The Devil's Elixirs was first published in 1815/16 in two parts, hence why it probably feels so so long. It is a book of its time, I find it to be a little repetitive for the modern reader as events happen and then are retold by other characters at various points in the story so lots of back and forth. And it was a little tiresome trying to keep up with the intricacies of the plot and all of the different characters and how they are related to each other and what fate befell them that links them eventually to our main character Medardus. However, it has a complex and enduring Romantic spirit with religious fervour, madness, and downright weird happenings. It is a classic Hoffman and a stand out in the Gothic Romantic genre, think dark family secrets, unbridled passion verging on toxic, ghosts, personal struggle (in this case the religious struggle against sin), and the romanticism of the Middle Ages. It's hard for the reader to tell what is real and what isn't in this novel as it has a ridiculous amount of hallucinations and dreams so you will most likely feel disorientated and lacking in the big picture until the end. The ecclesiastical language is abit of a struggle if you're not familiar with it but you can get by with a google every now and then and there are some handy notes at the back. I'm still not entirely sure how much of the story was real and how much was in Medardus' head, and how much was down to a confusion of identity, it may need a reread. It was rather amusing that the more Hoffman tries to explain everything the more confusing it became, which did actually make me chuckle. It was strangely enjoyable so take from that what you will! Thanks to the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review.