Nutcracker and Mouse-King Part 2 by ETA Hoffman [Fantasy Short Story]

Karyne (00:00:07) - Hi fantasy readers. This is Karyne Norton, your fellow book binger, and you are listening to the Finding Fantasy Reads podcast where you can test out a new fantasy story every single week to find your next favorite author.

If you tuned in last week, you heard the first half of Nutcracker and Mouse-King, and if you didn't, you should go back and do that first. Because today we're going to hear the second half, where things get a little strange. One thing I've loved about reading this is how much it lines up with the old cartoon version I grew up on, more so than the ballet. I actually tried ordering a copy of it on eBay because I loved it so much and I think I got scammed. Good thing eBay has a solid refund policy. But I loved it so much, I might actually try again with a different seller. It's that good.

As weird as this second half gets, I love it because Hoffman did not hold back on the fantasy elements. Do you want to know something I find fascinating? Many current fantasy authors look to classics by Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and Madeline L'Engle for inspiration. Do you know who they looked to? They looked to George MacDonald. And guess who he was inspired by? E.T.A. Hoffman. He's like the great-great-grandfather of fantasy and I think he would be honored and humbled to see how the fantasy genre has grown and how many people could trace the roots of it back to thank him.

Alright, that's enough history lessons and blabbering about my sad luck with eBay. Please enjoy Part 2 of Nutcracker and Mouse King, written by E.T.A. Hoffman and translated by Mrs. St. Simon.

Karyne (00:01:53) -  Nutcracker and Mouse-King: Part 2 by ETA Hoffman is read by Karyne Norton. You can find the full novella in the public domain.

Karyne (01:14:49) - I hope you enjoyed listening to Part 2 of Nutcracker and Mouse-King, written by ETA Hoffman and translated by Mrs. St. Simon. Did you enjoy hearing the old classic? I'm curious how many of you have actually read or heard the original story before. Technically, this isn't even the original, because it's a translation of the original. But I trust that Mrs. St. Simon did a fair enough job of getting it from German to English.

Doesn't that actually sound like a really cool pen name for a woman in the 1800s? I wish I could find more about her online, but I'm not good at digging deep when the name doesn't pop up with easy links on Google. So she will remain the mysterious translator who brought Hoffman's Christmasy fantasy story to life for me, and hopefully for you.

If you think someone else might enjoy it, be sure to share the podcast with that friend. I'll have links in the show notes to make it easy for you.

Enjoy this last week before Christmas. Take some time to slow down and experience the holidays instead of being swept up in the craziness. As always, thank you so much for listening, and happy reading!