Undine, published in 1811 by Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué, is a cornerstone of German Romantic literature. The novella tells the story of a water spirit who acquires a human soul by marrying a knight, only to face the sorrows that come with love and mortality. Its haunting blend of fairy tale, tragedy, and spiritual allegory captivated readers across Europe and inspired composers, painters, and writers for generations.
E. T. A. Hoffmann, Hans Christian Andersen, and many others drew on Fouqué’s Undine as a wellspring of Romantic imagination. This free English-language EPUB makes the classic tale immediately accessible to modern readers.