Christmas - The Nutcracker and The Mouse King

Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann (1776-1822), better known by his pen name E.T.A Hoffmann, was one of the most important German Romantic authors of fantasy and horror. He is probably best remembered for his novellas and short stories that blend fantastical elements with a darker realism.

Among Hoffmann’s best-known works is the novella The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, on which the famous ballet The Nutcracker is based.

Hoffmann’s story begins on Christmas Eve where Marie, aged seven, and her brother Fritz, eight, excitedly await the arrival of their Godfather, Drosselmeier, in anticipation of the wonderful gifts he brings them each year.