The Nutcracker and the Mouse King

Fireside Reading of The Nutcracker and the Mouse King: Fireside Reading by E. T. A. Hoffmann

The Nutcracker ballet was based on this German novella. Interestingly, this audiobook credited the original author, but not the translator. I guess it was just the "most popular" version, whatever that may be. In the ballet, the plot was fairly baffling, as it is in the book. There are a lot of fantastical creatures and a battle with mice. It is unclear why it is all happening.