Karl Joachim Friedrich Ludwig von Arnim, (1781—1831) is also known as Ludwig Achim von Arnim. Several members of the family are well-known authors, including Elisabeth von Arnim.

I often hear western people say they cannot enjoy Chinese movies because the cannot appreciate Chinese images such as people apparently flying through the air or other magic worked through kung fu practices which are the stock and barrel of the popular Chinese imagination. I have never been bewildered by a classic novel before, but I was by this one. The imagery and elements of this novel, first published in 1812, seem more to belong to the European imagination of the Middle Ages. I was truly bewildered by it and as a result lost interest, although I did read through till the end. I cannot understand why such a queer work is a German classic.

There are numerous editions of classic literature, but I must say this series of DTV is among the more original. The edition is issued in the "Bobliothek der Erstausgaben" (Library of First Editions). Although published without extensive introduction, and only a small glossary, the book throughout has line numbers and the page breaks of the original (historical first) edition are indicated by "page numbers" in square brackets in the text. ( )