About the book: 2012 / In the mad monk Medard, the main character of "Elixirs of Satan" - the novel that made E.T.A. Hoffmann (1776-1822), a European celebrity, has a mischievous sister - “Sister Monica”. Vile monks, robbers, knights, strict teachers, malicious transvestites, court ladies and daring officers, pale virgins and vicious villains flash across the pages of the book, published anonymously in 1815. The heroes reflect on the principles of natural law, the eternal world, the destiny of women, the physiology of martyrdom, Masonic secrets... In this bizarre hymn to carnal love, Gothic horrors, accompanied by voluptuous moans, merge with exquisite eroticism, and educational satire, accompanied by the whistling of whips, with sublime romantic ideals. skirts, whips flying, punishing, screaming, moaning, torturing. Monks and lesbians, soldiers and nuns, teachers and noble ladies do this with each other - everything, indiscriminately. But all this is described with some skill, and the author of the book is a very well-read gentleman.” Wulf Segebrecht Any reader who feels the rhythm, pressure and sound of language and is familiar with Hoffmann’s work, with the features and quirks of his style, from the very first pages of the novel the blood relationship of “Monica” will be revealed ” with the writer’s stories.” Rudolf Frank