The mad monk Medard, the main character of "Elixirs of Satan" - the novel that made E.T.A. Hoffmann (1776 – 1822), a European celebrity, has a mischievous sister – “Sister Monica”. Vile monks, robbers, knights, strict teachers, malicious transvestites, court ladies and daring officers, pale virgins and vicious villains flash across the pages of the book, published anonymously in 1815. The heroes reflect on the principles of natural law, the eternal world, the destiny of women, the physiology of martyrdom, Masonic secrets... In this bizarre hymn of carnal love, Gothic horrors, accompanied by voluptuous moans, merge with exquisite eroticism, and educational satire, accompanied by the whistling of whips, merges with sublime romantic ideals.