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E.T.A. Hoffmann

Series: Critical Lives
Brief Description
E.T.A. Hoffmann (1776-1822) is celebrated for his supernatural fiction such as The Sandman as well as his musical achievements, notably the opera Undine. This book offers a concise yet comprehensive introduction to Hoffmann as a Romantic writer, composer, and public figure. It follows his life as... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$5600

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A revealing portrait of Romantic writer, composer and public figure E.T.A. Hoffmann.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

E.T.A. Hoffmann (1776-1822) is celebrated for his supernatural fiction such as The Sandman as well as his musical achievements, notably the opera Undine.

This book offers a concise yet comprehensive introduction to Hoffmann as a Romantic writer, composer, and public figure. It follows his life as a lawyer, theatre director, and senior judge in Berlin, where he clashed with authorities over their persecution of student radicals.

Drawing on Hoffmann's personal writings and contemporary recollections, it also highlights how historical events like Napoleon's invasion disrupted his career.

By combining his literary and musical contributions, the book presents Hoffmann as a multifaceted artist whose inventiveness, both comic and spine-chilling, remains influential today.

Series: Critical Lives

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  • E.T.A. Hoffmann
    E.T.A. Hoffmann (1776-1822) is celebrated for his supernatural fiction such as The Sandman as well as his musical achievements, notably the opera Undine. This book offers a concise yet comprehensive introduction to Hoffmann as a Romantic writer, composer, and public figure. It follows his life as a lawyer, theatre director, and senior judge in Berlin, where he clashed with authorities...
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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781836391012

Publisher: Reaktion Books

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 01 September 2025

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Reaktion Books

Illustration: 28 illustrations

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 130.0mm

Height: 200.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 160

About the Author

Ritchie Robertson is a Fellow of the Queen's College, Oxford, and Emeritus Schwarz-Taylor Professor of German at the University of Oxford. His books include Friedrich Nietzsche (Reaktion Books, 2022) and German Political Tragedy: The Machiavellian Plot and the Necessary Crime (2024).

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