Illustrated World Classics: The Nutcracker and the Mouse King  (English, Paperback, E. T. A. Hoffman)

A young girl’s favourite Christmas toy comes to life in E. T. A. Hoffmann’s classic fairy tale, The Nutcracker and the Mouse King.

Summary of the Book

On Christmas Eve, two children begin wondering what their godfather is going to give them this year. Marie and Fritz’s godfather, Drosselmeyer, is a clockmaker and inventor. He makes them a clockwork castle with mechanical people moving inside. The children are soon bored for they can only move in a pattern. They notice another gift, a nutcracker and Marie asks Drosselmeyer who it is for. He replies that it is for all of them but that she’s going to be his special caretaker. To the young girl’s wonder, the nutcracker comes alive to protect her from the evil Mouse King. He takes her to a magical doll kingdom. This story was adapted into one of the most famous ballets ever written.

About E. T. A. Hoffmann

Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann was a German Romantic writer, jurist, composer, music critic and caricaturist. He is remembered for his stories, mainly of the fantasy or horror genre.

The Nutcracker and the Mouse King was adapted into a play with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The Nutcracker is considered to be one of the most popular and famous plays in the world.