Lebensansichten des Katers Murr

Hoffmann, E. T. A. (Ernst Theodor Amadeus), 1776-1822

About this book

"Lebensansichten des Katers Murr" by E. T. A. Hoffmann is a satirical novel published between 1819 and 1821. This ingenious work interweaves two seemingly separate biographies: the self-satisfied memoirs of Murr, an educated cat who narrates his own life and bildung, and fragmentary passages from the biography of Johannes Kreisler, a tormented musical genius. The novel's playful structure arises from a fictitious accident—Murr allegedly tore up Kreisler's biography to use as scrap paper while writing his own memoir, and the printer mistakenly published both texts together, creating a deliberately fragmented masterpiece.

Notes

Wikipedia page about this book: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Life_and_Opinions_of_the_Tomcat_Murr Wikipedia page about this book: de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lebens-Ansichten_des_Katers_Murr

Author

Hoffmann, E. T. A. (Ernst Theodor Amadeus), 1776-1822

Reading level

B1 · Intermediate

Language

Deutsch