The Life Views of Cat Murr

In northern Germany, in the ancient town of Bamberg, there stands an unusual monument in the square in front of the local theater. A man in a high-crowned hat holds manuscripts in one hand and supports a well-fed cat on his shoulder with the other. Fans of Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann's work rightly believe that this German cat is more famous than his French counterpart, the boot-wearing rogue. Hoffmann began writing «The Life Views of Cat Murr» in 1819. Soon he started working on the second volume of this unusual duology, but Murr himself did not live to see the publication of his memoirs. He passed away in November 1820 at the age of only four. At the end of his composition, Hoffmann sadly reported the death of this «intelligent, highly enlightened, philosophical, and poetic cat». Allegedly written in his voice, the «Life Views» were later considered by the writer to be one of the peaks of his creativity.

In this satirical novel, which in this edition is adorned with illustrations by German artists Ernst Liebermann and Walter Wellenstein, Hoffmann's beloved cat experiences romantic adventures, engages in philosophical reflections on life, and indulges in poetry. At the same time, the rough drafts of the cat's manuscript contain the biography of the talented composer Johannes Kreisler, and fragments of his life occasionally interrupt Murr's revelations. Kreisler travels from one princely court to another in Hoffmann's narrative, in order to «prolong the thread of his existence». This character carries a lot of autobiographical elements, as Hoffmann spent most of his life trying to escape the hated legal profession, which nonetheless provided him with a means of livelihood. For many years, Hoffmann led a double life. By day, he dragged a dull existence as a burgher forced to attend to duties, while in the evenings and at night he poured fantastic plots onto paper that swirled in his head. Kreisler is a musician in his story for a reason, as Hoffmann was a student of an organist in his youth and later became a conductor and composed music himself, including church music.

The monument to Hoffmann was erected in Bamberg for a reason. It was in this city that the writer served as chamber music director at the local theater in 1808. There he experimented as a decorator, playwright, and director; however, fate stubbornly did not allow Hoffmann to become a free artist and rid himself of the necessity of pulling the burden of office work. Only towards the end of his life, having become a renowned writer, did Hoffmann gain the long-awaited  freedom. The tense existence undermined the writer's health. He left this world early, passing away in 1822 at the age of forty-six.