This edition of the book was truly wonderful. Not only did it have the original story in it, it has the history of the Nutcracker, then the play, Princess Pirlipantine and the nutcracker, the music used in the play, and the cover is just beautiful. It was interesting seeing how all the versions were the same and how they differed. This was a wonderful gift, perfect for the Winter time. I would reccommend it.

I loved the theory behind this collection, but not the execution. This edition combines the original tale The Nutcracker and the Mouse King by E.T.A. Hoffman, but also three adaptations/retellings. I loved seeing the story evolve from Hoffman to O. Eliphaz Keat. However, the quantity of editing errors made this edition nearly unreadable. I also cannot find where the translators are given credit, and that bothers me. I have another book which combines E.T.A. Hoffman’s original and Dumas’s The Tale of the Nutcracker, both translated by Joachim Neugroschel. While I can’t speak for the accuracy of the translations from the original languages, Neugroschel’s versions are more readable. ( )

Mint Editions’ Nutcracker Treasury includes not only Hoffman’s famous tale but Dumas’ retelling, the play version of the famous ballet and the strange (but the one I liked the best) version by O. Eliphaz Keat The subtitle of Keat’s version is “translated, mutilated and terminated”. So there you go.
It wouldn’t surprise me if most people know or came to the Nutcracker via the music or the ballet. Or even the Fantasia dancing mushrooms. Hoffman’s magical tale is different in some ways, and every time I re-read it, I always get a faintly yucky feeling. It is a tale of young girl’s coming of age – it starts with her getting dolls for Christmas and then marrying at the end with no real sense of her having age much. In fact most people seem to remember the magical journey that stands in for her growing more than anything else. That end bit not so much.
And that’s why it was nice to see the operetta that was designed for the ballet. The text for the operetta was done by Jane Kerley and there is a difference in feeling from the stories told by the men (whether or not Keat was really a man, I’m not sure). Dumas’ version is close, though not exactly to Hoffman’s. Keat’s one is the biggest departure and, honestly, the one I liked best because it does seem to be written in response to some of the issues that the original Nutcracker raises in the mind of the reader.
It is a nice collection, if perhaps catered only to those who like the story or like to read variations. It should be noted that the operetta does include musical notation. ( )

This treasury is such a clever idea. It is fascinating to travel through the adaptations of the original and see the changes. It gives one a completely new appreciation of The Nutcracker. My only disappointment was that the cover was not more outstanding. One pictures a treasury to have a beautiful cover design, which this is lacking. Still a worthwhile book to have in your collection though! ( )