A major work of German romanticism in a translation that is acknowledged as the definitive English language version. The Vintage Classics edition also includes NOVELLA, Goethe's poetic vision of an idyllic pastoral society.
The Sorrows of Young Werther
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From the Back Cover
"The world at once took possession of The Sorrows of Young Werther and it took possession of the world....It seemed as though the public in all countries, secretly and without their own knowledge, had been awaiting this very book by an unknown young man from a German Imperial city; that this book with revolutionary, liberating power emancipated the fettered yearnings of the civilized world. Napoleon, the iron man of destiny, had the French translation in his knapsack through Egyptian campaign. He claimed to have read it seven times."
--Thomas Mann
Translated by Elizabeth Mayer and Louise Brogan
Poems translated by W. H. Auden
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
About the Author
JOHANN WOLFGANG VON GOETHE (1749–1832) was a novelist, poet, playwright, philosopher, and scientist. He wrote The Sorrows of Young Werther when he was just twenty-four. His enduring dramatic poem "Faust" took fifty-seven years to write and was published in its entirety only after Goethe’s death at eighty-three.
BURTON PIKE is professor emeritus of comparative literature at CUNY Graduate Center. A leading critic, scholar, and translator of German literature, he has written and edited books on Robert Musil, Thomas Mann, and many others, and was the editor and co-translator of Musil’s The Man With-out Qualities.
From the Hardcover edition.
BURTON PIKE is professor emeritus of comparative literature at CUNY Graduate Center. A leading critic, scholar, and translator of German literature, he has written and edited books on Robert Musil, Thomas Mann, and many others, and was the editor and co-translator of Musil’s The Man With-out Qualities.
From the Hardcover edition.
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First Sentence
'This spring,' wrote Christian Kestner in 1772, 'a certain Goethe came here. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
'This spring,' wrote Christian Kestner in 1772, 'a certain Goethe came here. Read the first page
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Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
Format:Hardcover
Goethe (1749-1832) is the most important of the German writers, a poet who surpassed the constraints of his time, being the brightest representative of German Enlightnement. Faust, his masterwork, portrays the inner struggle of a man who had everything on earth but who was profoundly disillusioned by the rigid limits imposed upon human life and creation, that in the search for the infinite of possibilities, sold his soul to the devil in order to grab with both hands whatever might come from the struggle between Good and Evil. Much of that human fight and quest is anticipated in the "Sorrows of the Young Werther", one of Goethe's first works and his very first romance, and a truly good one. Here the theme of the quest for the infinite and meanings in life is ever present and is beneath all the impossible interplay of Werther (Goethe himself), Lotte ( a feminine Lot, always looking backwards to face doom?) and her nondescript husband Albert.
As in Faust, the protagonist (Werther) had it all with books, and the only one he carries and reads is Homer, where, in his own words, no limits were yet established for human growth and expansion. As in "Romeo and Juliet", his is an impossible love, a human triangle that had to be bisected by a voluntary and violent farewell to his beloved Lotte - and to his life, something he finally accomplishes with the full knowledge of his beloved friend. The romance has a magnetic force upon the reader, who follows attentively the protagonist trough his epistolar via crucis with his friend Wilheim, untill the dramatic end. In my opinion, the romance is directly antipodal to Flaubert's Madame Bovary and as good as Madame Bovary, the latter being an ode of form against substance, the primacy of form against substance, while Goethe's romance is sheer substance (love, hate, etc...) at its height, and, along with Madame Bovary, must be reckoned on the list of the 100 best romances ever written. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
By Alane Fuller
Format:Paperback
The key to really enjoying this work is to focus on the character. Of course, most of the work is writing in the form of letters, which makes the task exceedingly easy. Though this book can be very depressing (to some) and involves a lot of crying and reflection, Werther is so well-developed that I must praise Goethe for such a wonderful accomplishment. Personally, I could spend hours debating about Werther. This work definitely goes beyond what it indicates (forbidden love) to reveal a lot about our intricate natures as well as being a classic work of Romanticism.
Format:Paperback
My friend Jordie and I have read The Sorrows of Young Werther as well as several reviews of the novel and we have come to a single conclusion: He's mentally unstable. We find that it is NOT A TRAGIC LOVE STORY, but rather a story of a depressed, diluted individual completely disconnected from reality. Werther is too full his own virtue and cannot grasp the reality of his relationship to Charlotte. Werther's reaction to the events of his life are too emotional and over-dramatized. As we would say in German, ER IST VERRUECKT!!
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4.3 out of 5 stars
Most recent customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Werther
This is a book to read, It talks about a young man's life. This young man suffers because he's in love with a woman which is promissed to many someone else. Read more
Published on July 16 2004 by João Guilherme
5.0 out of 5 stars
Meaningful if you can relate
For anyone who has ever entered into the absurdities of love, compulsion, and confusion, this book will hold a lot of meaning. Read more
Published on Oct 15 2003 by Andrew
1.0 out of 5 stars
Great Work of Literature - Lousy Edition
The Sorrows of Young Werther is one of Goethe's greatest works. Unfortunately, this edition leaves everything to be desired. Read more
Published on Aug 15 2003
3.0 out of 5 stars
A Bit Disappointing
I really wanted to love this book. I enjoyed reading Goethe's Italian Journey and I've read so many flattering things about Young Werther that I've looked forward for some time to... Read more
Published on Jun 5 2003 by Molon Labe
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best Goethe Book After Faust !
Goethe narrates in this greate romance one of the most powerfull emotions: the sorrow from an rejected heart. Read more
Published on April 1 2003 by Daniell Marafon
2.0 out of 5 stars
Very Overatted "Classic"
I exclaim, it most be me! By all accounts from various "scholars," this novella is a classic. It has been proclaimed as a work of clarity and poetic beauty. Read more
Published on Feb 10 2003 by Morris's Codex
2.0 out of 5 stars
sorrows!!??-- gimme a break
Dear Mr. Goethe,
I just finished your book about Werther and, while the writing clearly demonstrated your remarkable poetic gifts, I nevertheless would not place it among your... Read more
I just finished your book about Werther and, while the writing clearly demonstrated your remarkable poetic gifts, I nevertheless would not place it among your... Read more
Published on Nov 27 2002 by timmy
5.0 out of 5 stars
romantic poetry
Goethe is a master of poetry and this one ist the most emotional book he wrote.
In addition to the other reviews I would like to advise that its intersting to know the Sorrow of... Read more
Published on Nov 3 2002 by Linda
5.0 out of 5 stars
Exquisite use of words and beauty of true Imagery
This book is a must read for anyone who feels the hopelessness of todays society. this book is an easy book to relate to for some, if you have loved and lost. Read more
Published on Aug 20 2002 by al martin
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Difference Between Rosseau and Goethe
Werther iscompletely filled with poetic romantism,that allow us to enter into the intimacy of the German bourgeoisie. Read more
Published on Aug 16 2002 by Pedro Garcia da Silva
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