The original stories behind everyone’s favourite Christmas ballet
For the little girl Marie, the gift of a handsomely decorated nutcracker from a mysterious uncle sets the stage for a Christmas Eve like no other. That night, her extraordinary present comes to life, defends her from the taunting Mouse King, and whisks her off to the Kingdom of Dolls.
It wasn’t until the 1950s that seeing The Nutcracker at Christmas 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), 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.
Penguin Classics, 2007. Paperback and Ebook, 192 pages.
ISBN-13: 978-0143104834
