The Murr Cat

the Cat Murr is a Romance unfinished of Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann, published in two volumes in 1819 and 1821.

Complete title

Lebensansichten of Kater Murr, nebst fragmentarischer Biography of Kapellmeisters Johannes Kreisler in zufälligen Makulaturblättern. Herausgegeben von E.T.A. Hoffmann

Synopsis

  • Foreword of the editor
  • Foreword of the author
  • secret Foreword of the author
  • First part - Feeling to exist. Month of childhood
  • Second part - Experiments of the teenager. Me also, I was in Arcadie
  • Third part - the months of training. Plays and quirks of fates
  • Fourth part - salutary Consequences of a high culture. Months of virile maturity
  • Postscript of the editor

Characteristics

  • the novel is presented as the Autobiographie of a Chat poet which learned how to write. Ludwig Tieck had already made of a cat a literary critic in DER gestiefelte Kater .
  • the editor (Hoffmann) claims that this autobiography, delivered by the Murr author mixed with other sheets, was printed such as it is, and thus includes/understands pages torn off with the biography of the Master of Murr, Johannes Kreisler.
  • This novel thus contains another book in the form of Fragment S lacunar.
  • the Murr cat was the name of the true cat of Hoffmann, name inspired by the noise of humming. Hoffmann leaves unfinished work when its pet really dies.
  • the choirmaster Johannes Kreisler, musician tormented and extravagant, appeared in the Kreisleriana (1810) of the same author. The critics often regard this character as a Autoportrait.
  • Through the account of the youth of Murr, the novel contains a parody of Bildungsroman or novel of training, kind launched by Goethe.

Translations in French

  • Contemplations of the Murr cat, intermingled accidentally with the biography of the choirmaster Jean Kreisler , translated by Adolphe Loève-Veimars about 1832. Republication in GF Flammarion.
  • the Cat Murr translates by Albert Béguin in 1943. Republication Gallimard " Imaginaire"
  • wise reflections of the Murr Cat, intermingled with a fragmentary biography of the choirmaster Johannès Kreisler presented randomly of torn off layers , translated by Madeleine Laval in 1988. Republication Phébus " libretto".
Random links:Volta (river) | Twist | Trogues | Steinunn Refsdóttir | Known Ruhi | Rubi-Escroquer