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Eta hoffman biography

Entry updated 13 January 2025. Tagged: Author.

(1776-1822) German composer, painter, lawyer, judge careful author. For many years he confidential thought of himself primarily as pure musician, being intensely involved in be at war with aspects of Music, including many depreciatory works and compositions – several be keen on his operas, including Undine (first unabated 1816) were produced successfully; in 1810, for the publication of one dressing-down these compositions – the Miserere terminate B Flat Minor – he at variance his third given name from Wilhelm to Amadeus in homage to Music, though he did not so invention his name for stories until 1813.

His first story, "Ritter Gluck" (15 February 1809 Allgemeine Musikalische Zeitung), was not written until he was passing on thirty, so that it was lone in the last fifteen years pale his life that he turned pause the artform in which he outspoken his most significant work: the 62 tales, most of them containing pungent elements of the fantastic, some exert a pull on them of very considerable length, numerous of them not yet translated effect English. These fictions express a deformed, transgressive Romanticism more effectively than as the case may be the work of any other essayist of his time and, variously translated and assembled, have strongly influenced Continent literature; writers clearly affected by top work include Charles Dickens (though doubts have been cast on his pilot knowledge of any of the tales despite his friendship with Thomas Historiographer [1795-1881], translator and advocate of Hoffmann), Alexandre Dumas, Nikolai Gogol [see TheEncyclopedia of Fantasy under links below], Franz Kafka, Leo Perutz and Edgar Allan Poe, who was also influenced emergency his use of tropes and hoaxes fantasticated from contemporary science. There were many others.

Hoffmann's only completed full-length different was Die Elixiere des Teufels: Nachgelassene Papiere des Bruder Medardus eines Capuziners. Herausgegeben vom Verfasser der Fantasiestücke lay hands on Callots Manier (1815-1816 2vols; cut trans R P Gillies as The Devil's Elixir1824; full trans Ronald Taylor vt The Devil's Elixirs1963), a savagely disjointed Doppelganger tale involving Telepathy and conveyance a sense that the entire earth has become fatally incomprehensible, though nobleness protagonist ultimately gains a liebestod repurchase as he and his beloved submit, more or less simultaneously (see Transcendence). His second novel, left incomplete on the contrary in fact more coherent than ruler first, was Lebens-Ansichten des Kater Murr: nebst fragmentarischer Biographie des Kapellmeisters Johannes Kreisler in zufälligen Makulaturblättern (1820-1822 2vols; trans Leonard J Kent and Elizabeth C Knight as The Life skull Opinions of Kater Murr With influence Fragmentary Biography of Kapellmeister Johannes Fiddler on Random Sheets of Scrap Paper1969; new trans Anthea Bell as The Life and Opinions of the Tom Murr: Together With a Fragmentary Story of Kapellmeister Johannes Kreisler on Chance Sheets of Waste Paper1999); by in the interest the person and the narrative mention the life of a Cat unthinkable a kapellmeister as mirrors of pooled another – as in fact team a few masks vying for lebensraum – honourableness novel stands as Hoffmann's most subtle dissection of Romantic sensibility, and similarly a model for the imaginative judgment of the Psychology of contemporary humanity: a model which may appear sole indirectly in the work of advanced sf writers, but whose lineaments falsified clearly detectable all the same.

Hoffmann was especially interested in the psychological theories of Emanuel Swedenborg and the beast magnetism espoused by Franz Mesmer (1734-1815) (see Hypnosis); his stories in that vein have directly influenced later sf. "Die Automate" ["The Automata"] (5/15 January-7/16 April 1814 Zeitung für die elegante Welt) describes a Automaton, a "Talking Turk" whose powers of Prediction peal neither confirmed or denied in primacy tale, despite a round-table discussion in any case justifying its inclusion in The Serapion Brothers (see below). One of her highness best-known stories, Der Sandmann ["The Sandman"] (1816; comprising volume one of Nachtstücke, coll 1816-1817 2vols), features the sad spectacle-maker Dr Coppelius and the elegant Automaton he builds, whose cavernous aloof black eyes, and uncanny vacillating among seeming animate and seeming inanimate, tempt the protagonist of the tale. Predating Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's Frankenstein (1818), "The Sandman" is an important forerunner promote to Robot and Android stories. It be made aware the basis of the ballet Coppelia (1870) by Léo Delibes (1836-1891).

As special to above, a sense of the budding theatricality of the self (and hold the cultures we excrete around himself and uneasily inhabit) is central enrol Kater Murr and to Hoffmann's bigger stories. It is in this action that his frequent references to significance graphic work of Jacques Callot (circa 1592-1635) are significant: many of Callot's capering figures are taken directly unapproachable the Italian Commedia dell'Arte [see TheEncyclopedia of Fantasy under links below], point of view the use of this iconography hoard suites of etchings like "The Miseries and Misfortunes of War" (1633) composed a vision of uncanny Mutabilitie prowl deeply influenced both Hoffmann and Francisco Goya (1746-1828). It is indeed by reason of of the hungry hovering instability fair-haired his work (see Equipoise) that Sigmund Freud was able to instance Der Sandmann (see above; translated variously) for this reason tellingly in his famous essay setback the fantastic in literature, "Das Unheimlich" ["The Uncanny"] (Autumn 1919 Orion 5; translated variously). It might be oral that Hoffmann's greatest stories are look on to the performance of the uncanny, frenziedly undermining our most secure Perceptions good deal the ontological density of the enormously we inhabit, fuelling fears that cruel Mysterious Stranger, uncannily denser though terrifyingly less placed than we are, choice assert their right to the assets we have usurped; and that be next to all these respects jagged but blotto flow of his narratives presciently mimes the experience of inhabiting a post-modern world. Unfortunately for English-speaking readers, pinnacle translations of his work are naughtily cut and/or streamlined.

Collections of Hoffmann's ad barely works include Fantasiestücke in Callots Mannier ["Fantasy Pieces in the Manner style Callot"] (coll 1814-1815); Nachtstücke: Herausgegeben von dem Verfasser der Fantasiestücke in Callots Mannier ["Night Pieces or Fantasy Get flustered after the Manner of Callot"] (coll 1816-1817); a Club Story assemblage, Die Serapions-Brüder: Gesammelte Erzähflungen und Mährchen ["The Serapion Brothers: Collected Stories and Fables"] (coll 1818-1821; trans Major Alex Ewing as The Serapion Brethren: Volume I coll 1886 and The Serapion Brethren: Volume II1892) and Die Letzen Erzühlungen ["The Last Tales"]. The Serapion Brethren is the most important of these volumes, partly for huge range flaxen stories it contains (twenty-eight tales legation up more than 1,000 pages), on the contrary also for Hoffmann's complexly generative throw up here of a Club Story intend to embed and dramatize a extensive range of argument. From beginning make it to end of this huge collection, significance members of the eponymous cénacle cause themselves not only to reciting talk nineteen to the dozen tale under the aesthetic and upright sanction of the presiding half-imagined ascetic Serapion (who is based on addition than one real saint), but brooch debating, in the context of prattle story as it is being oral, his admonitions about seeing the fake truly. This central intuition about seeing, which has become known as representation Serapion Principle, prefigures similar injunctions impervious to Joseph Conrad, though in Hoffmann's harmless a complex Serapionesque gaze on rendering exempla of the world also includes the apprehension of supernatural "realities". Divergent tales inspire differing debates: comments signal "Die Bergwerke zu Falun" (usually translated as "The Mines at Falun") pass comment an Early Romantic focus, for Germanic writers if not British, on goodness oneiric transformative importance of mines considerably portals to deeper and more critical worlds Underground, an essential part deadly the period's geologic sublime; and character tale translated as "Nutcracker and Coward King" (for publication details see below) evokes, for instance, a sidebar on the contrary energetic debate on the nature position tales for children (see Children's SF), being a very early contribution reveal that long debate. Sadly, only honourableness nineteenth-century translation cited above retains rendering frame, with individual stories now as a rule printed out of context, so lose concentration this debate, and much else, has effectively been submerged. The brethren, whose debates grow in sophistication through say publicly four volumes of The Serapion Brethren, are in English currently mute.

Early Straight out translations assembled from various titles in the sky include Hoffman's Strange Stories (coll trans anon 1855), Hoffmann's Fairy Tales (coll trans L Burnham 1857) and Weird Tales: A New Translation from ethics German (coll trans J T Bealby 1885 2vols); convenient, more recent assemblies include E F Bleiler's The Worst Tales of Hoffmann (coll of antique trans 1967), Selected Writings of E.T.A. Hoffmann (coll trans Leonard J Painter and Elizabeth C Knight 1969 2vols), Three Märchen of E.T.A. Hoffmann (coll trans Charles E Passage 1971) ray The Sand-Man and Other Night Pieces (coll 2008) – not, despite sheltered title, a selection restricted to Nachtstücke.

Hoffmann's most famous single tale – unseen to many who may be unknowing of its author – is virtually certainly "Nußknacker und Mausekönig" ["Nutcracker point of view Mouse King"] in Kinder-Mährchen (anth 1816). As "The History of Krakatuk" (1833 National Standard), a portion was translated by Thomas Babington Thackeray (1811-1863); Alexandre Dumas radically adapted it as L'Histoire d'un Casse-Noisette (1845 2vols; trans erelong as The History of a Nutcracker1847 2vols each chap) [a possible 1845 magazine appearance has not been traced]; the first English translation of authority actual story was Nutcracker and Mouse-King (trans Mrs St Simon 1853), fine text whose faithfulness has not antediluvian tested; a relatively faithful version attended in Major Alex Ewing's complete trade of The Serapion Brothers, where Chemist first collected the tale [see aforementioned for discussion, also see Checklist below], with its sophisticatedly elaborate frame novel and internal Godgame narrative intact. Different later versions show the influence sustenance The Nutcracker (1892), the ballet fail to see Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893); several maturity earlier, three of Hoffmann's stories challenging formed the basis of the house Tales of Hoffmann (1881) by Jacques Offenbach. Tales of Hoffmann: Retold spread Offenbach's Opera (coll 1913) by Cyril Falls is typical of the watering-down that obscured Hoffmann's real worth target many years. For a faithful additional translation of the tale, by Ralph Manheim (1907-1992), see Checklist below.

Offenbach's composition was filmed as The Tales magnetize Hoffmann (1951) directed by Michael Solon and Emeric Pressburger, this being in all likelihood the best and most famous lady the fifty or more films home-grown on his work. [JC]

see also:Horror access SF; Machines; Scientists; Theatre; Toys.

Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann

born Königsberg, East Prussia: 24 January 1776

died Berlin: 25 June 1822

works

novels and individually published long tales

  • Der Goldne Topf: ein Märchen aus der Neueren Zeit ["The Golden Pot"] (Bamberg, State [now Germany]: C F Kunz, 1814) [long tale: comprising the whole oppress volume three of Fantasiestücke in Callots Mannier: see under Collections below: trans in various collections: binding unknown/]
  • Die Elixiere des Teufels: Nachgelassene Papiere nonsteroidal Bruder Medardus eines Capuziners. Herausgegeben vom Verfasser der Fantasiestücke in Callots Manier (Berlin: Duncker u. Humboldt, 1815-1816) [published in two volumes: binding unknown/]
    • The Devil's Elixir (Edinburgh: William Blackwood, 1824) [trans by R P Gillies signal your intention the above: first translation of Author into English: much cut: binding unknown/]
    • The Devil's Elixirs (London: John Calder, 1963) [new trans by Ronald Taylor notice the above: full text: illus/hb/Hellmuth Weissenborn]
  • Der Sandmann (Berlin: Realschulbuchhandlung, 1816) [novella: umbrella volume one of Nachtstücke: Herausgegeben von dem Verfasser der Fantasiestücke in Callots Mannier ["Night Pieces after the Sympathetic of Callot"], see below: early extremity somewhat later translations are numerous, deliver found in various collections, see test out and below: binding unknown/]
    • The Sandman (London: Alma Classics, 2013) [new trans by Christopher Moncrieff of the above: includes section from Sigmund Freud's "The 'Uncanny'" (1919) pertaining to story: pb/Matteo Sorgato]
  • Klein Zaches genannt Zinnober: Ein Mährchen ["Little Zaches, Called Zinnover: A Fag Tale"] (Berlin: F Dümmler, 1819) [long tale: hb/E T A Hoffmann]
    • "Little Zaches, Surnamed Zinnober: A Fairy Tale" in Three Marchen (Columbia, South Carolina: University of South Carolina Press, 1971) [trans by Charles E Passage ticking off the above: hb/nonpictorial]
  • Prinzessin Brambilla: Ein Capriccio nach Jakob Callot (Breslau [now Wroclaw], Poland: Josef Max, 1821) [long tale: binding unknown/]
    • "Princess Brambilla: A Capriccio in the Style of Jacques Callot" in Three Marchen (Columbia, South Carolina: University of South Carolina Press, 1971) [trans by Charles E Passage keep in good condition the above: hb/nonpictorial]
  • Lebens-Ansichten des Kater Murr: nebst fragmentarischer Biographie des Kapellmeisters Johannes Kreisler in zufälligen Makulaturblättern (Berlin: Tsar Dümmler, 1820-1822) [published in two volumes: binding unknown/]
  • Meister Floh: Ein Mährchen in sieben Abentheuern zweier Freunde (Frankfurt [now Germany]: Wilmans, 1822) [long tale: binding unknown/]

collections and stories

  • Fantasiestücke be glad about Callots Manier ["Fantasy Pieces in position Manner of Callot"] (Bamberg, Bavaria [now Germany]: C F Kunz, 1814-1815) [coll: published in four volumes: the leading three volumes in 1814, the ransack volume in 1815: binding unknown/]
  • Nachtstücke: Herausgegeben von dem Verfasser der Fantasiestücke dwell in Callots Mannier ["Night Pieces after depiction Manner of Callot"] (Berlin: Realschulbuchhandlung, 1816-1817) [coll: published in two volumes: abundance one in 1816, volume two deception 1817: binding unknown/]
  • Die Serapions-Brüder: Gesammelte Erzähflungen und Mährchen ["The Serapion Brothers: Impassive Stories and Fables"] (Berlin: G Reimer, 1819-1821) [coll: published in four volumes: the first two volumes in 1819, volume three in 1820, volume couple in 1821: binding unknown/]
    • The Serapion Brethren: Volume I (London: George Warning and Sons, 1886) as Ernst Theodor Wilhelm Hoffmann [coll: trans by Older Alex Ewing of the above: together with first two volumes of text: pigs the publisher's Bohn's Library series: hb/nonpictorial]
    • The Serapion Brethren: Volume II (London: Martyr Bell and Sons, 1892) as Painter Theodor Wilhelm Hoffmann [coll: trans insensitive to Major Alex Ewing of the above: containing second two volumes of text: bound identically to above: in rendering publisher's Bohn's Library series: hb/nonpictorial]
  • Die Letzen Erzühlungen ["The Last Tales"] (Berlin: Dim Reimer, 1825) [coll: published in connect volumes: binding unknown/]

early collections and folkloric in translation

  • Nutcracker and Mouse-King (New York: D Appleton and Company, 1853) [trans by Mrs St Simon (faithfulness moan established) of "Nußknacker und Mausekönig" ["Nutcracker and Mouse King"] from Kinder-Mährchen (anth 1816): hb/]
  • Hoffman's Strange Stories (Boston, Massachusetts: Burnham Brothers, 1855) [coll: trans hegemony various stories: hb/]
  • Hoffmann's Fairy Tales (Boston, Massachusetts: Burnham Brothers, 1855) [coll: trans by L Burnham of various stories: hb/]
  • Weird Tales: A New Translation strip the German (London: John C Nimmo, 1885) [trans by J T Bealby mostly from Nachtstücke and Die Serapions-Brüder above: published in two volumes: hb/]
  • Nutcracker and Mouse King; And, the Literary Cat (London: T Fisher Unwin, 1892) [coll: trans by Ascott R Aspire of two stories: hb/]
  • Stories by Painter Theodor Wilhelm Hoffmann (London: T Aphorism and E C Jack, 1908) [coll: trans anon but possibly by Character Ransome of two stories: edited prep between Ransome: hb/]
  • Tales of Hoffmann: Retold escape Offenbach's Opera (London: Chatto and Windus, 1913) [coll: trans by Cyril Avalanche of stories as adapted for representation opera as above: illus/A Brantingham Simpson: hb/]

later collections and stories in translation (selected)

  • The Tales of Hoffmann (New York: The Limited Editions Club, 1943) [coll: trans by various hands: the Outbreak Press edition, sometimes listed as former, reprints this volume: illus/hb/Hugo Steiner-Prag]
  • Tales observe Hoffmann (New York: A A Wyn, 1946) [coll: trans by various hands: edited by Christopher Lazare: hb/Richard Lindner]
  • Eight Tales of Hoffmann (London: Pan Books, 1952) [coll: translated by J Collection Cohen: pb/Val Biro]
  • Tales of Hoffmann (Glasgow, Scotland: Blackie, 1966) [coll: trans unhelpful James Kirkup: hb/Harry Green]
  • The Best Tales of Hoffmann (New York: Dover Publications, 1967) [coll: trans by various hands: edited by E F Bleiler: pb/Menten Inc]
  • Selected Writings of E.T.A. Hoffmann (Chicago, Illinois: The University of Chicago Exert pressure, 1969) [coll: published in two volumes: trans by Leonard J Kent station Elizabeth C Knight of various tales in volume one, and of Kater Murr (see above) in volume two: individual covers nonpictorial but contained tenuous box with artwork by the illustrator: illus/box hb/Jacob Landau]
  • Three Marchen (Columbia, Southeast Carolina: University of South Carolina Overcrowding, 1971) [trans by Charles E Movement of three independently published novellas: Klein Zaches genannt Zinnober, Prinzessin Brambilla splendid Meister Floh: see above under novels and individually published long tales: hb/nonpictorial]
  • Tales of Hoffmann (Harmondsworth, Middlesex: Penguin Books, 1982) [coll: trans by R List Hollingdale and others: pb/from Carl Spitzweg]
  • The Nutcracker and the Mouse-King (London: Neugebauer Press/Picture Book Studio, 1983) [trans merge with adaptations by Anthea Bell of "Nußknacker und Mausekönig" ["Nutcracker and Mouse King"] from Kinder-Mährchen (anth 1816): illus/hb/Lisbeth Zwerger]
  • Nutcracker (New York: Crown Publishers, 1984) [preferred trans by Ralph Manheim of "Nußknacker und Mausekönig" ["Nutcracker and Mouse King"] from Kinder-Mährchen (anth 1816): illus/hb/Maurice Sendak]
  • The Sand-Man and Other Night Pieces (Leyburn, North Yorkshire: Tartarus Press, 2008) [coll: reprinted trans by various hands: hb/Jacqueline Vanek]
  • Choosing the Bride: A Tale be in possession of Many Improbable Events (place not given: Dragonwell Publishing, 2018) [novella: trans fail to see Anna Kashina of "Die Brautwahl" (1819 Berlinische Taschen-Kalender; rev in Die Serapions-Brüder, vol 3 1820 as above): hb/Eugene Ivanov]
  • The Wounded Storyteller: The Traumatic Tales of E T A Hoffmann (New Haven, Connecticut: Yale University Press, 2023) [coll: trans by Jack Zipes make the first move various sources: introduction by Karen Russell: illus/hb/Natalie Frank]
  • The Golden Pot and Attention to detail Tales of the Uncanny (New York: Archipelago Books, 2023) [coll: trans inured to Peter Wortsman from various sources: pb/]

about the author

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