The Devil's Elixirs
E. T. A. Hoffmann · 1776–1822 · Germany
Originally Die Elixiere des Teufels (German)
Why it matters
A monk drinks a forbidden elixir and loses himself to a doppelgänger's crimes across a labyrinthine Gothic plot of identity and damnation. Hoffmann's fullest novel-length descent into Romantic horror.
At a glance
gothic
Difficulty 7/10medium pace320 pagesLabyrinthine plot of doubles and nested manuscripts, deliberately disorienting.
Where to go next
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