Wilhelm Hauffs sämtliche Werke in sechs Bänden. Bd. 3 by Wilhelm Hauff

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Wilhelm Hauffs sämtliche Werke in sechs Bänden. Bd. 3 by Wilhelm Hauff

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By Nancy Miller Posted on Feb 5, 2026

In Category - Oral History

Authors: Hauff, Wilhelm, 1802-1827 Published By : Hauff, Wilhelm, 1802-1827

Book Language: German

Hey, have you ever picked up a book that feels like finding a secret door in your own house? That's this collection. Wilhelm Hauff only lived to 25, but in this third volume of his complete works, he packs a lifetime of imagination. Forget dry fairy tales—these are stories with bite. You'll meet a young man who sells his shadow to a mysterious stranger for a bag of endless gold, only to find that being shadowless makes him a monster in the eyes of everyone he meets. There's a chilling ghost story set in an abandoned castle that will make you check over your shoulder. And my personal favorite, 'The Cold Heart,' is a dark fable about a charcoal burner who trades his warm, feeling heart for wealth and power, becoming something cold and calculating. The main conflict isn't just good versus evil; it's about what we're willing to sacrifice—our humanity, our compassion, our very soul—for the things we think we want. Hauff asks the tough questions through fantasy, and the answers are hauntingly relevant. It's like the Brothers Grimm met a philosopher in a tavern and they decided to write down the stories they told each other.

File: Wilhelm Hauffs sämtliche Werke in sechs Bänden. Bd. 3 by Wilhelm Hauff

Let's talk about what's actually in this book. This isn't one novel, but a treasure chest of Hauff's shorter works. The big hitter is the complete 'The Story of the Ghost-Ship' and the novella 'The Man in the Moors', but it's the fairy tales and fables that truly shine.

The Story

Don't expect a single plot. Think of this as a tour through Hauff's brilliantly strange mind. In 'Peter Munk, the Charcoal Burner' (better known as 'The Cold Heart'), we follow a poor man who makes a deal with a forest spirit. He gets rich, but loses his ability to feel joy or love. In 'The Story of the Ghost-Ship,' a sailor stumbles upon a phantom vessel with a cursed crew, bound to sail forever. Another story, 'The Severed Hand,' is a gripping Orientalist tale of betrayal and revenge. Each story is its own complete world, but they're linked by Hauff's sharp eye for human weakness and his love for a moral that makes you think.

Why You Should Read It

I love this because Hauff's stories feel dangerous. They're not safe, sanitized bedtime stories. The magic has a cost, and the characters face real, often terrible, consequences for their greed or pride. His writing is clear and vivid—you can smell the pine forests and feel the chill of the ghost ship's deck. What gets me is how modern these 200-year-old stories feel. The anxiety about losing yourself in the pursuit of success? The fear of being an outcast because you're different? Hauff was writing about that in the 1820s. He creates fantasy situations that act like a magnifying glass, focusing sunlight on the flaws and yearnings we all recognize.

Final Verdict

This is perfect for anyone who thinks classic fairy tales are for kids. It's for readers who love the eerie vibe of Poe or the moral complexity of Hawthorne, but wrapped up in the folkloric style of the Brothers Grimm. If you enjoy stories where the magic system has strict, often brutal rules, and where characters don't get off easy, you'll devour this. It's also a great pick for a book club—every story is a conversation starter about desire, morality, and the price of getting what you wish for. Just maybe don't read 'The Ghost-Ship' right before bed.

🔖 Legal Disclaimer

This digital edition is based on a public domain text. It is available for public use and education.