Nutcracker and Mouse King and The Tale of the Nutcracker

by E.T.A. Hoffmann, Alexandre Dumas, Joachim Neugroschel (Translator)

Combines the original stories behind the noted Christmas ballet--a German tale from 1816, and a French reworking of the story of Marie and her nutcracker from 1845.

Genres: Classics, Christmas, Fantasy, Fiction, Fairy Tales, Childrens, Short Stories

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1816

About the author

Ernst 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 Coppélia 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.

Reviews

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Nutcracker was very pale, but he beamed so ruefully and amiably that his smile shot right through her heart."

Based on folk tales from Bohemia, Poland and Muscovy, the original fairy tale "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King" was written over 200 years ago in 1816 by Prussian author E.T.A. Hoffmann, and featured the story of a young girl who finds herself caught in a battle between a wooden nutcracker and a seven-headed Mouse King. As the story unfolds, the little girl comes to believe that the Nutcracker - ruler of a fantasy land made of candy and sweets - is really the nephew of her doting Godfather cursed to exist in a wooden form until he is set free by true love. Hoffmann's story was re-written by Alexandre Dumas, who lightened the tone somewhat and smoothed out some of the original tale's rougher edges. It was Dumas's version that inspired the Tchaikovsky ballet in 1892 which did not become popular until 1954, several years after modern audiences were introduced to the music through Walt Disney's 1940 animated film "Fantasia." The original Hoffmann and Dumas stories are presented here in one volume which allows the reader to see the evolution of the tale and to enjoy the origin of the story that has become a Christmas classic, shades of which can be seen in other works ranging from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and beyond.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the marvellously strange and creative novella that Tchaikovsky's ballet is based on. And it is just as surreal as the ballet - but ballets are surreal by nature, while books needn't be. Like a darker, Continental forerunner to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. It makes zero sense, but is more than evocative enough to make up for it.

Our heroine is seven-year-old Maria, the daughter of a well-to-do German family. This Christmas her godfather, the royal counselor and inventor Herr Drosselmeier, has brought among his haul of amazing toys a nutcracker, which Marie becomes fascinated by.

Begging permission to stay up late, she witnesses the Nutcracker and all the other toys come to life. He leads her brother's toy soldiers against the evil Mouse King - a seven-headed mutant - but is about to be killed by the beast until Maria throws her shoe at the creature and knocks it down. Fainting (as all nineteenth century heroines written by male authors must do), she falls against glass and cuts her arm.

Upon waking the next day, Maria tells the whole crazy story to her parents and the doctor, who attribute it to a fever from her wound. But Herr Drosselmeier knows more than he lets on, and proceeds to tell her, pretending all the while that he's merely spinning a tale, how the Nutcracker came to be what he is.

In an adjoining magical kingdom - it bleeds into the real world but it's never explained how - lives a beautiful princess who ran afoul of a scheming Mouse Queen and was cursed to be a nutcracker. Dismayed, her parents sent out Drosselmeier, an important figure in their court, to find a cure.

Drosselmeier eventually learns that the curse can be broken if a particularly hard nut is cracked in the princess's presence, and it must be broken by a boy with strong teeth who has never needed to shave and also has never worn boots (meaning, I think, that he's too young to serve in the military). His nephew proves to be just the kid for the job and liberates the princess from her curse, but he messes up the end of the procedure by tripping on that evil Mouse Queen (who can apparently change sizes) and the curse now falls on him. He can only be freed if a girl loves him despite his ugly new form.

A few nights later the Nutcracker returns to Maria, showing her the seven crowns of the Mouse King whom he slew. He leads her into a magical land, his place of origin, filled with happy people and living dolls and whole towns made from candy.

Maria tells her family about this experience and they all dismiss it as a dream. Embarrassed, she becomes withdrawn, and one day whispers to the Nutcracker that she wishes he really were Drosselmeier's nephew, because unlike the spoiled princess, she loved him even though he was ugly.

And BOOM! There stands a handsome lad, who proposes to her on the spot. It was all true. A year and a day later, he comes back to fulfill his promise, and as far as Hoffmann knows they live happily ever after.

Like many writers of his day, Hoffmann is verbose, and his characters are prone to melodramatic exclamations that would sound over-the-top from anyone, but especially from a seven-year-old girl and a boy of about twelve. Our author often seems to forget just how young his main characters are, and apparently he doesn't see anything creepy about a marriage between a groom of about thirteen and an eight-year-old bride. Huh boy.

I've never been particularly into ballet, but it's a beautiful art form and if you love the ballet I definitely recommend this.

Also recommended for people who like Alice in Wonderland, Phantom of the Opera, Labyrinth, and the works of Maurice Sendak, but didn't think any of those were quite surreal enough.

[Hosein · Rating 5 out of 5]

به نظرم اینکه من اول با باله‌ی چایکوفسکی آشنا شدم، داستانِ پشت ساخته شدن باله رو فهمیدم و بعد داستان رو خوندم، روی نظرم تاثیر داشت. نسخه‌ی الکساندر دوما که هیچی، یه کار کودک معمولیه با تمام جزئیاتی که ازش انتظار میره. اما نسخه‌ی هافمن یکی از بهترین داستان‌هاییه که از جریانِ رمانتیک خوندم. داستان پر از لایه‌های مختلفه، اینکه هر شخصیت چطور تعریف می‌شه، چطور "وجود" زن به نوعی مرتب می‌شه با مادر یا فرزند بودن، اما توی ادامه موقعی که توصیف می‌کنه برای نشون دادن تغییرش اونو از نقش قبلی در میاره، کلماتی متفاوتی در مورد نسبتش با اطرافیانش استفاده می‌کنه تا اون رو توی نقش جدید بذاره... فوق‌العاده‌س. نسخه‌ی هوفمان (به نظرم) بیشتر از هر چیزی متمرکزه روی حسِ از دست دادن، دلسوزی و توهمی که از غم به وجود میاد. مشخصا خیلی توی این‌ها عمیق نمی‌شه، اما تمامشون مثل یک سایه روی داستان افتادن. اونجا هستن، روی همه چیز هم تاثیر می‌ذارن و به نظرم پرده‌ی دوم باله‌ای که چایکوفسکی نوشته کاملا تمرکز داره روی همین نکته.
من خیلی با لیبرِتو‌ها آشنا نیستم، شاید بین تمام اونایی که دیدم (مشخصا از روی ویدیوهای آنلاین)، شنیدم و منبع اقتباسشم خوندم، فندق‌شکن پیچیده‌ترینش بوده. مهم نیست چطور توی یک قرن اخیر معناش تغییر کرده، ملایم‌تر و ساده‌تر شده. هنوز هم ترکیبِ چایکوفسکی و هوفمان می‌تونن به شدت غم انگیز باشن و آدم رو یاد مرگ بندازن.

[Sarah Ryder · Rating 4 out of 5]

2024 Reread Review of Nutcracker and Mouse King; first time read of The Tale of the Nutcracker

I super enjoyed both of these stories and the introduction in this version explaining the theme and message E. T. A. Hoffman was going for about how children were being told not to use or have imagination (hmm, sounds like today…) and how he symbolized that while telling a good story was really eye opening and cleared up many of the problems I had upon my first read.

The French take was much more lighthearted then the original German (with a dry sense of blunt humor that has me wondering if French and British humor is similar and if that’s a reason they don’t like each other… 😂) but pretty much the same overall.

This reread/read has definitely piqued my interest in reading more fairy tales and diving deeper into them, and despite its oddness and darker tone I really enjoy this tale and look forward to rereading (and possibly retelling!) it in the future!

******

December 2022 review of Nutcracker and Mouse King

I wasn’t feeling well one day so on a whim I looked up an audiobook on YouTube of this tale and was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it!

It is an odd tale, not to mention a bit creepy at times—the creep factor was really high when it did hit and literally gave me chills, haha! The story gave me Beauty and the Beast vibes and seemed very similar in theme (though as of writing this review I haven’t read the original B&TB, so take this observation with a grain of salt) and now I want a mashup retelling of these two, lol! 😂

I will say the ending was weird and not my favorite part since it felt rather out of place? Not to mention Marie is only a child and marries a year later? That part’s a bit…off. Also some other parts I also didn’t like or was confused by, but I expect that with these older tales and therefore wasn’t bothered too much by it.

All in all a surprising read I really enjoyed despite its occasional oddness and creepy parts.

[Nostalgia Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nutcracker & Mouse King: 4.5 stars. Excellent and surreal, if confusing and weirdly parsed in places.

Tale of the Nutcracker: 4 stars. An easier to read translation/retelling of Hoffman's story. Better for quick reading.

The introduction provided extensive backstory on Hoffman's life and how he came to wrote the types of stories he did. His views on the sublime and encouraging people to let imagination to take prominence in their lives, rather than fall into the same old repetitive bougie doldrums were excellent, and they allow for a little more justification of the storyception that is Hoffman's original tale.

(See here for my individual review of Hoffman's original work, and here for Dumas' translation.)

[Quirkyreader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun little story to read during the Holiday's.

[Marian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved these two tellings of The Nutcracker! I know I will be reading this again (every year?!) because, despite being a simple tale, it's full of wonderful imagery and funny lines (Dumas especially brought delightful humor to the narrative).

Till now, my favorite story version of The Nutcracker ballet has been the 2009 Royal Ballet version, directed by Peter Wright. Wright's choreography is a spectacular journey from the Christmas Tree to the Sugar Plum Fairy's gorgeous palace, all orchestrated by a benevolent Godfather Drosselmeyer. It is is more Cinderella-like than Sendak's version, and it tells the story better than any other ballet version I've seen.

Though Wright's story is still a favorite, I think Hoffmann's original - which is different in many ways - is just as much of an adventure. If Drosselmeyer here is less likeable, it makes him that much more puzzling. As for Marie (AKA Clara), Hoffmann and Dumas really get into her head, and you can relate to her better, as an apparently timid yet ultimately brave heroine. The dreadful Princess Pirlipat, and her equally tyrannical father, is another piece of the story that gives more gruffness to Drosselmeyer's character and more charm to the Nutcracker Prince's plight. Though that could be a full novel in itself, I enjoyed the fast pace of this backstory within the fairytale, which, to Marie, explains her real world in terms of the fantasy world - something she understands.

(As an aside, there were a couple of scenes that instantly reminded me of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Lucy Pevensie, too, is a lot like Marie - determined to defend what she experiences to be true. Couple that with Hans Christian Andersen's The Snow Queen, and I feel like C. S. Lewis's own winter classic was probably a partial tribute to these two stories. It makes me want to read LWW again.)

[Sandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

I only listened to the Duma's version, but couldn't find it in GR, so I am logging it here.

I found it very boring, specially being addressed to kids. I'd rather enjoy Tchaikovsky's ballet.

[Ana Vizentim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect for that time of the year!!!!

[Priscila Giloni · Rating 2 out of 5]

Acho que esperava muito de O Quebra-Nozes e Quebrei-a Cara. (ba dum tsssss ¬¬)

[Viola · Rating 4 out of 5]

Čaikovska balets "Riekstkodis" jau sen ir daļa no daudzu cilvēku Ziemassvētku tradīcijas, tomēr jāatceras arī par stāstu, kas bija baleta pamatā.
Jauks īsais stāsts, laikam viens no retajiem, kur galvenais ļaundaris ir peļu pāris.

[Rita Zerbinatti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ah, que delícia de livro!
Foi uma experiência de leitura muito gostosa, proveitosa e divertida. Pena que foi tão rápido! Se tivesse tido mais tempo, teria terminado de uma vez só. Eu não conhecia direito a história do Quebra Nozes, e amei entrar em contato e conhecê-la finalmente. É infantil, mas também tem outras camadas que podemos enxergar indo um pouco além da simplicidade aparente da história. Os personagens são tão cativantes, me senti perto deles o tempo todo! Se tivesse lido esse livro quando crianças eu teria ficado ainda mais encantada e tenho certeza que iria fazer grande diferença na minha vida como criança. Adorei demais!

[Lorrany · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tive aqui o mesmo problema de quando fui ler a edição da Zahar de A Bela e a Fera: li o primeiro conto muito rápido mas, ao chegar no segundo, fiz uma leitura arrastada por estar (re)lendo praticamente a mesma coisa. Por isso, reitero que talvez seja interessante não ler as duas versões de uma vez, mas intercalá-las com outras leituras para ter uma melhor experiência. Eu não conhecia muito da história de O Quebra-nozes, só me lembro de ter assistido uma adaptação em um filme da Barbie quando criança, que é mais baseado no balé de Tchaikovski. Foi interessante conhecer os contos, mas não gostei tanto quanto imaginei que gostaria.

[Jesse · Rating 3 out of 5]

If the name "Nutcracker" only conjures up visions of graceful ballerinas and an ethereal Sugar Plum Fairy, then Hoffman's original tale can be rather shocking in its violence (mostly psychological, but physical as well) and undercurrents of sadism. And while the narrative is quite different than the now-familiar story paired with Tchaikovsky's immortal score, certain elements continue to linger, creating an unheimlich quality that endlessly complicates the story's reputation as "only" a saccharine, Christmas-time confection for children.

[Jamele (BookswithJams) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was another classic that I read for the first time over the holiday season, and I literally had no idea how violent this actually was. I did enjoy it overall and am glad I read it but yikes it was not at all what I thought.

[Rosalie Picard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like I read the same story twice because both versions are so similar, but I think I liked Dumas' version a bit more? I know it's the one that inspired the ballet, which I can't wait to see next week.

[Bettie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A BBC full-cast dramatisation of E.T.A. Hoffman's classic tale.

From BBC Radio 7. First broadcast on BBC Radio 5, date unknown. 128kbps.

Dramatised by Brian Sibley and starring the vocal talents of Tony Robinson, Edward Ardizzone, Eric Allen et al.

[Brooke · Rating 3 out of 5]

A charming tale that I was only familiar with because of seeing the ballet a few years back. I'm glad I finally read the book even though the second half was odd and random. Lol

[Maressa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meu amor pela história do Quebra-Nozes começou quando eu era criança, por adaptações cinematográficas e pela música de Tchaikovsky. Desde então sempre tive vontade de ler a obra original, porém nunca havia tido a oportunidade. Nesse recesso consegui ler essa história mágica, doce (literalmente kk) e empolgante. Além disso, vi pela primeira vez o ballet de Quebra-Nozes, pela internet enquanto não tenho a chance de usufruí-lo presencialmente, o que foi magnífico. Aliás, é provável que você também goste se tem uma propensão a narrativas natalinas, fantásticas e breves - e se desfrutou da adaptação da Barbie na infância :)

Uma experiência deslumbrante. Com certeza vou ler essa obra novamente.

[Annie Neugebauer · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delight! I had no idea what I was getting into with this one, but it turned out to be one of my funnest reads in a while. I read the original Hoffmann version. It's charming, bizarre, gruesome, innocent, hilarious, and really just incredibly unique. I laughed aloud by myself and read chunks of it to my husband later because I just had to share. It employs some great literary devices and is actually just as interesting for adults as it must be fun for kids. What an odd tale to have made its way to become a Christmas classic -- well worth a read!

[Gem · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story that Tchaikovsky's Ballet is based on. I enjoyed reading it and the insight it gave me into the Ballet.

The story is somewhat dark, the main character (Maria or Clara depending on the edition) has bizarre dreams that come about due to the storytelling of her Godfather. Having read this, I wouldn't find it appropriate for small children it might be too intense for them. As an adult I love it but I'm a fan of dark.

[Cintia Andrade · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uma graça. <3

[Janice · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this story and the ballet!!!

[Jessie (Zombie_likes_cake) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had never seen or paid much attention to the ballet "The Nutcracker", but slowly I became aware of the hype that surrounds it at Christmas in the US. In December 2017 my husband and me saw a local adaptation (and that makes it the second ballet I have seen performed life in my life!). It was fine, I was not blown away but I guess I something worked for me, or maybe it is just the reader heart of mine, but I wanted to know the origins of the stage production. Jump to Christmas Day 2018, I was gifted this copy from husband but I knew right away I wanted to read this on Christmas Eve, so jump to Christmas Eve 2019: I finally got to sit down and read "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King".

I am not sure what exactly is to be found in other editions but this one contains a lengthy introduction, the original work by Hoffman and an adaptation by Dumas. I thought reading all 3 pieces was a great way to learn about the Nutcracker, I even read the introduction first which I never do with classics I haven't read yet but to me this was less about discovering a plot but learning about how this fairy tale came about and what each writers intentions were, so introduction was a great help. It looks deeply into Hoffman's life and his approach to the story. I then felt adequately prepared to dive into the actual tale, which I really liked. The writing sometimes was a bit confusing (Hoffmann occasionally addresses the reader in a way which could throw me off but which was also interesting) but I loved the slightly surreal, slightly nightmarish path this story went out on. The ballet seemed to mostly focus on pretty visuals and puts emphasis on elements that are only briefly touched on in the story while leaving out whole elements of Hoffmann's vision. And I think I prefer how Hoffmann set everything up, starting with the fact that the story starts on Christmas Eve but then progresses over several weeks, contains a fairy tale within the main fairy tale that is then again connected to that main story in significant ways. I liked the actual plot quite a bit. While the ballet is not without dark moments, this is stronger in that regard. The main message here, where Hoffmann criticizes the strict rules placed on children's behavior and advocates for imagination and play being a part of their lives, I don't remember much of that in the ballet, but it really comes through in the OG "Nutcracker".

Dumas' version puzzled me a bit to be honest. It is longer but it is exactly the same story just with more waffle. His writing is flowing more straight forward but reads also less interesting, his story is less edgy but filled with more details that don't seem to be necessary or at least don't add anything. While I like retellings, I like them for what they add to the original work. This one doesn't add anything but maybe makes the fairy tale more digestible since the writing is easier. But it also has less to say, the commentary on parenting does not really seem to be there anymore and some of the weirder elements seem more out of place in this version.

All in all, I had great time reading this, it was seasonal, it was quick and it was interesting in the regard of discovering how a classic came to be and changed over time (in my mind including the ballet).

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Nutcracker and the Mouse King

About:

The Nutcracker and the Mouse King was written by the Prussian writer E.T.A Hoffman and was published in 1816. The book starts out on Christmas Eve when a little girl and her brother Fritz are examining their Christmas presents. Their Godfather Drosselmeir makes fantastic toys for them every year. This year one of these toys is a nutcracker which Marie is very drawn to. In the middle of the night a mouse king with 7 heads attacks and the nutcracker and various toys fight him off. In an interlude we hear the nutcracker’s backstory. Then after the nutcracker is victorious against the mouse king he takes Marie to a Christmas wonderland, apparently called The Kingdom of Dolls which is a land made of sweet things.

Did I Like It?:

I enjoyed reading the original tale behind the nutcracker ballet although it did seem much different than I remember it. The tale did seem extravagant and all over the place, although magical. I couldn’t believe how many toys Marie and Fritz got for Christmas. Their childhood seemed so weirdly extravagant. Yet the tale was fun. So filled with dolls and sweets. This tale did seem firmly rooted in it’s Prussian/German background as well. I will say that I feel this translation wasn’t that great as it felt a bit disjointed unfortunately.


The Tale of the Nutcracker

About:

The Tale of the Nutcracker is an adaptation of Hoffman’s story and was written by the French writer Alexandre Dumas and published in 1845. Dumas does not really do anything new to the plot, which I was expecting. However, I was grateful to read this version because Dumas is such a great storyteller. I felt his version was more cohesive and read better to me. Although, like I said I don’t think Hoffman’s story was translated well, so I might feel differently if I had read a better translation.

Overall impression of both versions:

I’m glad to have read them both! Of course I’m glad to have read Hoffman’s original, but then also grateful to read Dumas version, which brought more cohesion and his great knack for storytelling. I have a different perspective on this story in hindsight. The story seemed so excessive to me at first. Marie and Fritz’s life so spoiled. However Hoffman showed the life of bourgeois children of that time, spoiled, but orderly. Their toys even put on display instead of played with. Through her mysterious odd Godfather Marie is able to open up her imagination. Anything can become alive, fantasy can become reality, all her wildest dreams could become true. Not only that, but these bizarre occurrences make her more compassionate. She sees beyond the nutcracker’s deformities and has love for him anyway. In contrast is her brother Fritz who seems more spoiled, more out of touch with imagination. Rigid. Obsessed with his soldier toys. Marie breaks free from her previous potential and almost transcends reality. It’s a bizarre fairytale, but I see it’s merit.

Do I Recommend it?:

Yes! If you grew up watching or participating in the ballet, it’s always interesting to read the original story. This is for lovers of fairytales and the bizarre as well.

[Rikke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read Hoffmann's original tale, and just like Marie I was whisked away to a world of dancing sugarplum fairies, icy forests and playful imagination.
While I thought I knew the essential story behind the wondrous ballet, I was completely wrong. I had no idea of the many dark and eerie layers of the story.
Mostly, Hoffmann's story focuses on the evil Mouse King and the Nutcracker's long battle. It tells of the vivid imagination of a child and the perpetual distrust of adults. Marie is quite alone, a doomed dreamer, caught in her own fancies.
Hoffmann's story is very simple and short; the plot is pretty straight-forward and the suspense is rising and falling in all the right places. While it perhaps lacks a bit of depth, it certainly has that very christmassy feel, that we all love so much. I especially adored the short part that took place in the enchanted Kingdom of Dolls. Hoffmann is almost Dickensian in his picturesque descriptions, and I fell in love with the imaginative dream-land he presented.

“At this hour, Marie is still queen of the gorgeous kingdom, where we see brilliant Christmas Forests everywhere, rivers of orangeade, orgeat, and attar of roses, diaphanous palaces of sugar finer than snow and more transparent than ice. And finally, all kinds of magnificent and miraculous things - provided your eyes are sharp enough to see them.”

Because I actually adored the little fairy tale for what it was, I was a bit sceptic before reading Dumas' interpretation. But as always, Dumas won me over almost immediately. He is a master storyteller, and he adds a colorful rainbow to Hoffmann's story.
The most astonishing thing is, that Dumas offers nothing new to the story. He simply elaborates it. And he does it extremely well. We get to spent a little more time in the lovely Kingdom of Dolls in his story, and he allows us to marvel a bit longer at the beautiful Christmas tree in the beginning of the story. He uses a heavy amount of adjectives to set a certain mood for the beloved Christmas tale.
Dumas' voice is so recognizable, filled with homeliness and warmth that it is impossible not to fall in love with his reinterpretation. He also changes the framework of the story, ultimately allowing himself, as both narrator and author, to influence and shape the story in a much more apparent way than Hoffmann.

This might be a new Christmas classic for me. It is imaginative, fantastical, dark at times, and extremely beautiful.

[Ivaldo Rocha · Rating 4 out of 5]

O Quebra-Nozes – Alexandre Dumas & E.T.A. Hoffmann
Uma história que na tradução se transformou em outra,mas não menos interessante.


E.T.A. Hoffmann escreveu “O Quebra-Nozes e o Rei dos Camundongos”, como uma história infantil, mas um tanto diferente do que seus contemporâneos, Irmão Grim faziam na época. Não era uma história originada em contos ou crendices populares, mais nasceu do zero e com personagens detalhados e desenvolvidos diferentemente dos contos infantis da época. A versão de Hoffmann chega a ser um tanto assuntadora e se ambienta nos costumes e padrões das regiões da Prússia, Alemanha e Rússia, dependendo da geopolítica da época. Personagens infantis aparecem em destaque, e seus brinquedos desempenham um papel importante na história.
A língua mais falada na época era o francês e Alexandre Dumas ao conhecer o Livro de Hoffmann, resolveu traduzí-lo e seguindo o mote de “quem conta um conto acrescenta um ponto”, foi um tanto mais além e simplesmente alterou o final da história. Achou o seu final mais adequado ao uma história infantil, mas usou todos os recursos e cuidados ao escrever, o mesmo cuidado que usava ao escrever para o público adulto e assim hoje não só as crianças se encantam com o Quebra-nozes ao longo do tempo.
Nesta edição você encontra as duas versões e poderá fazer suas comparações e escolher sua versão preferida.
O conto foi transformado em um balé, com musica de Tchaikovsky quase obrigatório em todos os natais.
Um projeto editorial acima da média, pois apesar de ser uma edição de bolso, para bolsos grandes na verdade, pois o livro tem 340 páginas, a edição tem capa dura e traz as ilustrações originais de Bertall que dão aquele toque de presente de natal à edição.

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though I didn't love either version of the Nutcracker story, it was still neat to see the inspiration for the beloved Christmas ballet. I definitely preferred the Dumas retelling of the original Hoffman tale, largely because I connected with the writing style and descriptions much more readily, but it did help to read the original first so I could appreciate the changes from one to the next. For now, I think I prefer to have my kids continue to read picture book adaptations of the ballet, but if they are interested when they get a bit older, I'd have no objection to them reading these odd but intriguing stories.

[Laura Hoffman Brauman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've never read any version of the Nutcracker, nor have I seen any performances of it. My knowledge is basically from cultural osmosis. I enjoyed reading both of these early versions of the tale and found the introduction from Jack Zipes excellent for providing context. I'm looking forward now to watching a traditional version of the ballet as well as a hip hop one. I love seeing how different artists portray a similar work.

[Sabrina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I will forever be annoyed that the entire story isn't set in the magical sugar plum land! why did the author feel the need to have 80% of this book devoted to boring rat/monarch politics and war?? thank goodness the barbie movie had sense to drop most of that nonsense


style: 3 5 stars
language: 3 stars
atmosphere: 2.5 stars
characters: 1.5 stars
themes: 2 stars
plot: 3.5 stars
enjoyment: 2.5 stars
overall: 2 stars