This collection of three uncanny tales highlights the best of a 19th-century German author who is seen by many as the father of modern sci-fi and fantasy. In 'The Sandman', young Nathanael grows up terrified of a legendary figure who will steal his eyes if he's caught out of bed at night - but it's only when Nathanael has grown to adulthood, seemingly settled and happy, that the full, terrifying truth unfolds. A living doll, a series of doppelgangers, and the seeds of madness combine in this classic story of self-destruction.
'The Cremona Violin' also deals with obsession and thwarted desire, this time between an overbearing father and a musically talented daughter who may die of heart failure if she unleashes the full power of her extraordinary voice. Suppressed passion and possessive control prove a fatal mix in this powerful and claustrophobic story. 'The Golden Pot', meanwhile, is a novella-length tale which Hoffmann believed was his masterpiece. Disturbing, exciting and dream-like, it introduces us to the bumbling Anselmus, whose romantic tribulations are complicated by a witch's curse and the fact that he's in love with a girl who also happens to be a snake.
Influential in the worlds of both literature and music during his lifetime, Hoffmann's doppelgangers, unattainable love objects and sinister puppet masters have lived on, becoming key figures in the modern imagination.

- 210 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub
About this book
Information
Subtopic
ClassicsIndex
LiteratureTable of contents
- Title Page
- Contents
- THE GOLDEN POT
- THE SANDMAN
- THE CREMONA VIOLIN
- About the Authors
- Also Available from Pushkin Press
- Copyright
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Yes, you can access The Sandman by E. T. A. Hoffmann, J.T. Bealby,Thomas Carlyle in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Literature & Classics. We have over 1.5 million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.