The Sandman (Fantasy and Horror Classics)

By E. A. Hoffman

E. T. A. Hoffmann is seen as a pioneer of both Romanticism and fantasy literature, and his novella, Mademoiselle de Scudéri: A Tale from the Times of Louis XIV is often cited as the first ever detective story. Hoffman's story 'The Sandman' provided both the inspiration for Léo Delibes's ballet Coppélia, and the basis for a highly influential essay by Sigmund Freud, called 'The Uncanny'. Indeed, Freud referred to Hoffman as the "unrivalled master of the uncanny in literature." Many of the demonic and thriller stories, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Read Books Ltd.
• Release date: Apr 16, 2013
• ISBN: 9781447480211

Reviews for The Sandman (Fantasy and Horror Classics)

[readingover50 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The Sandman was originally published in 1816. I read the book through the Serial Reader App. Because this is a short story, I think I would have enjoyed it better reading it all in one sitting, rather than broken up into seven sections. Still, there was much creepiness in the story.

The opening finds Nathanael remembering an incident from his childhood, when a terrifying figure he called the Sandman would come to visit his house. Years later, when Nathanael is away at University, he runs into a man he thinks is the Sandman, in disguise. Nathanael begins to doubt his own sanity as he tries to find out what is happening.

I am not an expert in the literature of the early 1800's, but I thought the plot of the story seemed fairly modern. Especially the introduction of an automaton. I enjoyed portions of this, while I thought other portions dragged a bit. The style was a little overwrought for my tastes.

[thecrow2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A classic gothic supernatural short story about a childhood monster and a doll came to life.

[altheaann · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

About the title story only...

E.T.A. HOFFMANN, The Sandman
(1816).

Remarkably modern-feeling in theme, probably because lately we've had quite a few writers harking back to this kind of story. The sinister traveling merchant Coppelius/Coppola, selling his 'eyes-a' is reflected in “Ilse, Who Saw Clearly” by E. Lily Yu, for example. And of course, the whole steampunk genre loves to explore the idea of clockwork automata.
To a modern reader, the structure of the story flows a bit oddly and unevenly, and the language is quite overwrought (although this may be an artifact of translation [?]) - but its careful ambiguity and depiction of a decline into madness are effectively done. I was familiar with the plotline of the ballet, Coppélia, which was based on this story - but the original tale is far, far darker.

[arkrayder · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I found "The Sandman" a little trippy to read. Nathanael, the so called hero" comes across as a neurotic man, who has had a traumatic childhood, what with his grandmother scaring him with tales of the Sandman sprinkling sand in his eyes and then stealing them and the murder of his father. These events take root in him and setup what happens when Nathanael becomes an adult. From a psychological viewport it's hard to know if Nathaneal is perfectly sane or is already insane from the outset of the story. The disjointed structure of the narrative lends itself to this viewpoint as it could be said to represent Nathanael's mindset. The story is a quick read and holds together well for a two hundred year old tale.

[drardavis · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Out of the mists of history, translated from German, and told in a style no longer in existence, comes a chilling sci-fi tale. I don’t know the connections, but this has similarities to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, published the same year. It deals with artificial intelligence, and with the devil. I found it referred to in Gods and Robots by Adriene Mayor when she was talking about the “uncanny valley” response phenomenon dealing with constructing robots that are “too lifelike.” There is an unforgettable scene in the middle where an optician, the devil, eyeballs, and spectacles torment the hapless main character. An update to this story would make a great Twilight Zone episode.

[edwinbcn · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It seems Central-European Gothic stories are much more frightening than there Anglo-American counterparts, perhaps because they go back deeper having roots in pre-Christian stories and medieval literature. Within barely 70 pages Der Sandmann can be shown to have several layers of meaning, each more frightening than the other.There are numerous editions of classic literature, but I must say this series of DTV is among the more original. The edition is issued in the "Bibliothek der Erstausgaben" (Library of First Editions). Although published without extensive introduction, and only a small glossary, the book throughout has line numbers and the page breaks of the original (historical first) edition are indicated by "page numbers" in square brackets in the text. This edition is published with an afterword by Joseph Kiermeier-Debre, but I also read the afterword to the Reclam edition by Rudolf Drux, which I liked more.I was elated to discover that Delibes ballet "Coppelia" is a reference to this short story.This was a very impressive story, and while the critical literature opened some avenues for understanding, the story completely speaks for itself, and offers a thoroughly thrilling reading experience. Highly recommended.

[michael5rimmer · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Sandman is a nightmarish figure from the childhood memories of the main character, Nathanael, and to what degree the characters Coppelius and Coppola are actually daemonic creatures or projections of Nathanael's fears, Hoffmann leaves to the reader to decide. The most horrifying element for me was Nathanael's extreme narcissism, in which he was very much a pitiable victim as well as, ultimately, an abuser. There's lots of psychology to unpack, which Freud did, badly, in my opinion.Freud's analysis of Hoffman's "The Sandman" in his essay The Uncanny focuses on Nathanael's "castration complex" as a means of resolving the 'good' and 'bad' father figures in his psyche. Freud consistently misapprehended the accounts of childhood abuse his clients told him of, because how could the respectable burghers of Vienna who brought to him their wives, daughters and sons, be the same monsters who plagued their dreams, or the same men who paid his fees?Consequently, Freud developed a psychological theory based on his inability to face the horrifying truth of patriarchal violence and abuse, presenting the world with the victim-blaming concepts of a feminine predisposition to neurosis and of childhood sexual fantasizing over parents, ideas which, sadly, continue to give cover to paedophiles and abusers, especially when the perpetrators are people of "good (or royal) character".

[josephcamilleri-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Nathanael’s childhood is haunted by the mysterious figure of Coppelius, a lawyer-friend of his father who regularly turns up at their house for night-time alchemical sessions. Nathanael associates Coppelius with the mythical Sandman, the legendary being said to steal the eyes of children who refuse to go to sleep. When Nathanael’s father dies as a result of an experiment gone wrong, this ominous mental link is sealed once and for all. Years later, with Nathanael now a university student, unwelcome memories are reawakened by the arrival in town of Italian barometer salesman Coppola. Could he be Coppelius under an assumed name? And what is his association with Professor Spalanzani? Nathanael’s ruminations increasingly skirt obsession. His infatuation with Olimpia, Spalanzani’s perfectly-formed but strangely uncommunicative daughter, only adds to his emotional confusion.

I have the impression that continental Gothic tends to be more earnest and intense than English Gothic. No doubt this is a generalisation which invites any number of exceptions. However, it is certainly true of E.T.A. Hoffmann’s The Sandman (1816). Almost unremittingly dark, its bleakness is only tempered, if at all, by occasional bursts of black humour. The plot is underpinned by vague aura of supernatural dread, although from the start there is a strong suggestion that this is a tale not of ghosts or monsters but of a very human madness which may be more terrifying than any phantom.

A classic of its kind, The Sandman has inspired later authors including Poe and composers such as Delibes and Offenbach. This annotated Alma Classics edition features a new translation by Christopher Moncrieff and includes in an Appendix a few pages from Sigmund Freud’s The Uncanny – a celebrated essay which gives a predictably psycho-sexual interpretation of Hoffmann’s novella.

[lexc-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

My eyes are precious to me... which is what you will understand and surely state as well after reading this German classic. There is a translation available, but if you are able to read the original, just do it. The language is powerful and makes this tense story even more enjoyable.I first read the book in uni (German class) and we had to analyse it which took away most of the fun of reading it. Years later, I find myself re-reading it and enjoying it immensely. It helps to know a little bit about the author and the time he wrote in, but taken by itself, this story a concrete mixture of crime and fantasy that's really worthwhile. Recommendable for adult readers.