The original stories behind everyone's favorite Christmas ballet It wasn't until the 1950s that seeing The Nutcracker at Christmastime became an American tradition. But the story itself is much older and its original intent more complex. This eye-opening new volume presents two of the tale's earliest versions, both in new translations: E.T.A. Hoffmann's Nutcracker and Mouse King (1816), in which a young girl is whisked away to the Land of Toys to help her animated nutcracker defeat the Mouse King, and Alexandre Dumas's 1845 adaptation, The Tale of the Nutcracker, based on Hoffmann's popular work. Irresistible tales of magic, mystery, and childhood adventure, these timeless delights and fresh interpretations about the importance of imagination will captivate readers of all ages. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

When Marie is gifted a nutcracker on Christmas Eve, the last thing she expects is for it to come alive. When she wakes to find a very mobile nutcracker engaged in a battle between her dolls, it becomes clear that there is more to this toy than meets the eye. The following day, Marie learns of his story and is plunged into the quest of lifting an evil curse. E.T.A Hoffmann's fantasy novel has not only seized the attention of children worldwide for centuries but also famously inspired the Russian ballet 'The Nutcracker' (1892). E.T.A Hoffmann (1776-1822) was a German writer, painter, and composer. His short stories are famed for their supernatural elements that often reveal things about human nature that perhaps would've been better remaining a secret. Dostoyevsky, Edgar Allen Poe, and Victor Hugo were all openly inspired by his vivid explorations of human character.

The original stories behind everyone's favorite Christmas ballet It wasn't until the 1950s that seeing The Nutcracker.