âThe Elementary Spiritâ (1844) was written by the German Romantic author E. T. A. Hoffmann, most famous for his novella âThe Nutcracker and the Mouse Kingâ (1816) which inspired Tchaikovskyâs âThe Nutcrackerâ.
When Prussian lieutenant, colonel Albert von B. rides from LiĂšge to Aachen, a chance encounter with Paul Talkebarth leads him to a mysterious country house where his best friend lies ill. But not everything or everyone are as they seem, and beset by strange dreams and apparitions, Albert is faced with a battle for his soul.
âThe Elementary Spiritâ is from Hoffmannâs âLater Worksâ. This classic short story is perfect for fans of horror and fantasy fiction and the authors H. P. Lovecraft and Neil Gaiman.
Ernst Theodor Wilhelm Hoffmann (1776-1822), better known as E. T. A. Hoffmann, was a German Romantic author of fantasy and gothic horror. He was also a composer, music critic, draftsman and caricaturist.
Hoffmann's stories inspired several famous operatic composers, including Richard Wagner, Jacques Offenbach and LĂ©o Delibes. He is also the author of the novella âThe Nutcracker and the Mouse Kingâ, on which Tchaikovskyâs famous ballet, âThe Nutcrackerâ is based. The story also inspired the film âThe Nutcracker and the Four Realmsâ (2018), starring Keira Knightley, Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirren.