The Devil's Elixirs (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. A Gothic Tale of Temptation, Doppelgangers, Monastic Horror, and Fractured IdentityBy E. T. A. Hoffmann
Length16h 15m
About this audiobook
The Devil's Elixirs is Hoffmann's darkly intricate Gothic novel of temptation, doubling, madness, and spiritual terror. Framed as the confession of the Capuchin monk Medardus, whose tasting of a mysterious elixir unleashes forbidden desire and criminal violence, the book moves through monasteries, courts, forests, and labyrinthine family histories. Its fevered prose, nested narratives, and uncanny coincidences place it at the heart of German Romanticism, while anticipating later psychological fiction in its exploration of fractured identity. E. T. A. Hoffmann, jurist, composer, critic, and storyteller, brought to fiction an unusually rich knowledge of music, law, theology, and the irrational underside of Enlightenment culture. His own life, divided between bureaucratic duty and artistic obsession, informs the novel's fascination with divided selves and compulsions that evade moral control. Written in 1815–16, the work reflects his deep engagement with Catholic imagery, folklore, and the Romantic imagination's distrust of purely rational explanation. This novel is recommended to readers who value Gothic literature not merely for atmosphere but for philosophical and psychological depth. Admirers of Poe, Dostoevsky, and uncanny fiction will find in Hoffmann a foundational master of dread, irony, and metaphysical uncertainty.
This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience.
- A succinct Introduction situates the work's timeless appeal and themes.
- The Synopsis outlines the central plot, highlighting key developments without spoiling critical twists.
- A detailed Historical Context immerses you in the era's events and influences that shaped the writing.
- An Author Biography reveals milestones in the author's life, illuminating the personal insights behind the text.
- A thorough Analysis dissects symbols, motifs, and character arcs to unearth underlying meanings.
- Reflection questions prompt you to engage personally with the work's messages, connecting them to modern life.
- Hand‐picked Memorable Quotes shine a spotlight on moments of literary brilliance.
- Interactive footnotes clarify unusual references, historical allusions, and archaic phrases for an effortless, more informed read.
Audiobook details
Rating★★★★ 4.0 (31)
Includes StoryGraph, Amazon, Goodreads
GenreHorror
Length16 hrs 15 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateOct 23, 2018
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1The Devil's Elixirs (Annotated)
26Chapter XIX.
2Introduction
27Chapter XX.
3Synopsis
28Chapter XXI.
4Historical Context
29Chapter XXII.
5Author Biography
30Chapter XXIII.
Show all chaptersShow less
6The Devil's Elixirs
31Chapter XXIV.
7Volume I
32Chapter XXV.
8Chapter I.
33Chapter XXVI.
9Chapter II.
34Chapter XXVII.
10Chapter III.
35Chapter XXVIII.
11Chapter IV.
36Chapter XXIX.
12Chapter V.
37Volume II
13Chapter VI.
38Chapter I.
14Chapter VII.
39Chapter II.
15Chapter VIII.
40Chapter III.
16Chapter IX.
41Chapter IV.
17Chapter X.
42Chapter V.
18Chapter XI.
43Chapter VI.
19Chapter XII.
44Chapter VII.
20Chapter XIII.
45Chapter VIII.
21Chapter XIV.
46Chapter IX.
22Chapter XV.
47Chapter X.
23Chapter XVI.
48Chapter XI.
24Chapter XVII.
49Chapter XII.
25Chapter XVIII.
50Chapter XIII.
Mystische Geschichten: Meisterwerke der FantasieE. T. A. Hoffmann, Edgar Allan Poe, Nikolai Gogol, Franz Kafka, Fjodor M. Dostojewski, A. K. Tolstoi, Washington Irving, Robert Louis Stevenson, Oscar Wilde, Iwan Sergejewitsch Turgenew, Prosper Mérimée, Octave Mirbeau, Rudyard Kipling, Jodocus Temme, Jakob Elias Poritzky155h 48m$2 · $0.00
Nußknacker und Mausekönig (Weihnachts-Klassiker)E. T. A. Hoffmann2h 52m4.0 (18.4K)$1 · $0.00
Elixiere des Teufels: Ein Gruselklassiker über Leidenschaft, Wahnsinn und Verbrechen (Kommentiert)E. T. A. Hoffmann14h 51m4.0 (8.2K)$1 · $0.00
Nachricht von den neuesten Schicksalen des Hundes Berganza (Kommentiert)E. T. A. Hoffmann4h 33m3.9 (137)$1 · $0.00
Das Fräulein von Scuderi: Erste deutsche Kriminalnovelle (Kommentiert)E. T. A. Hoffmann4h 38m3.9 (12.6K)$1 · $0.00
Gesammelte Erzählungen und Novellen (Kommentiert)E. T. A. Hoffmann113h 57m4.5 (133)$1 · $0.00
Lebensansichten des Katers Murr & Die Elixiere des Teufels (Kommentiert)E. T. A. Hoffmann30h 48m4.4 (43)$1.50 · $0.00
Weird Tales (Vol. 1&2) (Annotated)E. T. A. Hoffmann27h 33m$2 · $0.00
Kunstmärchen aus der neuen Zeit (Kommentiert)E. T. A. Hoffmann23h 55m4.5 (12)$1 · $0.00
Gesammelte Werke von E. T. A. Hoffmann (Kommentiert)E. T. A. Hoffmann148h 6m4.1 (46)$1 · $0.00
Gesammelte Werke: Romane + Fantasy-Geschichten + Kunstmärchen (Kommentiert)E. T. A. Hoffmann148h 6m$2 · $0.00
Zwei Meisterwerke der Fantastik: Die Elixiere des Teufels + Lebensansichten des Katers Murr (Kommentiert)E. T. A. Hoffmann30h 48m$1 · $0.00
Die FermateE. T. A. Hoffmann53m3.4 (84)$8 · $0.00
Schwester Monika (Klassiker der Erotik)E. T. A. Hoffmann5h 47m2.9 (85)$2 · $0.00
Der goldne TopfE. T. A. Hoffmann3h 35m3.8 (4.2K)$2 · $0.00
Das steinerne HerzE. T. A. Hoffmann1h 4m$2 · $0.00
Das MajoratE. T. A. Hoffmann4h 49m3.8 (309)$2 · $0.00
Das öde HausE. T. A. Hoffmann2h 39m3.3 (382)$1 · $0.00
Der MagnetiseurE. T. A. Hoffmann1h 45m3.7 (202)$2 · $0.00
We’re AliveKc Wayland5h 10m4.5 (4.3K)$15
The Undead PoolKim Harrison16h 13m4.4 (34.6K)$33 · $0.00
Glacier's EdgeR. A. Salvatore13h 44m4.5 (3.4K)$33 · $0.00
Haint BlueStephanie Alexander11h 55m4.5 (675)$23
The King in Yellow (Annotated)Robert W. Chambers8h 53m4.6 (122)$0.99 · $0.00
Good OmensNeil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett12h 33m4.4 (1.1M)$33 · $0.00
Dark of NightJonathan Maberry, Rachael Lavin4h 59m4.4 (3.8K)$20 · $0.00
The Renegade HunterLynsay Sands10h 7m4.4 (17.3K)$29 · $0.00
The Fall of the House of CabalJonathan L. Howard14h 54m4.4 (4.1K)$23
Lost GodsBrom14h 50m4.4 (18.5K)$33 · $0.00
The Complete Works of E. F. Benson (Illustrated)E. F. Benson335h 9m4.6 (124)$1 · $0.00
The AccusedJana DeLeon6h 32m4.4 (3.9K)$12 · $0.00
Corpus HermeticumHermes Trismegistus3h 43m4.4 (8.6K)$7 · $0.00
LambChristopher Moore15h 22m4.3 (211.3K)$33 · $0.00
CARMILLA (Gothic Classic) (Annotated)Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu4h 2m4.4 (1K)$0.99 · $0.00
The ExorcistWilliam Peter Blatty12h 52m4.3 (285.9K)$8 · $0.00
The Complete Novels of Mary ShelleyMary Shelley128h 25m4.5 (185)$2 · $0.00
Twice TemptedJeaniene Frost8h 17m4.3 (54.8K)$26 · $0.00
Between Two FiresChristopher Buehlman14h 25m4.3 (97.2K)$23
1984George Orwell12h 18m4.3 (6M)$25 · $0.00
You may also like
The Picture of Dorian GrayOscar Wilde9h 2m4.2 (2.2M)$18 · $0.00
Evil and the MaskFuminori Nakamura9h 10m3.7 (3K)$20 · $0.00
The Picture of Dorian GrayOscar Wilde9h 4m4.2 (1.8M)$15 · $0.00
The Picture of Dorian Gray (Annotated)Oscar Wilde10h 7m4.2 (2M)$2 · $0.00
The Picture of Dorian GrayOscar Wilde1h 45m4.3 (2.2M)$3 · $0.00
The Lifted VeilGeorge Eliot1h 58m3.6 (9K)$6 · $0.00
The Lifted VeilGeorge Eliot1h 52m3.7 (11.4K)$2.30
The GamblerFyodor Dostoyevsky6h 10m4.0 (142.3K)Free
Beautiful ShadowAndrew Wilson21h 55m4.0 (911)$30
Armadale (Mystery Thriller Classic) (Annotated)Wilkie Collins34h 15m4.1 (11.3K)$2 · $0.00
The Invisible ManH. G. Wells5h 35m3.8 (266.6K)$0.60 · $0.00
The Contortionist’s HandbookCraig Clevenger6h 41m4.1 (14.1K)$14
The Pirate (Annotated)Walter Scott23h 14m3.7 (1.3K)$2 · $0.00
The Picture of Dorian GrayOscar Wilde7h 51m4.2 (2.2M)$2.30
Crime and PunishmentFyodor Dostoevsky20h 29m4.4 (1.2M)$32
William WilsonEdgar Allan Poe54m4.0 (6K)$2.30 · $0.00
Great ExpectationsCharles Dickens19h 54m4.0 (964.5K)$4 · $0.00
William WilsonEdgar Allan Poe52m4.1 (12.9K)$2.30
Bonita AvenuePeter Buwalda19h 52m3.8 (13.8K)$25 · $0.00
THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY (The Original 1890 'Uncensored' Edition & The Revised 1891 Edition)Oscar Wilde14h 22m4.4 (41.6K)$1 · $0.00