E. T. A. Hoffmann (1776–1822)

The Sandman is a nightmarish figure from the childhood memories of the main character, Nathanael, and to what degree the characters Coppelius and Coppola are actually daemonic creatures or projections of Nathanael's fears, Hoffmann leaves to the reader to decide. The most horrifying element for me was Nathanael's extreme narcissism, in which he was very much a pitiable victim as well as, ultimately, an abuser. There's lots of psychology to unpack, which Freud did, badly, in my show more opinion.

Freud's analysis of Hoffman's "The Sandman" in his essay The Uncanny focuses on Nathanael's "castration complex" as a means of resolving the 'good' and 'bad' father figures in his psyche. Freud consistently misapprehended the accounts of childhood abuse his clients told him of, because how could the respectable burghers of Vienna who brought to him their wives, daughters and sons, be the same monsters who plagued their dreams, or the same men who paid his fees?

Consequently, Freud developed a psychological theory based on his inability to face the horrifying truth of patriarchal violence and abuse, presenting the world with the victim-blaming concepts of a feminine predisposition to neurosis and of childhood sexual fantasizing over parents, ideas which, sadly, continue to give cover to paedophiles and abusers, especially when the perpetrators are people of "good (or royal) character". show less

Hoffmann, hayatının son yıllarında yazmış olduğu bu eserde Rabelais ve Sterne’ün muzip edebiyatına olan vefa borcunu ortaya koyduğu gibi, Kafka’dan Poe’ya, Bulgakov’dan Marquez’e gerçekliğimizi anlatmak için doğaüstü anlara başvurmuş olan çağdaş yazarların da izleyeceği bir yol tutturmuştur. Hastalık hastası, insansevmez besteci Johannes
Kreisler’in anılarını yazdığı kâğıtları kendi anıları için müsvedde olarak kullanan sıradan bir kedinin show more hayat hikâyesini anlatmaya koyulan Hoffmann’ın bu ikili anlatısı öylesine moderndir ki, okurlar onun zevkine ve hicvine ancak 20. yüzyılda yetişebilmiştir. Her bir sayfasında Hoffmann’ın ustalığını ve öngörüsünü sezdiğimiz bu roman, şüphesiz yayımlandığı yüzyılın en tuhaf kitaplarından bir tanesi.

“Hoffmann gibi parlak, ehlileştirilmemiş ve benzersiz bir aklın bıraktığı ürünlerin hatırası ilelebet merak nesneleri olarak zihinlerde kalmalı.”
THOMAS CARLYLE show less

A creepy and original Gothic masterclass, with the added bonus of carrying great thematic depth. Traumatised from youth by stories of the Sandman, a folklore figure who helps children fall to sleep, our unfortunate protagonist Nathaniel associates this benign character with a brutal man who worked with his father when Nathaniel was a child, who coincidentally arrived at their house each night when the children were sent to bed. As a young adult, Nathaniel encounters a man who reminds him of show more his father's old associate, and begins a descent into madness.

The story carries a lot of depth, and like many great short stories it can be interpreted in different ways; namely, whether Nathaniel is correct in his suspicions or whether he is truly going mad. It sets the then-contemporary Enlightenment and Romantic movements against each other, much like its stablemate Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, which was published a couple of years later. It is a very accomplished story, even in translation, and serves as a bridge between traditional supernatural-monster folklore and more modern psychological horror. But it is more than a cultural museum piece: it reads very well and is an all-round excellent choice for a short dose of rich, rewarding entertainment. show less

Незавершаны раман “Жыццёвыя погляды ката Мурра”, пабудаваны на іранічнай паралелі паміж светам жывёл і светам людзей. Гэта філасофскае сутыкненне двух міроў: рацыянальнага і рамантычнага. Раман ў нейкім сэнсе аўтабіяграфічны, дзе дыхатамія ўнутранага свету аўтара show more прарываецца на старонкі кнігі. Дый і ў самім рамане два раманы: аўтабіяграфія навуковага ката і жыццё прыдворнага капельмайстра.
"Залаты гаршчок" — казка-аповесць Гофмана пра летуценнага Ансельма і яго свет чараўніцтва і дзівацтваў. У казкі шчаслівы канец з глыбокім сэнсам. Вы яго знайшлі?
"Шчаўкунок і Мышыны кароль" нават не буду апісваць, бо калі і не чыталі, так дакладна глядзелі мульт, альбо нават балет. 😀

Які варыянт вам спадабаўся больш? show less