Mary and Fritz have their own personalities, with Mary being gentle and Fritz being loud and rough. Children are not offered as angelic versions of themselves, and everyday fears of parents are right where we would expect to find them. The fundamental premises of life like love, loss, happiness, relationships, and hurt are all presented in their most naked form.
They do not underestimate the power of a child’s mind. Hoffman and Dumas’s versions have a central theme in common. The original story was written by Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffman, adapted further by Alexandre Dumas, and eventually watered down into the fairy-tale version that goes on stage as The Nutcracker each year.
It may come as a surprise to some that the story of The Nutcracker as portrayed in the ballet is nowhere close to the original story. The Nutcracker is possibly one of the rare children’s books that is true to life in this manner. We learn based on the results of our decision and take chances where we deem them worthy. One can use morals learnt from books and apply them where possible, but there is no scoreboard that assures us we are doing the right thing. People’s lives are not linearly cut by morals they are a series of concurrent choices and consequences. All of us swing between being the “good guy” and the “bad guy” on a daily basis, and if we are honest with ourselves, we may admit we sometimes swing between those two extremes within a single conversation! The aspect I most favor, though, is the third one: the moral. We all live lives where we often loom large in our everyday realities, but sometimes other people loom larger. The authenticity of the tale is that life is not about one or two protagonists, it does not have a “good guy” and a “bad guy,” and it does not necessarily have a moral. I don’t mean our toys actually come alive and battle each other fiercely every night, but the reality comes into play as it’s a story within a story. Rather, its appeal lies in it being so close to our everyday reality. It’s not an age-old story, nor is it exactly every child’s fantasy. If you ever wondered why, this book is your answer. The much-loved ballet is sold out in every part of the world in which it is goes on stage year after year. The holidays are never really complete without a trip to watch The Nutcracker, and they wouldn’t be complete without a cheeky read of the book as well, would they? Visit her blog to read her reviews, and check the end of the review for a link to her Instagram.
Sarina enjoys bringing forth a different perspective and encouraging a different way of thinking through her writing. Special thanks to Sarina Byron, a BSR contributor who wrote this great review! Sarina is a British Author and Contributing Writer living in California. No spoilers in this review of The Nutcracker, written by E.T.A.
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