The Nutcracker

<b>One of six beloved Christmas classics in collectible hardcover editions</b><br> <br>Written in 1816 by one of the leaders of German Romanticism for his children, nephews, and nieces, <i>The Nutcracker </i>captures better than any other story a child’s wonder at Christmas. The gift of a handsomely decorated nutcracker from a mysterious uncle sets the stage for a Christmas Eve like no other for the little girl Marie. That night, Marie’s extraordinary present comes to life, defends her from the taunting Mouse King, and whisks her off to the Kingdom of Dolls. The inspiration for the classic ballet, E. T. A. Hoffmann’s irresistible tale of magic and childhood adventure continues to captivate readers of all ages. Today, many of the most enchanting symbols of Christmas, from nutcrackers to sugar plums to mistletoe, are still imbued with the power of this story.<br> <br><b>Penguin Christmas Classics</b><br> <br>Give the gift of literature this Christmas.<br> <br>Penguin Christmas Classics honor the power of literature to keep on giving through the ages. The six volumes in the series are not only our most beloved Christmas tales, they also have given us much of what we love about the holiday itself. <i>A Christmas Carol</i> revived in Victorian England such Christmas hallmarks as the Christmas tree, holiday cards, and caroling. The Yuletide yarns of Anthony Trollope popularized throughout the British Empire and around the world the trappings of Christmas in London. <i>The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus </i>created the origin story for the presiding spirit of Christmas as we know it. The holiday tales of Louisa May Alcott shaped the ideal of an American Christmas. <i>The Night Before Christmas</i> brought forth some of our earliest Christmas traditions as passed down through folk tales. And <i>The Nutcracker</i> inspired the most famous ballet in history, one seen by millions in the twilight of every year.<br> <br>Beautifully designed hardcovers—with foil-stamped jackets, decorative endpapers, and nameplates for personalization—in a small trim size that makes them perfect stocking stuffers, Penguin Christmas Classics embody the spirit of giving that is at the heart of our most time-honored stories about the holiday.<br> <br>Collect all six Penguin Christmas Classics:<br> <br><i>A Christmas Carol</i> by Charles Dickens<br><i>Christmas at Thompson Hall: And Other Christmas Stories</i> by Anthony Trollope<br><i>The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus </i>by L. Frank Baum<br><i>A Merry Christmas: And Other Christmas Stories</i> by Louisa May Alcott<br><i>The Night Before Christmas</i> by Nikolai Gogol<br><i>The Nutcracker</i> by E. T. A. Hoffmann<br><br>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. <p><b>The story that inspired the legendary ballet, presented in a beautiful hardcover edition perfect for giving as a gift.</b><br><br>Written in 1816 by the German Romantic E. T. A. Hoffmann for his children, nephews and nieces, <i>The Nutcracker</i> captures better than any other story a child's wonder at Christmas. Since its publication, it has inspired hundreds of artists and adaptations, most notably the legendary ballet, scored by Russian composer Pytor Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Today, the story - and its enchanting images of sugar plums and nutcrackers, mistletoe and the Kingdom of the Dolls - continues to cast its fantastical spell on readers of all ages.<br><br>E. T. A. Hoffmann (1776-1822) was one of the major figures of European Romanticism, specializing in tales of the fantastical and uncanny. He was also a music critic, jurist, composer and caricaturist. His <i>Tales of Hoffmann</i>, available in Penguin Classics, includes such masterpieces as 'Mademoiselle de Scudery', one of the earliest example of crime fiction, and Hoffmann's terrifying version of 'The Sandman'. <br><br>Joachim Neugroschel won three PEN translation awards and the French-American Foundation Translation Prize. He translated Thomas Mann's <i>Death in Venice</i> and Sacher-Masoch's <i>Venus in Furs</i>, among other works, for Penguin Classics.</p>