A HOLIDAY TRADITION! THE NUTCRACKER: A REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

  GIVEAWAY ENDED
THE NUTCRACKER

BY E. T. A. HOFFMAN

Translated by Ralph Manheim

ILLUSTRATED BY MAURICE SENDAK

ABOUT THE BOOK:

The tale of Nutcracker, written by E.T.A. Hoffmann in 1816, has fascinated and inspired artists, composers, and audiences for almost two hundred years. It has retained its freshness because it appeals to the sense of wonder we all share.

Maurice Sendak designed brilliant sets and costumes for the Pacific Northwest Ballet's Christmas production of Nutcracker and created even more magnificent pictures especially for this book. He joined with the eminent translator Ralph Manheim to produce this illustrated edition of Hoffmann's wonderful tale, destined to become a classic for all ages.

The world of Nutcracker is a world of pleasures. Maurice Sendak's art illuminates the delights of Hoffmann's story in this rich and tantalizing treasure. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

E.T.A. Hoffmann was born on the 24th of January 1776 in Königsberg (now Russia) as the son of a lawyer. After his father's death he has a very bad childhood ending when he went to university to study law between 1792-95. He managed to get into the bureaucratic services of the state Prussia, but was not considered too well. Stations in Bamberg, Poland and elsewhere followed until he succeeded in getting good jobs in Berlin, lastly as a judge after 1814. Hoffmann died on the 25the of June 1822. Hoffmanns interests were widespread. He wrote music, painted pictures and, of course, wrote excellent examples of German literature. His scurrile style of writing, together with a critical tone in many of his works, earned him not too much renommee during lifetime. Today his music and paintings are nearly forgotten, but his writings stand as fantastic examples of German late "Romantik", for example the "Kater Murr" or the "Sandmann". Often connected to the dark side of the soul or the human being, Hoffmann wrote "normal" literature too, but his fame is basically grounded on the "dark" literature.

ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR:

Maurice Sendak received the 1964 Caldecott Medal for Where the Wild Things Are. In 1970 he received the international Hans Christian Andersen Medal for illustration, and he remains the only American ever awarded this honor. In 1983, Sendak received the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award from the American Library Association, given in recognition of his entire body of work. He also received a 1996 National Medal of Arts in recognition of his contribution of arts in America. He continued writing and illustrating up until his death in 2012. 

ABOUT THE TRANSLATOR:

Ralph Manheim, translator of Grimm's Fairy Tales and many other works, was a renowned German-language translator. Born April 4, 1907, New York, he died on September 26, 1992, in Cambridge, England. He was an American translator of German and French literature, as well as occasional works from Dutch, Polish and Hungarian. He likened translation to acting, the role being "to impersonate his author". 

MY THOUGHTS/REVIEW:

THE NUTCRACKER by E. T. A. Hoffman, translated by Ralph Manheim, is sure to become an enchanting gift to treasure over the years. With Maurice Sendak as the talented illustrator, discover little Marie who receives the gift of a nutcracker for Christmas. She is fascinated by it and becomes quite fond of this unusual gift. Marie takes him to her room and that night, as she sleeps, the Nutcracker comes to life and a huge battle ensues. All of Marie’s other dolls and her brother's cavalry men are in the battle.

The story goes on, like a story within a story, when Godfather Drosselmeier tells her about a princess who is cursed by a mouse queen. In order to break the curse, the parents must find a boy who can crack the very hard nut called the Krakatuk. After searching for many years, they find such a man and with great relief they even promise that he can marry the princess. He indeed cracks the nut, but the mouse queen interferes once again and turns him into a hideous nutcracker. The princess sees all this and doesn't want to marry him. But as the story goes, Marie is the one to save the nutcracker in the end and he rewards her by taking her to a land made of sweet treats and candy.

This is a summation of the basic story but thanks to the superb translation, there is really so much more than most who only see the ballet know about. All is not, however, just sugar plums and fairies as there are also some evil mice and the battle is not a pretty one. While not really a book for the younger child, the older children will enjoy the story perhaps read over a few days. Most of all is the richness of the illustrations by Maurice Sendak, which for anyone who knows his work can tell are his. Some are even dark but fit the parts of the story that are as well.

This version of THE NUTCRACKER is a beautiful addition to everyone’s holiday book collection and if for no other reason, you will get your money’s worth just by looking at the amazingly vivid illustrations. Leave it out over the holidays and watch how many adults will flip through it and start discussions over it drawn from their memories of this holiday classic! Yes, this is a great idea to add to your gift list especially for that hard to buy for person!

  GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO DANIELLE AND CROWN PUBLISHING

WITH RANDOM HOUSE, I HAVE ONE COPY OF THIS

GORGEOUS BOOK TO GIVE AWAY TO A LUCKY

WINNER THIS HOLIDAY SEASON! 

   
--U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES
---INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
IN CASE YOU WIN!
--ALL COMMENTS MUST BE SEPARATE TO 
COUNT AS MORE THAN ONE!

HOW TO ENTER:

+1 ENTRY: COMMENT ON WHAT YOU THOUGHT ABOUT THE NUTCRACKER THAT MADE YOU WANT TO WIN THIS BOOK, AND DON'T FORGET YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS

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+1 OR MORE ENTRIES: COMMENT ON WHETHER YOU HAVE SEEN, OR DANCED IN, THE BALLET OF THE NUTCRACKER AND IF YOU LIKED IT OR NOT

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GIVEAWAY ENDS AT

6 PM, EST, DECEMBER 31

GOOD LUCK!