Review: Hiddensee: A Tale of the Once and Future Nutcracker

Hiddensee: A Tale of the Once and Future Nutcracker by Gregory Maguire
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Are you a fan of Brothers Grimm and E. T. A. Hoffmann stories? If you are, you will like this book. Hiddensee: A Tale of the Once and Future Nutcracker is a beautiful and often sad story of Dirk Drosselmeier's life. As a child, Dirk dies and visits an enchanted forest. The great god Pan gives him a second chance and returns Dirk to life with the mission to find a home for the enchanted forest. This purpose is quickly put far aside as Dirk grows up and learns to navigate the world in all his naivety. Eventually, he becomes the godfather of Klara, the grand-daughter of his best friend Felix. On a Christmas Eve, Dirk gives a Nutcracker to Klara to protect her from the seven-head king mouse. If you know the Nutcracker story, you know what happened.

This book explains the origin of the Nutcracker, but, in my opinion, the true story is about Dirk fulfilling his purpose and giving a home to the enchanted forest at last.

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