A review by ghada_mohammed
The Golden Pot: and other tales of the uncanny by E.T.A. Hoffmann, Peter Wortsman

dark emotional reflective sad

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

A captivating collection that seamlessly combined everyday mundanity with otherworldly surrealism to yield a whimsical and rather dark fairy-tale-like portrait that might just barely offer a peak into Hoffman's apparently complex psyche. Personally, I always struggle with reviewing collections and this one was particularly difficult: while some of the stories were truly delightful (the eponymous piece, the golden pot, and Ritter Gluck mainly), others were tedious and a struggle to get through, while the rest were frankly forgettable and did not merit much of an opinion; for that, I shall refrain from posting a rating that might discourage or mislead future readers. As for the translation itself, it was easy to follow and further offered footnotes that helpfully provided context.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.