Nutcracker by E. T. A. Hoffmann, Illustrated and Signed by Maurice Sendak, First UK Edition, in Original Dust jacket and boards, 1984

Hoffman, E.T.A. Nutcracker. Translated by Ralph Manheim. Illustrated by Maurice Sendak. First UK Edition. In the original illustrated dust jacket, original hardcover cloth boards with silver embossing to the front and spine, illustrated snowy forest endpapers, and a half title page signed and inscribed by Maurice Sendak.

Presented is a first UK edition of Maurice Sendak’s illustrated Nutcracker. The book was published in London by The Bodley Head Ltd. in 1984, following a simultaneous New York and Canadian first edition printing. The book is presented in its original illustrated dust jacket, original hardcover cloth boards with silver embossing to the front and spine, illustrated snowy forest endpapers, and a half title page signed and inscribed by Maurice Sendak. The inscription reads “to Rosalind/ Maurice Sendak” in black ink. Filled with Sendak’s iconic illustrations, this is a darkly charming interpretation of E.T.A Hoffman’s story, expertly translated by Ralph Manheim.  

In 1983, Maurice Sendak brought his visionary artistry to the stage by designing the set for the Pacific Northwest Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker, in collaboration with artistic directors Kent Stowell and Francia Russell. Unlike previous book and stage interpretations that softened the eerie and fantastical elements of E.T.A. Hoffmann’s original 1816 tale, Nussknacker und Mausekönig (The Nutcracker and the Mouse King), Sendak embraced them. The result was an emotionally complex version that paid tribute to Hoffmann’s surrealism and Tchaikovsky’s bold score. His innovative set and costume designs captivated audiences and helped catapult the then-fledgling Pacific Northwest Ballet company into national prominence. 

Following the success of the ballet, Sendak reversed his usual practice of adapting books into stage productions and instead created an illustrated book version of Nutcracker. This 1984 companion volume allowed him to return to his primary medium, the page, where he could draw on the same rich, imaginative vision he had brought to the theater and further explore the emotional nuances of the story. The result was a transformative contribution to both theater and children’s literature, blending fantasy with emotional realism in a way that only Maurice Sendak could. Sendak’s illustrations play well with Ralph Manheim’s translation of the classic Hoffman text. 

The book was well reviewed upon publication: “Mr. Manheim's is a first-rate translation into prose… Some of Mr. Sendak's illustrations are adaptations of sketches for the Seattle production, but many have been done especially for the book. Necessarily, the manners are different, but the dissonance is not disturbing in the least. The pictures are evocative, Hoffmannesque and appropriately scary… Indeed, illustrations is too modest a term: these pictures are part of the essence of ''Nutcracker,'' not just dressing.” (Michael Steinberg, New York Times). 

CONDITION:

Original illustrated dust jacket, unclipped, with light bumping on top and bottom spine. Original hardcover cloth boards, embossed in silver on front and spine. Illustrated endpapers of snowy forests. Signed on the half title “to Rosalind/ Maurice Sendak” in black ink. With introduction by Sendak. Full color illustrations, as full page, in-text, and title chapter heading illustrations. Clean throughout, without marks or tears. 102 pp. 

Dimensions: 10 1/4" H x 10 1/4" W x 15/16" D

Accompanied by our company's letter of authenticity.