Elixirs of Satan. Level 2 = Die Elixiere des Teufels

The German writer Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann is a classic of world literature. His work has always piqued the interest of readers, with his creations drawing them into an amazing world through mesmerizing narration. "Elixirs of Satan" is a masterpiece... of the gothic novel, one of the most unusual works of Hoffmann, in which he seeks to penetrate the depths of the human subconscious, finding connections between the spiritual life and the reality of human existence. The young monk Medardus, from whose perspective the story is told, cannot withstand temptation – he tries the "devilish elixir," which awakens in him the basest desires and passions. Succumbing to his shadowy double, the monk commits crime after crime. However, when repentance begins to arise within him, he is offered to carry out a special obedience – to write a chronicle of his life. The plot of the novel both frightens and captivates the reader with a series of mysterious events. The text of the work is adapted for levels A2-B1 for those continuing to learn German at the lower level and is supplemented with comments. After the novel, exercises with answers are provided. At the end of the book, there is a vocabulary dictionary to facilitate reading.