und erkennt in ihm sein kindliches und poetisches Gemüt. Jene Erkenntnis und seine Bemerkung, dass dies nur zu oft unschicklicherweise gemissbraucht werde, ist meines Erachtens nicht als eine negative Charakterkrtitk zu verstehen. Vielmehr scheint Archivarius Lindhorst der Auffassung zu sein, dass zu einem guten Poeten und Künstler auch ein freier Geist gehöre, der sich häufig durch ein solch kindliches und zuteilen naives Gemüt auszeichne. Andererseits müssen solche Persönlichkeiten nicht selten mit dem Unmut der Bevölkerung kämpfen, werden ausgeschlossen oder, wie es Archivarius Lindhorst direkt ausdrückt, "von dem Pöbel verspottet�. Auf der anderen Seite können sie durch ihre Fantasie und Unvoreingenommenheit eine Welt entdecken, die für die meisten Menschen auf Ewig verschlossen bleiben wird.
Anselmus Charakter zeichnet sich vor allem durch seine Ambivalenz aus. Einerseits wünscht sich dieser ein bürgerliches und beständiges Leben, wie etwa durch eine Eheschließung mit Serpentina oder den beständigen Wunsch nach einer Akzeptanz in der bürgerlichen Welt. Andererseits sehnt er sich eine Fantasiewelt herbei und lebt für das Leben als freier Künstler. Dieses Gefühl der Sehnsucht, seine naive Natur und künstlerische Ader werden durch die Begegnungen mit Archivarius Lindhorst noch verstärkt, der ihn nicht nur in die Kunst der Poesie, sondern auch in die märchenhafte Welt von Atlantis einführt.
Archivarius Lindhorst gilt selbst als eine Art Sonderling und nimmt für Anselmus die Rolle eines Lehrmeisters ein, welcher seinen Schüler in die verschiedensten Bereiche der Magie einführt. Als Fantasiemensch und Romantiker entfremdet sich Anselmus noch weiter von der Welt des Rationalen und weicht schließlich immer mehr von der bürgerlichen Norm ab. Diese innere Entfremdung gegenüber der realistischen Welt führt schließlich soweit, dass er von seiner Umwelt als Bedrohung wahrgenommen wird. So zeigen sich seine Mitmenschen nicht einmal betroffen, als Anselmus plötzlich verschwindet, was ebenso die Ignoranz des sogenannten "Spießbürgertums" verdeutlicht.
Trotz Anselmus künstlerischer Ader, die sich etwa durch sein musikalisches Talent manifestiert, ist es für ihn nicht von Beginn an ein Leichtes, die Schriften aus der Bibliothek zu kopieren. Erst im weiteren Verlauf seiner Arbeit werden diese immer verständlicher und führen ihn schließlich in jene wundersame Welt ein, die ihn nicht mehr loslassen wird. Während ihm die Hieroglyphen anfangs völlig fremd erscheinen, gelangt er später zu der Fähigkeit, selbst eigene Zeichen zu gestalten.
Dieser Weg zum Poeten und Dichter entgeht auch nicht Archivarius Lindhorst. So äußert sich dieser über Anselmus Charakter und erkennt in ihm sein kindliches und poetisches Gemüt. Jene Erkenntnis und seine Bemerkung, dass dies nur zu oft unschicklicherweise gemissbraucht werde, ist meines Erachtens nicht als eine negative Charakterkrtitk zu verstehen. Vielmehr scheint Archivarius Lindhorst der Auffassung zu sein, dass zu einem guten Poeten und Künstler auch ein freier Geist gehöre, der sich häufig durch ein solch kindliches und zuteilen naives Gemüt auszeichne. Andererseits müssen solche Persönlichkeiten nicht selten mit dem Unmut der Bevölkerung kämpfen, werden ausgeschlossen oder, wie es Archivarius Lindhorst direkt ausdrückt, "von dem Pöbel verspottet�. Auf der anderen Seite können sie durch ihre Fantasie und Unvoreingenommenheit eine Welt entdecken, die für die meisten Menschen auf Ewig verschlossen bleiben wird.
April 12, 2018
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,,[S]ollte man denn nicht auch wachend in einen gewissen träumerischen Zustand versinken können?'' - Registrator Heerbrand (S. 13)
Der Student Anselmus ist ein ziemlicher Pechvogel. Doch am Himmelfahrtstag begegnet er zwischen den Zweigen eines Baumes einer lieblichen Schlange, die ihn seitdem nicht mehr loslässt. Gleichzeitig vermittelt der Konrektor ihn wegen seines Talentes in der Kalligraphie an den Archivarius Lindhorst, der jemanden sucht, um seine Schriften zu kopieren. Und mit Anselmus' Arbeit in dessen Haus beginnt für ihn ein Ausflug in eine verborgene Welt voller Poesie, Magie und Liebe.
Ein Märchen in der Epoche der Romantik, und das auch noch vom Autor vom atmosphärischen und unheimlichen Sandmann? Das kann ja nur gut werden!
Und ganz zu Beginn kann man sofort in der Geschichte eintauchen und sich wunderbar auf diese leichte, schöne und doch wehmütige Atmosphäre einlassen. Es ist faszinierend, wie Hoffmann einem die Fantasie und Verträumtheit seiner Hauptfigur beschreibt, und es schafft, einen irgendwo ganz tief im Inneren dadurch zu berühren. Denn der Student Anselmus ist ziemlich tollpatschiger armer Tölpel, der es nicht schafft die Person zu sein, die er sein möchte. Doch durch das Aufeinandertreffen mit der Schlange erlangt er zum ersten Mal echte Selbstsicherheit und kann aus dem grauen Alltag ausbrechen, der ihm so viele Stolpersteine in den Weg legt. Obwohl das Märchen Anfang des 19. Jahrhunderts erschienen ist, kann man sich mit ihm vor allem als introvertierter Leser sehr identifizieren und fühlt sich mit ihm verbunden durch diese Unlust auf das Normale und die Lust auf Abenteuer. Allgemein scheint E.T.A. Hoffmann an ihm zu zeigen, wie schwer es für Menschen mit einer lyrischen oder romantischen Ader ist, sich in einer von Rationalität geprägten Welt zurechtzufinden, zeigt aber gleichzeitig, dass man dennoch glücklich werden kann.
Dennoch muss Anselmus bis dahin die ein oder andere Probe bestehen, die ihn zwischen den beiden Welten zu zerreißen droht. In der Gestalt des Konrektors wie auch seiner Tochter Veronika werden irdische Verlangen und Notwendigkeiten manifestiert, die zum Beispiel auch das Wort ,,Liebe'' vollkommen anders interpretieren als der junge Student. Im Kontrast zu ihnen steht der Archivarius Lindhorst, der von seinen fantastischen Abenteuern berichtet und aus diesem Grund von niemandem ernst genommen wird, sich teilweise auch selbst von dieser ,,irdischen'' Gesellschaft isoliert. Und genau zwischen diesen repräsentativen Persönlichkeiten muss sich Anselmus entscheiden, denn beide haben ihre Vor- und Nachteile und lösen andere Gefühle in ihm aus. Wirklich differenziert werden diese beiden Gegensätze nicht dargestellt, allerdings ist das auch nicht der Anspruch dieser Epoche voller Idealisierungen, die sich im Schreibstil widerspiegeln.
Vor allem die Beschreibungen der Natur und der Fantasiewelt, von der Lindhorst erzählt, kann E.T.A. Hoffmann wundervoll beschreiben. Man spürt nahezu schon die Wärme der Sonne auf der Haut und meint das Grün um sich herum erkennen zu können. Wer immer dachte, dass Klassiker langweilig sind, der wird hier in den Bildern der neu entworfenen Welt des Autoren eines Besseren belehrt. Genauso wie Anselmus selbst möchte man sie erkunden und das, was Lindhorst in seinen Erzählungen beschreibt und nur in kleinen Anteil in seinem Haus manifestiert hat, leibhaftig erleben. Denn die Hintergrundgeschichte dieses Mannes wie auch die Ansätze von World-Building, die der Autor in die Geschichte einflechtet, sind wirklich kreativ und so traumhaft, dass man kaum glauben kann, dass das die ersten Ansätze von Fantasy sein sollen. Ebenfalls integriert er eine Art Kampf von Gut gegen Böse in seine Geschichte, die ein einigermaßen spannendes Finale bietet.
Was jedoch den ein oder anderen stören könnte, wäre die Darstellung von Liebe oder in welchem Kontext dieses Wort verwendet wird. Schon in Der Sandmann handelt es sich dabei eher um Obsession auf den ersten Blick, doch während der Protagonist in seinem bekanntesten Klassiker psychisch krank ist, ist Anselmus bis auf seine Verträumtheit ein normaler junger Mann. Egal ob es sich bei der Schlange um ein magisches Wesen handelt und ihn hauptsächlich diese Magie auch anzieht, ist dieser Kitsch kaum zu übertreffen und durch die flache Darstellung dieser Figur überhaupt nicht nachvollziehbar. Besonders negativ stößt einem die Abhängigkeit auf, in die sich der Student stellt, und dass für ihn nicht die magische Welt an sich im Vordergrund steht, sondern seine angebliche Liebe.
,,O du holde, liebe Serpentina [...] wenn ich nur dich habe, was kümmert mich sonst alles Übrige; wenn du nur mein bist, so will ich gern untergehen in all dem Wunderbaren und Seltsamen, das mich befähigt seit dem Augenblick, als ich dich sah.'' - S. 50
,,Ach, verlass mich nicht, holde Serpentina [...] nur du bist mein Leben!'' - S. 50
Mag sein, dass diese überschwänglichen Liebesbekundungen einfach zu dieser Epoche dazugehören, aber insbesondere wegen des Endes der Geschichte hinterlässt das den Leser doch mit einem gemischten Gefühl zurück. Denn während der Autor ausdrücken möchte, dass man durch die Poesie und Dichtung in einer nach vorne gerichteten Welt glücklich sein kann, bringt er seine eigene Aussage mit einem kleinen Detail seines Endes ins Wanken.
Was ebenfalls etwas schade ist, wahrscheinlich aber aufgrund des Jahrhunderts, in dem das Märchen geschrieben wurde, ist, dass der Autor einem Lindhorsts fantastische Welt zwar anteasert, sich allerdings nicht traut, einen in diese Welt hineinzuführen. Auf der einen Seite verständlich, da dies auch seiner allumfassenden Aussage nicht gut getan hätte, auf der anderen hingegen hätte es den letzten Schritt in die Moderne markiert und auch die Neugier des Lesers gestillt. In welchem alten Stück Weltliteratur wird schon so viel Kreativität gesteckt, nur damit die beschriebenen Welten genau das bleiben? An dieser Stelle hört leider die Geschichte an der interessantesten Stelle auf, wie es bei Klassikern üblich zu sein scheint.
Schlussendlich ein Klassiker, den man sich als Freund der Natur, der Kreativität und der Abenteuer definitiv zu Gemüte führen sollte. Man kann sich wunderbar in Anselmus hineinversetzen und seine Faszination von der Welt, in der er einen Einblick gewährt bekommt, vollkommen nachvollziehen. Verbunden mit den langen, doch geschwungenen und künstlerischen Sätzen des Autors schwebt man nur so durch die Geschichte und folgt gebannt den Worten, die mal Fantasievolles, mal vollkommen Alltägliches beschreiben und auch im Alltag die Fantasie finden können. Darauf richtet sich auch letztlich seine Aussage, die jungen Introvertierten oder hoffnungslosen Abenteuern vermittelt, dass ihr Weg kein falscher ist. Dennoch interessiert die magische Welt von Lindhorst den Leser im Laufe der Handlung viel mehr als Anselmus' Faszination für Serpentina, die schlichtweg langweilig und dadurch eine vollkommen übertriebene Liebesgeschichte ertragen muss. Dennoch vor allem aufgrund seiner literarischen Stärke ein Klassiker, der durchaus zu empfehlen ist!
Gesamtwertung: 3.45/5.00 Sternen
,,[S]ollte man denn nicht auch wachend in einen gewissen träumerischen Zustand versinken können?'' - Registrator Heerbrand (S. 13)
Der Student Anselmus ist ein ziemlicher Pechvogel. Doch am Himmelfahrtstag begegnet er zwischen den Zweigen eines Baumes einer lieblichen Schlange, die ihn seitdem nicht mehr loslässt. Gleichzeitig vermittelt der Konrektor ihn wegen seines Talentes in der Kalligraphie an den Archivarius Lindhorst, der jemanden sucht, um seine Schriften zu kopieren. Und mit Anselmus' Arbeit in dessen Haus beginnt für ihn ein Ausflug in eine verborgene Welt voller Poesie, Magie und Liebe.
Ein Märchen in der Epoche der Romantik, und das auch noch vom Autor vom atmosphärischen und unheimlichen Sandmann? Das kann ja nur gut werden!
Und ganz zu Beginn kann man sofort in der Geschichte eintauchen und sich wunderbar auf diese leichte, schöne und doch wehmütige Atmosphäre einlassen. Es ist faszinierend, wie Hoffmann einem die Fantasie und Verträumtheit seiner Hauptfigur beschreibt, und es schafft, einen irgendwo ganz tief im Inneren dadurch zu berühren. Denn der Student Anselmus ist ziemlich tollpatschiger armer Tölpel, der es nicht schafft die Person zu sein, die er sein möchte. Doch durch das Aufeinandertreffen mit der Schlange erlangt er zum ersten Mal echte Selbstsicherheit und kann aus dem grauen Alltag ausbrechen, der ihm so viele Stolpersteine in den Weg legt. Obwohl das Märchen Anfang des 19. Jahrhunderts erschienen ist, kann man sich mit ihm vor allem als introvertierter Leser sehr identifizieren und fühlt sich mit ihm verbunden durch diese Unlust auf das Normale und die Lust auf Abenteuer. Allgemein scheint E.T.A. Hoffmann an ihm zu zeigen, wie schwer es für Menschen mit einer lyrischen oder romantischen Ader ist, sich in einer von Rationalität geprägten Welt zurechtzufinden, zeigt aber gleichzeitig, dass man dennoch glücklich werden kann.
Dennoch muss Anselmus bis dahin die ein oder andere Probe bestehen, die ihn zwischen den beiden Welten zu zerreißen droht. In der Gestalt des Konrektors wie auch seiner Tochter Veronika werden irdische Verlangen und Notwendigkeiten manifestiert, die zum Beispiel auch das Wort ,,Liebe'' vollkommen anders interpretieren als der junge Student. Im Kontrast zu ihnen steht der Archivarius Lindhorst, der von seinen fantastischen Abenteuern berichtet und aus diesem Grund von niemandem ernst genommen wird, sich teilweise auch selbst von dieser ,,irdischen'' Gesellschaft isoliert. Und genau zwischen diesen repräsentativen Persönlichkeiten muss sich Anselmus entscheiden, denn beide haben ihre Vor- und Nachteile und lösen andere Gefühle in ihm aus. Wirklich differenziert werden diese beiden Gegensätze nicht dargestellt, allerdings ist das auch nicht der Anspruch dieser Epoche voller Idealisierungen, die sich im Schreibstil widerspiegeln.
Vor allem die Beschreibungen der Natur und der Fantasiewelt, von der Lindhorst erzählt, kann E.T.A. Hoffmann wundervoll beschreiben. Man spürt nahezu schon die Wärme der Sonne auf der Haut und meint das Grün um sich herum erkennen zu können. Wer immer dachte, dass Klassiker langweilig sind, der wird hier in den Bildern der neu entworfenen Welt des Autoren eines Besseren belehrt. Genauso wie Anselmus selbst möchte man sie erkunden und das, was Lindhorst in seinen Erzählungen beschreibt und nur in kleinen Anteil in seinem Haus manifestiert hat, leibhaftig erleben. Denn die Hintergrundgeschichte dieses Mannes wie auch die Ansätze von World-Building, die der Autor in die Geschichte einflechtet, sind wirklich kreativ und so traumhaft, dass man kaum glauben kann, dass das die ersten Ansätze von Fantasy sein sollen. Ebenfalls integriert er eine Art Kampf von Gut gegen Böse in seine Geschichte, die ein einigermaßen spannendes Finale bietet.
Was jedoch den ein oder anderen stören könnte, wäre die Darstellung von Liebe oder in welchem Kontext dieses Wort verwendet wird. Schon in Der Sandmann handelt es sich dabei eher um Obsession auf den ersten Blick, doch während der Protagonist in seinem bekanntesten Klassiker psychisch krank ist, ist Anselmus bis auf seine Verträumtheit ein normaler junger Mann. Egal ob es sich bei der Schlange um ein magisches Wesen handelt und ihn hauptsächlich diese Magie auch anzieht, ist dieser Kitsch kaum zu übertreffen und durch die flache Darstellung dieser Figur überhaupt nicht nachvollziehbar. Besonders negativ stößt einem die Abhängigkeit auf, in die sich der Student stellt, und dass für ihn nicht die magische Welt an sich im Vordergrund steht, sondern seine angebliche Liebe.
,,O du holde, liebe Serpentina [...] wenn ich nur dich habe, was kümmert mich sonst alles Übrige; wenn du nur mein bist, so will ich gern untergehen in all dem Wunderbaren und Seltsamen, das mich befähigt seit dem Augenblick, als ich dich sah.'' - S. 50
,,Ach, verlass mich nicht, holde Serpentina [...] nur du bist mein Leben!'' - S. 50
Mag sein, dass diese überschwänglichen Liebesbekundungen einfach zu dieser Epoche dazugehören, aber insbesondere wegen des Endes der Geschichte hinterlässt das den Leser doch mit einem gemischten Gefühl zurück. Denn während der Autor ausdrücken möchte, dass man durch die Poesie und Dichtung in einer nach vorne gerichteten Welt glücklich sein kann, bringt er seine eigene Aussage mit einem kleinen Detail seines Endes ins Wanken.
Was ebenfalls etwas schade ist, wahrscheinlich aber aufgrund des Jahrhunderts, in dem das Märchen geschrieben wurde, ist, dass der Autor einem Lindhorsts fantastische Welt zwar anteasert, sich allerdings nicht traut, einen in diese Welt hineinzuführen. Auf der einen Seite verständlich, da dies auch seiner allumfassenden Aussage nicht gut getan hätte, auf der anderen hingegen hätte es den letzten Schritt in die Moderne markiert und auch die Neugier des Lesers gestillt. In welchem alten Stück Weltliteratur wird schon so viel Kreativität gesteckt, nur damit die beschriebenen Welten genau das bleiben? An dieser Stelle hört leider die Geschichte an der interessantesten Stelle auf, wie es bei Klassikern üblich zu sein scheint.
Schlussendlich ein Klassiker, den man sich als Freund der Natur, der Kreativität und der Abenteuer definitiv zu Gemüte führen sollte. Man kann sich wunderbar in Anselmus hineinversetzen und seine Faszination von der Welt, in der er einen Einblick gewährt bekommt, vollkommen nachvollziehen. Verbunden mit den langen, doch geschwungenen und künstlerischen Sätzen des Autors schwebt man nur so durch die Geschichte und folgt gebannt den Worten, die mal Fantasievolles, mal vollkommen Alltägliches beschreiben und auch im Alltag die Fantasie finden können. Darauf richtet sich auch letztlich seine Aussage, die jungen Introvertierten oder hoffnungslosen Abenteuern vermittelt, dass ihr Weg kein falscher ist. Dennoch interessiert die magische Welt von Lindhorst den Leser im Laufe der Handlung viel mehr als Anselmus' Faszination für Serpentina, die schlichtweg langweilig und dadurch eine vollkommen übertriebene Liebesgeschichte ertragen muss. Dennoch vor allem aufgrund seiner literarischen Stärke ein Klassiker, der durchaus zu empfehlen ist!
Gesamtwertung: 3.45/5.00 Sternen
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February 1, 2017Vielen Dank für den nicht Abitur relevanten Nervenzusammenbruch.
December 12, 2021
Wow! E.T.A. Hoffmann's stories are totally stunning...a real rollercoaster ride! I'd just finished the 'Weird Tales Vol 1' collection and was hungry for more so I plumped for this collection.
The first thing that was a bit of a surprise was that this collection concentrates less on the sinister (or horrific) and more on the fantastic (or fairytale), the exception being The Sandman of course.
The collection includes The Golden Pot, The Sandman, Princess Brambilla, Master Flea and My Cousin's Corner Window. The Sandman of course is an absolute classic story that is truly unsettling to read. The Golden Pot and Master Flea are amazingly surreal fairy tales that just have to be read to be believed and I'm not even going to attempt to summarise them. However the three stories The Sandman, The Golden Pot and Master Flea are a good litmus test for the reader - if you don't like any of these stories then you may as well avoid anything else by Hoffmann.
The only disappointing story for me was Princess Brambilla which has its moments and cracks along at a rapid pace but in the end is just too chaotic to be that fulfilling to read. Hoffmann certainly seems to like identity-confusion in his stories and this one has it in spades where the characters seem to switch identities throughout. Don't get me wrong, the story is still a fun read and would probably improve on a second reading, which was the case with The Golden Pot.
Although I didn't actually read them in order I think the collection works well. The Sandman seems to be an obligatory inclusion to any Hoffmann collection but in this book it acts as a bit of a counterpoint to the fantasy/fairy tales by introducing a darker element to the book. Also the final story is a fitting way to end the book. Whereas the other stories are very surreal, My Cousin's Corner Window has no fantastic elements but essentially consists of a dialogue between a man and his crippled cousin discussing certain characters in a market place that can be viewed from a window. It's not exactly realism but compared to Hoffmann's other tales it seems a lot calmer.
I was very tempted to give this book five stars..very tempted, however Princess Brambilla just took the shine off a little. Still 9/10 would be a better rating...so close to perfection...oh sod it, what the hell...I'll give it 5 stars!
The first thing that was a bit of a surprise was that this collection concentrates less on the sinister (or horrific) and more on the fantastic (or fairytale), the exception being The Sandman of course.
The collection includes The Golden Pot, The Sandman, Princess Brambilla, Master Flea and My Cousin's Corner Window. The Sandman of course is an absolute classic story that is truly unsettling to read. The Golden Pot and Master Flea are amazingly surreal fairy tales that just have to be read to be believed and I'm not even going to attempt to summarise them. However the three stories The Sandman, The Golden Pot and Master Flea are a good litmus test for the reader - if you don't like any of these stories then you may as well avoid anything else by Hoffmann.
The only disappointing story for me was Princess Brambilla which has its moments and cracks along at a rapid pace but in the end is just too chaotic to be that fulfilling to read. Hoffmann certainly seems to like identity-confusion in his stories and this one has it in spades where the characters seem to switch identities throughout. Don't get me wrong, the story is still a fun read and would probably improve on a second reading, which was the case with The Golden Pot.
Although I didn't actually read them in order I think the collection works well. The Sandman seems to be an obligatory inclusion to any Hoffmann collection but in this book it acts as a bit of a counterpoint to the fantasy/fairy tales by introducing a darker element to the book. Also the final story is a fitting way to end the book. Whereas the other stories are very surreal, My Cousin's Corner Window has no fantastic elements but essentially consists of a dialogue between a man and his crippled cousin discussing certain characters in a market place that can be viewed from a window. It's not exactly realism but compared to Hoffmann's other tales it seems a lot calmer.
I was very tempted to give this book five stars..very tempted, however Princess Brambilla just took the shine off a little. Still 9/10 would be a better rating...so close to perfection...oh sod it, what the hell...I'll give it 5 stars!
January 9, 2020
My edition of the book calls this a "modern" fairy tale, but seeing as it's still about two hundred years old, I don't think that applies anymore. It's still a delightful read, though.
April 20, 2019
"My Cousin's Corner Window" Just when, after two 400 page volumes of them, I was feeling a bit fatigued with Hoffmann's usual dual, simultaneous real-world and fairyland narratives, this! A unique kind of story--at least in the tales I've found in translation--inductive, we might call it, in dialogue form, in which two cousins create characters and backstory out of Berlin's open market beneath their window."
"Master Flea" Once again a story in which every worldly character seems to have a cognate in a mysterious, fairy-tale world. Here the two worlds are linked by a fanciful young man and a talking wise flea. delightful and unique as Hoffman always writes 'em. This one has a light, romantic and more humorous tone than some of the others. It also contains a spoof of the legal proceedings that got the real-world Hoffmann in some deep shit with his abusive public prosecutor boss--nice to know he was a defender of free speech within the state juggernaut always seeking to oppress the ideas behind political crimes. reputable.
"The Princess Brambmilla." Costume, theater, storytelling, magic, meta-narrative, madness, poetry, music, carnival, and the lake of imagination--given all this, how dare we even think of something called "reality." (Not to be taking it seriously.)
"The Sandman." Love how the narrator intervenes to underplay the horror here of "Self-divided" Nathanael's tragic tale with pithy social commentary. Clara = clarity perhaps? That which the traumatized, the dreamer, the romantic can never bare--to see the workings of the machine's beautiful illusion. Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, as long as they remain in his head. Horror as well. Even in the later story ("Master Flea") sight is equated with lenses and using them to know what characters are actually thinking as they lie. Hoffmann pretty consistently questions all levels of so-called reality.
"The Golden Pot" Ah, that absurdist collision of 19th century petty bureaucrats and the elemental spirits of Atlantis for which E.T.A.H. is deservedly famous. Reminds me of Arthur Machen in reverse--how the grey world palls before a the lovely magical love of a shining green serpent. What if creativity were the gateway out of all that the suits would do to enslave us. Wait, it surely is! Atlantis here I come!
"Master Flea" Once again a story in which every worldly character seems to have a cognate in a mysterious, fairy-tale world. Here the two worlds are linked by a fanciful young man and a talking wise flea. delightful and unique as Hoffman always writes 'em. This one has a light, romantic and more humorous tone than some of the others. It also contains a spoof of the legal proceedings that got the real-world Hoffmann in some deep shit with his abusive public prosecutor boss--nice to know he was a defender of free speech within the state juggernaut always seeking to oppress the ideas behind political crimes. reputable.
"The Princess Brambmilla." Costume, theater, storytelling, magic, meta-narrative, madness, poetry, music, carnival, and the lake of imagination--given all this, how dare we even think of something called "reality." (Not to be taking it seriously.)
"The Sandman." Love how the narrator intervenes to underplay the horror here of "Self-divided" Nathanael's tragic tale with pithy social commentary. Clara = clarity perhaps? That which the traumatized, the dreamer, the romantic can never bare--to see the workings of the machine's beautiful illusion. Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, as long as they remain in his head. Horror as well. Even in the later story ("Master Flea") sight is equated with lenses and using them to know what characters are actually thinking as they lie. Hoffmann pretty consistently questions all levels of so-called reality.
"The Golden Pot" Ah, that absurdist collision of 19th century petty bureaucrats and the elemental spirits of Atlantis for which E.T.A.H. is deservedly famous. Reminds me of Arthur Machen in reverse--how the grey world palls before a the lovely magical love of a shining green serpent. What if creativity were the gateway out of all that the suits would do to enslave us. Wait, it surely is! Atlantis here I come!
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March 15, 2022Serpentina is a manic pixie dream girl, change my mind
May 4, 2023
Alman yazar E.T.A. Hoffmann'ın (1776-1822) on iki bölümden oluşan kitabı, "Birinci Gece Nöbeti" başlığıyla açılıp "On ikinci Gece Nöbeti" ile son bulan fantastik bir dünyanın masalı. "Zamanımızın Masalı" adı elbette 18.-19. yüzyılın ortamı... (Peruklu, pudralı beyler zamanı.)
E. T. A. Hoffmann aynı zamanda besteci, öyle ki daha önce okuduğum bir kitabının başında yer alan kısa biyografisinde okuduğuma göre, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart'a (1756-1791) olan saygı ve hayranlığının bir ifadesi olarak isimleri arasına bir de Amadeus'u eklemiş ve Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann olmuş. Hoffmann, Mozart'ın neredeyse çağdaşı, o öldüğünde 15 yaşındaymış ve isim değişimini yetişkinliğinde yapmış... Müzik ve bestecilik onun temel değerleri görünüyor zira bu kitapta da geçtiği gibi diğer kimi eserlerinde de yer alan, kendinden izler taşıyan, Johannes Kreisler adında müzisyen bir karakteri de bulunuyor.
Kitabı okurken eşlik edecek 18.-19. yy. müzikleri ararken, kitapta kimi eserler ve besteciler görünce, bunu bir tür kitap playlist'i olarak görüp adlarına pek rastlamadığım bu isimlerin peşine düştüm, maalesef aradığım her eserlerini bulamadım (nota kaydı var ama ses kaydını bulmak zor bazılarının) ama kitapta yer alan müzisyenleri not ettim (meraklısına not olsun): Ferdinand Kauer - Tuna Deniz Kızı Opereti (Das Donauweibchen), Carl Heinrich Graun - (eser belirtilmemiş), Wenzel Müller - Pazar Günü Çocuğu ve Praglı Kız Kardeşler
-o-
Bu peri masalının kahramanı, üniversite öğrencisi Anselmus Dresden kentinde şehir kapısından koşarak geçerken yanlışlıkla yaşlı bir kadına çarpar ve elindeki sepetin içinde ne varsa etrafa saçılmasına sebep olur. Garip görünüşlü yaşlı kadının kötücül tepkisine ve suçlamalarına maruz kalan Anselmus kendi beceriksizliğine de yakınır:
"(...) tek mi, çift mi bahsinde hep yanlış tahmin ettim; tereyağlı ekmeğim hep yağlı tarafının üstüne düştü; bütün bu aksilikler bir yana, bundan sonra da korkunç kader peşimi bırakmayacak mı? Ben şeytana inat üniversite öğrencisi olmayı başarmama rağmen, ömür boyu burada ot gibi yaşayıp gitmek zorunda mı kalacağım? - Yeni bir ceketi giyer giymez hep üzerine yağ mı damlatacağım ya da eğreti çakılmış bir çiviye takıp iğrenç bir biçimde yırtacak mıyım? (...) şapkamı çıkardığımda, elimden düşürmeden ya da düz yolda ayağım takılıp düşmeden geçip gidemeyecek miyim? (...)"
Anselmus, olan biteni aklında çığ gibi büyütüp, listesine yeni talihsizlikler ekleyerek ilerlerken fısıltıya benzer bir ses duyar ağaçların arasında ve tıpkı Sirenlerin denizcileri çektiği gibi kendine çeken bu seslere kulak verip, yaprakların arasında gezinen üç altın renkli yılanla karşılaşır; üç genç hanımın cazibeli sesiyle konuşup dolaşmaktadırlar. İçlerinden biriyle göz göze gelen genç öğrenci, yılanın masmavi gözlerinden öyle etkilenir ki o an ona aşık olur; adı Serpentina olan, büyülü geçmişiyle bir yılana dönüşmüş, güzeller güzeli hanıma... Bir gün içerisinde yaşadığı çarpışma ve bu karşılaşma hayatını tümden değiştirecek, önce inanmakta zorlandığı türlü gerçeküstü olayların, ardından, gerçek bir masalın içinde bulacaktır kendini. Naifliği, şair ruhlu olmayı, aşkı, hayalleri öven bir hikaye anlatılır.
Kapı tokmağına ya da bir kahve sürahisine dönüşebilen, etrafa saçılsa da ona geri dönen elmalardan yavruları olan yaşlı büyücü kadın, sevdiğini görüp gözetleyebileceği sihirli bir ayna, ateşin sembolü mitolojik semender, kara ejderhalar, zambağın çanağında yaşayan yılan kızı, toprak cinleri, büyülü kara turp, kara kedi-bilgili görgülü bir yeğen, gri tüylü bir papağan olan müdür, içkiye ya da puroya saklanabilen Lindhorst... Atlantis'e kadar uzanan fantastik dünyada yer alanlardan birkaçı.
Hoffman'ın bu masalı, uyku uyanıklık arası sanrılarında, gündüz düşlerinde, ateş, sinir ya da gece nöbetinde, belki biraz da enfiyenin etkisiyle, görülebilen bir alemin, hezeyanlar ve hayallerle süslü, renkli, neşeli, kimi zaman da ürkütücü hallerinden besleniyor.
Akıcı, kısa cümlelerle yazılmış, yer yer doğrudan okura hitap ederek kaleme aldığı kitabı, tam da çağına özgü havayı yansıtıyor:
"Şimdi sen, değerli okur, en büyük mutluluğu da, en derin dehşeti de sarsıcı darbelerle yaratan müthiş mucizelerle dolu periler alemine dalacaksın."
Öyle de oluyor.
E. T. A. Hoffmann aynı zamanda besteci, öyle ki daha önce okuduğum bir kitabının başında yer alan kısa biyografisinde okuduğuma göre, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart'a (1756-1791) olan saygı ve hayranlığının bir ifadesi olarak isimleri arasına bir de Amadeus'u eklemiş ve Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann olmuş. Hoffmann, Mozart'ın neredeyse çağdaşı, o öldüğünde 15 yaşındaymış ve isim değişimini yetişkinliğinde yapmış... Müzik ve bestecilik onun temel değerleri görünüyor zira bu kitapta da geçtiği gibi diğer kimi eserlerinde de yer alan, kendinden izler taşıyan, Johannes Kreisler adında müzisyen bir karakteri de bulunuyor.
Kitabı okurken eşlik edecek 18.-19. yy. müzikleri ararken, kitapta kimi eserler ve besteciler görünce, bunu bir tür kitap playlist'i olarak görüp adlarına pek rastlamadığım bu isimlerin peşine düştüm, maalesef aradığım her eserlerini bulamadım (nota kaydı var ama ses kaydını bulmak zor bazılarının) ama kitapta yer alan müzisyenleri not ettim (meraklısına not olsun): Ferdinand Kauer - Tuna Deniz Kızı Opereti (Das Donauweibchen), Carl Heinrich Graun - (eser belirtilmemiş), Wenzel Müller - Pazar Günü Çocuğu ve Praglı Kız Kardeşler
-o-
Bu peri masalının kahramanı, üniversite öğrencisi Anselmus Dresden kentinde şehir kapısından koşarak geçerken yanlışlıkla yaşlı bir kadına çarpar ve elindeki sepetin içinde ne varsa etrafa saçılmasına sebep olur. Garip görünüşlü yaşlı kadının kötücül tepkisine ve suçlamalarına maruz kalan Anselmus kendi beceriksizliğine de yakınır:
"(...) tek mi, çift mi bahsinde hep yanlış tahmin ettim; tereyağlı ekmeğim hep yağlı tarafının üstüne düştü; bütün bu aksilikler bir yana, bundan sonra da korkunç kader peşimi bırakmayacak mı? Ben şeytana inat üniversite öğrencisi olmayı başarmama rağmen, ömür boyu burada ot gibi yaşayıp gitmek zorunda mı kalacağım? - Yeni bir ceketi giyer giymez hep üzerine yağ mı damlatacağım ya da eğreti çakılmış bir çiviye takıp iğrenç bir biçimde yırtacak mıyım? (...) şapkamı çıkardığımda, elimden düşürmeden ya da düz yolda ayağım takılıp düşmeden geçip gidemeyecek miyim? (...)"
Anselmus, olan biteni aklında çığ gibi büyütüp, listesine yeni talihsizlikler ekleyerek ilerlerken fısıltıya benzer bir ses duyar ağaçların arasında ve tıpkı Sirenlerin denizcileri çektiği gibi kendine çeken bu seslere kulak verip, yaprakların arasında gezinen üç altın renkli yılanla karşılaşır; üç genç hanımın cazibeli sesiyle konuşup dolaşmaktadırlar. İçlerinden biriyle göz göze gelen genç öğrenci, yılanın masmavi gözlerinden öyle etkilenir ki o an ona aşık olur; adı Serpentina olan, büyülü geçmişiyle bir yılana dönüşmüş, güzeller güzeli hanıma... Bir gün içerisinde yaşadığı çarpışma ve bu karşılaşma hayatını tümden değiştirecek, önce inanmakta zorlandığı türlü gerçeküstü olayların, ardından, gerçek bir masalın içinde bulacaktır kendini. Naifliği, şair ruhlu olmayı, aşkı, hayalleri öven bir hikaye anlatılır.
Kapı tokmağına ya da bir kahve sürahisine dönüşebilen, etrafa saçılsa da ona geri dönen elmalardan yavruları olan yaşlı büyücü kadın, sevdiğini görüp gözetleyebileceği sihirli bir ayna, ateşin sembolü mitolojik semender, kara ejderhalar, zambağın çanağında yaşayan yılan kızı, toprak cinleri, büyülü kara turp, kara kedi-bilgili görgülü bir yeğen, gri tüylü bir papağan olan müdür, içkiye ya da puroya saklanabilen Lindhorst... Atlantis'e kadar uzanan fantastik dünyada yer alanlardan birkaçı.
Hoffman'ın bu masalı, uyku uyanıklık arası sanrılarında, gündüz düşlerinde, ateş, sinir ya da gece nöbetinde, belki biraz da enfiyenin etkisiyle, görülebilen bir alemin, hezeyanlar ve hayallerle süslü, renkli, neşeli, kimi zaman da ürkütücü hallerinden besleniyor.
Akıcı, kısa cümlelerle yazılmış, yer yer doğrudan okura hitap ederek kaleme aldığı kitabı, tam da çağına özgü havayı yansıtıyor:
"Şimdi sen, değerli okur, en büyük mutluluğu da, en derin dehşeti de sarsıcı darbelerle yaratan müthiş mucizelerle dolu periler alemine dalacaksın."
Öyle de oluyor.
February 11, 2023
The translator, Ritchie Robertson, has selected only one horror story (The Sandman) for this collection. Three of the stories are fairy tales, and the last is something of an examination of society. I found this collection to be a "mixed bag" in terms of quality and my enjoyment of the stories.
**POSSIBLE SPOILERS ***
The Golden Pot
The novella is divided into twelve "vigils" or "night watches". This is a magical fairytale, in which Archivist Lindhorst (in reality a Salamander, the Elemental Spirit of Fire) has been banished from Atlantis until he can find suitable husbands for his three snake daughters. This particular story is about only one of the daughters and her potential husband, hired by the archivist to copy some scrolls. Of course, since this is a fairy tale, things don't go smoothly and a witch gets involved. The golden pot in the story refers to one of three radiant golden pots, given to the Salamander by the Elemental Spirit of the Earth, which are to be his daughters' dowries. I like this story the best out of all the stories in the book.
The Sandman
In The Sandman we learn how a young man, Nathanael, is confronted with his most traumatic childhood memories and ultimately driven into madness and death. This is an interesting story that examines the fine line between sanity and madness, as well as between life and automaton (i.e. a mechanical, life-like doll). The story was ok, but I don't really care for this type of tale.
Princess Brambilla
Set in Rome during the carnival celebrations, this silly and long story tells of the moderately talented actor Giglio and milliner Giacinta, who are initially in love with the curious Princess Brambilla and Prince Cornelio, respectively. At the end of the convoluted story (interspersed with philosophical musings, thoughts and delusions), Giglio and Giacinta realize that they are in love with each other. This is essentially a romantic comedy. I didn't like this story, and skimmed a great deal of it. Too frivolous and silly.
Master Flea
Master Flea is a humorous "fairy tale in seven adventures of two friends", set in Frankfurt am Main. This story follows Peregrinus Tyss, who becomes entangled in the conflict between supernatural characters over Dörtje Elverdink, in reality Princess Gamaheh of Famagusta (Hoffman is terrible at making up names for his characters!). Peregrinus Tyss is a lonely bachelor who forms a relationship with Master Flea in the form of a guide from his extended childhood into adulthood. Peregrinus� childhood is extended through his imagination which acts as an escapist coping mechanism as he is unable to overcome the trauma of his parent’s deaths. However, the intervention of Master Flea ensures that the themes of mechanical and biological science come to the forefront of their relationship. Master Flea himself is on a quest to reunite with Dortje as he must keep her artificially youthful by biting her (I would be breaking out a can of Doom at this point). However, he does not only employ Peregrinus� aid but also provides him with a form of enhancement through a microscopic glass which Master Flea can insert and remove from the pupil of Peregrinus� left eye at will which allows him to expose the inner thoughts of those he is conversing with (very convenient little tool). The adventures in Master Flea deal with multiple universes, altered states of mind and the ethics of nanotechnology. The politics of the flea society are elaborately worked out and at one point, rival scientists armed with modified telescopes fight what is essentially a battle with laser guns. The story is disjointed, silly and ultimately too long.
Random Note: Every time I read "Peregrinus" my mind added "Took" to the end and expected to see furry feet.
My Cousin's Corner Window
‘My Cousin’s Corner Window� was written during E.T.A. Hoffman's final days when he was bedridden. It isn't a fantasy story, rather an observation of the human condition. The narrator is visiting his wheelchair-bound cousin who spends a great deal of time looking out of his apartment window every day, down at the Berlin Market. The story format is in dialogue form between the two cousins, discussing various vignettes about the characters frequenting the market square. Some of the characters make for charming vignettes. The invalid cousin shows his relative that the market square is a good place to learn about people from different backgrounds and their interactions. This story seems to be a reflection on the relationship between perception, imagination and interpretation during a period when Germany was transforming from an agricultural society to an industrial one, and modern cities were being formed.
**POSSIBLE SPOILERS ***
The Golden Pot
The novella is divided into twelve "vigils" or "night watches". This is a magical fairytale, in which Archivist Lindhorst (in reality a Salamander, the Elemental Spirit of Fire) has been banished from Atlantis until he can find suitable husbands for his three snake daughters. This particular story is about only one of the daughters and her potential husband, hired by the archivist to copy some scrolls. Of course, since this is a fairy tale, things don't go smoothly and a witch gets involved. The golden pot in the story refers to one of three radiant golden pots, given to the Salamander by the Elemental Spirit of the Earth, which are to be his daughters' dowries. I like this story the best out of all the stories in the book.
The Sandman
In The Sandman we learn how a young man, Nathanael, is confronted with his most traumatic childhood memories and ultimately driven into madness and death. This is an interesting story that examines the fine line between sanity and madness, as well as between life and automaton (i.e. a mechanical, life-like doll). The story was ok, but I don't really care for this type of tale.
Princess Brambilla
Set in Rome during the carnival celebrations, this silly and long story tells of the moderately talented actor Giglio and milliner Giacinta, who are initially in love with the curious Princess Brambilla and Prince Cornelio, respectively. At the end of the convoluted story (interspersed with philosophical musings, thoughts and delusions), Giglio and Giacinta realize that they are in love with each other. This is essentially a romantic comedy. I didn't like this story, and skimmed a great deal of it. Too frivolous and silly.
Master Flea
Master Flea is a humorous "fairy tale in seven adventures of two friends", set in Frankfurt am Main. This story follows Peregrinus Tyss, who becomes entangled in the conflict between supernatural characters over Dörtje Elverdink, in reality Princess Gamaheh of Famagusta (Hoffman is terrible at making up names for his characters!). Peregrinus Tyss is a lonely bachelor who forms a relationship with Master Flea in the form of a guide from his extended childhood into adulthood. Peregrinus� childhood is extended through his imagination which acts as an escapist coping mechanism as he is unable to overcome the trauma of his parent’s deaths. However, the intervention of Master Flea ensures that the themes of mechanical and biological science come to the forefront of their relationship. Master Flea himself is on a quest to reunite with Dortje as he must keep her artificially youthful by biting her (I would be breaking out a can of Doom at this point). However, he does not only employ Peregrinus� aid but also provides him with a form of enhancement through a microscopic glass which Master Flea can insert and remove from the pupil of Peregrinus� left eye at will which allows him to expose the inner thoughts of those he is conversing with (very convenient little tool). The adventures in Master Flea deal with multiple universes, altered states of mind and the ethics of nanotechnology. The politics of the flea society are elaborately worked out and at one point, rival scientists armed with modified telescopes fight what is essentially a battle with laser guns. The story is disjointed, silly and ultimately too long.
Random Note: Every time I read "Peregrinus" my mind added "Took" to the end and expected to see furry feet.
My Cousin's Corner Window
‘My Cousin’s Corner Window� was written during E.T.A. Hoffman's final days when he was bedridden. It isn't a fantasy story, rather an observation of the human condition. The narrator is visiting his wheelchair-bound cousin who spends a great deal of time looking out of his apartment window every day, down at the Berlin Market. The story format is in dialogue form between the two cousins, discussing various vignettes about the characters frequenting the market square. Some of the characters make for charming vignettes. The invalid cousin shows his relative that the market square is a good place to learn about people from different backgrounds and their interactions. This story seems to be a reflection on the relationship between perception, imagination and interpretation during a period when Germany was transforming from an agricultural society to an industrial one, and modern cities were being formed.
January 20, 2020
Filmszínházunk bemutatja:
GYILKOS ALLEGÓRIÁK (színes, NAGYON színes, szinkronizált német romantikus-misztikus thriller)
Anselmus, az ifjú diák almáskosárba lép, majd epileptikus rohamában arany kígyót hallucinál egy bokorba*, és még bele is szeret. (Különben minek hallucinálta volna oda, nem igaz?) Ismerőseinek pont nem jut eszébe egyetlen pszichoterapeuta sem, aki szakértő lenne a témában, úgyhogy inkább elküldik őt az egyetlen még nála is nagyobb kaliberű bolondhoz: Lindhorst levéltároshoz, aki saját bevallása szerint egy szalamandra. (Mint kiderül: valóban. Ennyit a bolondokról.) Az ötlet, úgy tűnik, pont annyira javít Anselmus állapotán, mint amennyire józan paraszti ésszel gondolnánk: semennyire. Diákunk továbbra is furán viselkedik, mi több, még fertőzni is kezd. Ezt a belé titkon szerelmes Veronika már nem nézheti tétlenül, úgyhogy megkeresi a városi boszorkányt**, aki meg egy sárkánytoll és egy marharépa gyermeke � de tényleg, komolyan. Szóval alakul a mágusok gigantikus, eposzi csatája, az utolsó Marvel-mozi záró összecsapása ehhez képest kutyafüle. Csak hát ki tudja, ebben a zűrzavarban melyik mágus a jó, és melyik a rossz? Ki akarja beavatni Anselmust, és ki elveszejteni? És mi a jobb Anselmusnak: ha beavatják, vagy ha elveszejtik? És feleségül veszi-e végül a kígyót, vagy sem? És ha elveszi, hogy szaporodnak? Tojással? Vagy mint elevenszülők? A körmömet lerágom. Mert ahol varázslók harcolnak, ott hullnak a muglik.
Tizenhat éven aluliak csak szülői felügyelet mellett. Nem is azért, mert rosszat álmodnának. Hanem mert ezt az egzaltált ornamentikájú, szimbólumoktól lucskos szöveget ők, meglehet, inkább teherként érzékelnék. Pedig nagyon jó anyag.
* Így megy ez: ha a bokorba arany kígyót hallucinálsz, bolondnak néznek, ha tüzet, vallási vezetőnek.
** Aki esetleg városi boszorkányokat óhajtana megbízásokkal ellátni, annak jó hírem van: baromi könnyű őket megtalálni. Csak meg kell kérdezni a barátainkat, hogy hol laknak, és megmondják. Korabeli gugli.
GYILKOS ALLEGÓRIÁK (színes, NAGYON színes, szinkronizált német romantikus-misztikus thriller)
Anselmus, az ifjú diák almáskosárba lép, majd epileptikus rohamában arany kígyót hallucinál egy bokorba*, és még bele is szeret. (Különben minek hallucinálta volna oda, nem igaz?) Ismerőseinek pont nem jut eszébe egyetlen pszichoterapeuta sem, aki szakértő lenne a témában, úgyhogy inkább elküldik őt az egyetlen még nála is nagyobb kaliberű bolondhoz: Lindhorst levéltároshoz, aki saját bevallása szerint egy szalamandra. (Mint kiderül: valóban. Ennyit a bolondokról.) Az ötlet, úgy tűnik, pont annyira javít Anselmus állapotán, mint amennyire józan paraszti ésszel gondolnánk: semennyire. Diákunk továbbra is furán viselkedik, mi több, még fertőzni is kezd. Ezt a belé titkon szerelmes Veronika már nem nézheti tétlenül, úgyhogy megkeresi a városi boszorkányt**, aki meg egy sárkánytoll és egy marharépa gyermeke � de tényleg, komolyan. Szóval alakul a mágusok gigantikus, eposzi csatája, az utolsó Marvel-mozi záró összecsapása ehhez képest kutyafüle. Csak hát ki tudja, ebben a zűrzavarban melyik mágus a jó, és melyik a rossz? Ki akarja beavatni Anselmust, és ki elveszejteni? És mi a jobb Anselmusnak: ha beavatják, vagy ha elveszejtik? És feleségül veszi-e végül a kígyót, vagy sem? És ha elveszi, hogy szaporodnak? Tojással? Vagy mint elevenszülők? A körmömet lerágom. Mert ahol varázslók harcolnak, ott hullnak a muglik.
Tizenhat éven aluliak csak szülői felügyelet mellett. Nem is azért, mert rosszat álmodnának. Hanem mert ezt az egzaltált ornamentikájú, szimbólumoktól lucskos szöveget ők, meglehet, inkább teherként érzékelnék. Pedig nagyon jó anyag.
* Így megy ez: ha a bokorba arany kígyót hallucinálsz, bolondnak néznek, ha tüzet, vallási vezetőnek.
** Aki esetleg városi boszorkányokat óhajtana megbízásokkal ellátni, annak jó hírem van: baromi könnyű őket megtalálni. Csak meg kell kérdezni a barátainkat, hogy hol laknak, és megmondják. Korabeli gugli.
March 24, 2017
"Den gyllene krukan" såg väl inte mycket ut för världen. Ful framsida; torftig titel. Men ack, denna berättelse var verkligen en skatt alla gånger så gyllene som denna i titeln nämnda kruka.
Den olyckliga studenten Anselmus dras in i en hallucinatorisk saga, som verkligen förtjänar att animeras av studio Ghibli eller liknande. Han sitter under fläderträdet och förälskar sig där i en orm med blåa ögon. Hon visar sig vara dotter till arkivarie Lindhorst, hos vilken Anselmus har anställning. Lindhorst är i själva verket en förvisad elementarvarelse från Atlantis; en salamander i förklädnad!
Men Anselmus mänskliga kärleksintresse, Viktoria, försöker hindra att Anselmus snärjs vid salamanderns kraft. Till hjälp har hon en gammal häxa(som egentligen är en rödbeta; även om hennes far var en drakfjäder från den svarta draken, som sitter fjättrad i Atlantis).
Det blir satanistritual, galenskap, och vad som snarast låter som drogtripprapporter, innan det till slut blir trollkarlsstrid mellan häxan och salamandern, genom deras två familiaris: en svart katt och en grå papegoja.
Detta är bara en bråkdel av det galna karnevaliska bildspråk som den här boken brukar sig av. En (för mig) okänd skatt! Rekommenderas till alla som gillar typ Spirited Away eller Disney's Fantasia.
Liksom i Spirited Away blir det i slutet av berättelsen oklart om allt inte bara var fantasi. Arkivarie Lindhorst till bokens berättare: "Har ni inte också [i Atlantis] en hygglig arrendegård som poetisk egendom i er själ?"
Atlantis är alltså allegori för den poetiska föreställningsförmågan; mig tycks det snarare som att Hoffman där är i besittning av en större herrgård.
Den olyckliga studenten Anselmus dras in i en hallucinatorisk saga, som verkligen förtjänar att animeras av studio Ghibli eller liknande. Han sitter under fläderträdet och förälskar sig där i en orm med blåa ögon. Hon visar sig vara dotter till arkivarie Lindhorst, hos vilken Anselmus har anställning. Lindhorst är i själva verket en förvisad elementarvarelse från Atlantis; en salamander i förklädnad!
Men Anselmus mänskliga kärleksintresse, Viktoria, försöker hindra att Anselmus snärjs vid salamanderns kraft. Till hjälp har hon en gammal häxa(som egentligen är en rödbeta; även om hennes far var en drakfjäder från den svarta draken, som sitter fjättrad i Atlantis).
Det blir satanistritual, galenskap, och vad som snarast låter som drogtripprapporter, innan det till slut blir trollkarlsstrid mellan häxan och salamandern, genom deras två familiaris: en svart katt och en grå papegoja.
Detta är bara en bråkdel av det galna karnevaliska bildspråk som den här boken brukar sig av. En (för mig) okänd skatt! Rekommenderas till alla som gillar typ Spirited Away eller Disney's Fantasia.
Liksom i Spirited Away blir det i slutet av berättelsen oklart om allt inte bara var fantasi. Arkivarie Lindhorst till bokens berättare: "Har ni inte också [i Atlantis] en hygglig arrendegård som poetisk egendom i er själ?"
Atlantis är alltså allegori för den poetiska föreställningsförmågan; mig tycks det snarare som att Hoffman där är i besittning av en större herrgård.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 23, 2022
E.T.A. Hoffmann ist im Grunde genommen mein Lieblingsromantiker und "Der goldenen Topf" gehört sicherlich zu seinen besten Kunstmärchen. Auch diesmal wieder hat mir die Geschichte über den Studenten Anselmus und wie er sich in die grüne Schlange Serpentina verliebt sehr gefallen. Wir als Leser:innen dürfen quasi mitfühlen, wie er darum kämpft noch zu erkennen, was Realität und was Fantasie ist, denn hier verschwimmen die Grenzen konstant. Es bleibt bei mir immer die Frage zurück, ob hier wohl das erste Zauberduell der Literaturgeschichte geschildert wird. Falls das jemand weiß, gerne in die Kommentare!
Bei dieser Ausgabe gefallen mir besonders die im Stile von Scherenschnitten gehaltenen Illustrationen, die geschickt mit Schatten und negative space spielen, was hervorragend zur doppelbödigen Geschichte passt.
Bei dieser Ausgabe gefallen mir besonders die im Stile von Scherenschnitten gehaltenen Illustrationen, die geschickt mit Schatten und negative space spielen, was hervorragend zur doppelbödigen Geschichte passt.
August 12, 2015
This short novella may be E.T.A. Hoffman's best work. It poses the big question: What is better reality or your hallucinatory world of fantasy.
The author comes down on the side of fantasy although he does acknowledge that choosing to live in reality is a better choice for the prosaic.
Make sure that the collection of Hoffman tales that you choose to read includes the Golden Pot which provides the interpretive key for everything else that he wrote.
The author comes down on the side of fantasy although he does acknowledge that choosing to live in reality is a better choice for the prosaic.
Make sure that the collection of Hoffman tales that you choose to read includes the Golden Pot which provides the interpretive key for everything else that he wrote.
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