E.T.A. Hoffmann "Nutcracker" – First Edition (1984) Illustrated - Maurice Sendak

A rare opportunity to own a First Edition (1984) of The Nutcracker by E.T.A. Hoffmann, translated by Ralph Manheim and brilliantly illustrated by Maurice Sendak, the beloved creator of Where the Wild Things Are. Published by Crown Publishers, this richly designed volume captures Hoffmann’s enchanting Christmas tale through Sendak’s singular imagination — the same creative vision that inspired his acclaimed stage designs for the Pacific Northwest Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker.

This copy includes a contemporaneous 1984 newspaper feature profiling Sendak and the release of this very edition — an extraordinary piece of contextual provenance for collectors. It is also inscribed and dated “Dec. 25, 1984,” marking it as a Christmas gift from the book’s original year of publication. The interior pages are pristine, the binding tight, and the dust jacket remains in very good overall condition with only minimal areas of wear around some of the corners. Please see pictures for condition