The Nutcracker

by E.T.A. Hoffmann, Kate Thompson (Foreword by)

Overview

The story that inspired the Tchaikovsky ballet is a magical tale of one little girl’s decent into a dream-like world where the diabolical Mouse King rules

Full of magic and childish wonder, this coming-of-age novella has something for everyone: beautiful dolls, ferocious battles, and dark undertones. Younger readers will be enchanted by this children's classic, while older readers will be intrigued to discover the background to the famous ballet libretto. It is Christmas Eve and little Marie has tired of her new presents, happily playing with a nutcracker instead. So when her brother Fritz breaks it, she is horrified, tenderly bandaging the little nutcracker with her ribbon and putting him to bed. When the clock strikes midnight, Marie is stunned to see an army of mice advancing, led by a seven-headed Mouse King. Her very own nutcracker leads the dolls and toys against the mouse army and a violent battle ensues. This timeless tale is full of the magic of Christmas, but is a delight to read at any time of the year. Its enduring popularity is testament to its originality and charm.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781843915324
Publisher:	Hesperus Press
Publication date:	03/01/2015
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	112
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 7.50(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

E.T.A. Hoffmann (1776–1822) was a 19th-century German author and a leading figure in the Romantic movement. During his varied career, he not only wrote short stories and novels but worked also as a jurist, music critic, composer, and artist.

Table of Contents

	Introduction	ix
	Christmas Eve	1
	The Presents	6
	Marie's Favorite	11
	Strange Happenings	15
	The Battle	27
	Marie's Illness	34
	The Story of the Hard Nut	41
	The Story of the Hard Nut, Continued	47
	The Story of the Hard Nut, Concluded	52
	Uncle and Nephew	60
	Victory	63
	The Land of Dolls	71
	The Capital	76
	Conclusion	95
	Acknowledgments	102

Editorial Reviews

Julie Paschkis's eclectic illustrations accompany this adaptation of E.T.A. Hoffman's The Nutcracker, which includes some darker tales that never made it into the dance and a CD of Tchaikovsky's musical score, performed by the London Symphony Orchestra. (Nov.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

Though many children are familiar with the Nutcracker ballet, Schulman's (The 20th Century Children's Book Treasury) more complete version of Hoffman's "The Nutcracker and the King of Mice" will keep young readers on their toes. This vivid tale of intrigue, wicked curses and rodents hot on revenge satisfyingly reveals why the Mouse King and the Nutcracker were such bitter enemies. The text was originally published in 1979; kids and parents will like the way it's presented here, with a CD containing actress Claire Bloom's reading of the story and selections of Tchaikovsky's music, and with Graef's slightly dark, antique-flavored paintings, themselves spiced with 19th-century decorations, toys and sweets. All ages. (Oct.) Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Susanne Koppe's shortened version of this 1812 story, translated by Anthea Bell, accompany Zwerger's second artistic treatment to make a new package worthy of the story and of the season. No sugary sweetness here, Zwerger's illustrations reflect the darker side of this romantic tale. They begin with the blues and browns of the nighttime setting, then the sepia tones of the embedded "Tale of the Hard Nut," finally lightening when Marie journeys to a make-believe land up a winding staircase that descends from father's overcoat sleeve. Zwerger is a master portrayer of the mysterious, making dramatic use of viewpoint, muted color, and spare backgrounds, against which the actions seem full of foreboding. This heightens the contrast when Marie finally arrives in the green forests studded with oranges and the Marzipan Castle. The Nutcracker soldier's battle with the Mouse King is dispensed with in a few words but the endpapers make up the difference with swirling legions of mice surrounding the valiant soldier. The Hoffman/Koppe/Bell text reads well even if unindented paragraphs and a less generous use of white space give it a crowded look. Since few dignified, or serious, versions of this story are available, this one takes on extra and well deserved weight and will satisfy older readers who wish to know more about the story and a bit less about the ballet. 2004 (orig. 2003), Michael Neugebauer/North-South Books, Ages 8 to 14.
—Susan Hepler, Ph.D.

Children's Literature

An abbreviated version of this holiday story is retold here in rebus form. Kids are invited to place the stickers in their proper places within the text. Even if the stickers are lost (2 sets are included), the story can still be read since there is a blue outline drawing of each object. Each page also contains a list of the words that are represented by the stickers.

Children's Literature - Marilyn Courtot

When exhausted parents collapse on Christmas Eve as their energetic children shout for more action, take out a copy of The Nutcracker. Put on the CD that accompanies the book so that the kiddies can hear the story read by Claire Bloom and listen to the background Tchaikovsky music. If the children are old enough, they can read along with Ms. Bloom and enjoy the illustrations of Renee Graef. This is a most pleasant diversion.

Children's Literature - Jan Lieberman

At Christmas time, the familiar music of Tchaikovsky from his ballet version of The Nutcracker fills the airwaves and theaters. This "Eyewitness Classic" presents the story accompanied by illustrations that depict scenes and reproductions of artifacts, people and places appropriate to the story and its setting. Introductory pages offer a glimpse of Christmas in Germany during the early 19th century and the types of toys children would play with, while the closing pages mention the ballet and reveal a bit about Hoffmann. There is plenty to look at and kids may enjoy looking at the pictures and reading the captions before launching into the story. The story itself is engaging and filled with action. It also has a positive message, although the happily ever after ending--Marie's marriage to the King who had been enchanted and turned into an ugly nutcracker--may not be as appealing to modern tastes. However, the bravery and kindness of Marie more than make up for the fairy tale ending. 1999, DK Publishing, Ages 8 up, $14.95. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot

Children's Literature - Children's Literature

Gr 3-7 An elegantly produced book which most libraries will not need. The Nutcracker story is not appealing or co herent enough to interest most children today. It would probably be forgotten altogether if it were not for the ballet whose story is drawn from, but not the same as, Hoffmann's tale. While Ma rie's encounters with the seven-headed mouse king, her love for the Nutcrack er, and Drosselmeier's tale of the un grateful Princess Pirlipat might interest many readers, the trip through Toyland is cloying and boring. The ending, in which Marie (still a little girl) marries Drosselmeier's nephew and goes to live in Toyland is both excessively romantic and unbelievable even within the con ventions of fantasy. Throughout the story hints of the dark nature of Dros selmeier are given but never explained. Libraries with a need for a good transla tion of The Nutcracker will find that this is comparable to Ralph Manheim's version (Crown, 1984), illustrated by Maurice Sendak, and more complete than Anthea Bell's version (Picture Book Studio, 1987), illustrated by Liz beth Zwerger. Goodrich's illustrations are outstanding. His rich earth-toned paintings have a hazy, dreamlike quali ty which enhances the fantasy. Fritz and Marie are angelic and doll-like, while Drosselmeier is truly menacing. The Nutcracker manages to seem both wooden and expressive at the same time. The design and format of the book are also excellent. Unfortunately the story is not worthy of them. Louise L. Sherman, Anna C. Scott School, Leonia, N.J.

School Library Journal

According to the introduction, the beloved Yuletide ballet that we see was based on a gentler version of the tale by Alexandre Dumas pere. This version, which differs from the ballet in several ways, is based on Hoffmann's 1816 original and tells a richer tale. Clara and Fritz are delighted with the Christmas gifts of their godfather Drosselmeier, especially the Nutcracker, which Clara cares for even after Fritz breaks its jaw. Clara encounters the Mouse King and his minions not once but twice in dreamlike sequences, and in between, she hears Drosselmeier's stories of "the Hard Nut" and "Why the Nutcracker Is So Ugly." Those intensify her resolve and add layers to the story. The gouache illustrations have a beautiful folktale dreaminess-echoes of Chagall here-as Paschkis borders center images with horror vacui designs in single bright colors. The figures are angular and exaggerated but wonderfully detailed. Paschkis plays with repetitive motifs and silhouetted patterns: Clara's long braid regularly whips out of the picture plane. The accompanying CD by the London Symphony Orchestra contains excerpts from Tchaikovsky's score. Unfortunately, there is no credit given for either the introduction or the retelling itself. (Picture book/folktale. 7-10)

Kirkus Reviews