Ferdinand Raimund 1 hr 37 min read

A Viennese barometer-maker wins fairy gifts on an enchanted island, and, being human, promptly loses them through his own folly.

Ferdinand Raimund's 1823 magical comedy ('The Barometer-Maker on the Magic Island') is a delightful Viennese Zauberposse of fairies, wishes, and human weakness, with music by Wenzel Müller. Charming, tuneful stage fantasy. Read it for a founding gem of Austrian folk-theatre, where enchantment meets everyday foolishness.

In its time

Published in 1823, during the 1820s, tales of mesmerism, ghosts, and the fantastic voyage flourish in the romantic imagination.

Reading it

1 hr 37 min read (a novella, a full arc in one sitting or two).