Faust I & II (Goethe : The Collected Works, Vol 2) [Paperback]

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (Author), Stuart Atkins (Translator)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 069103656X | ISBN-13: 978-0691036564 | Publication Date: July 5, 1994

Goethe's most complex and profound work, Faust was the effort of the great poet's entire lifetime. Written over 60 years, it can be read as a document of Goethe's moral and artistic development. Faust is made available to the English reader in a completely new translation that communicates both its poetic variety and its many levels of tone. The language is present-day English, and Goethe's formal and rhythmic variety is reproduced in all its richness.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: German

Product Details

• Paperback: 344 pages
• Publisher: Princeton University Press (July 5, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 069103656X
• ISBN-13: 978-0691036564
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #51,534 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #36 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Drama > Continental European

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

64 of 67 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful translation of a masterwork!!, March 12, 2004

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K. D Kirk "workingpants" (Fairfax, VA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Faust I and II (Goethe's Collected Works, Volume 2) (Hardcover)

Certainly enough it is shocking (at least to me) that a man of genius on the level and scope of J.W. von Goethe is largely unread, or perhaps even largely unknown except as a musty name, in the English speaking world today.

This Stuart Atkins translation, part of apparently a large series of Princeton U. Press 'Collected Works' of Goethe, is the single BEST translation I have encountered that is likely to be able to reach, to be comprehended, by the widest English language audience.

The richness of Goethe's variation in metre and tone is retained, but the language is modern-day English and avoids anachronisms and archaic language. While old-style language sounds "Classic" and rhyme can be aesthetically beautiful to read and hear, this translation offers comprehension of the original and is quite true to the original. In fact, in the poetic gymnastics required to maintain metre and rhyme scheme, much invention is required that can lose the import of Goethe's original.

My suggestion, in the interest of having a short review, is to recommend the Atkins' translation to most, certainly those just approaching Goethe....and then, read a second translation later, once you have a decent grasp on the import of the great Faust legend.

Aside from the translation, the work itself is incomparable. Nothing short of the story of Western man's struggle of experience and knowledge, of progress and constant striving and becoming. It may be disputed, but Goethe is, in my view, in the totality of his work, in terms of variety and quality, a greater poet than Shakespeare, Dante and Homer, but with Faust alone he at a minimum, garners a place of honor on this Mt. Rushmore of World Literature (a term, incidentally coined by Goethe).

54 of 56 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Allegorical Masterwork of Humanity's Struggle!, March 16, 2004

By A Customer

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This review is from: Faust I & II (Goethe : The Collected Works, Vol 2) (Paperback)

Faust, Parts I and II, by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) was written in stages across the span of nearly sixty years. Having read the work twice now, this time the Stuart Atkins translation, I concur with the wisdom of the ages that it is one of the greatest works of imaginative literature ever composed. Yet, while I think its relevance to a modern audience is as high as ever, this work is not likely to receive much attention, let alone deep study, in America today, in the age of the Oprah book club, admirable though that may be, and computer animated movies, reality television and of course, the World Wide Web.

In fact, the great Goethe himself is hardly known today in the English-speaking world outside of scholars and aesthetes (of which I am neither), yet he was a household name 150 years ago and easily ranks alongside Homer, Dante and Shakespeare. Indeed his body of work is even more vast and varied than each of those other greats, totaling sixty volumes in his lifetime and another score or so posthumously published. While Goethe penned masterpieces in nearly every genre over six decades, clearly the most canonical text is the massive, 18,000 line poetical drama, Faust.

Faust, stated boldly is `about' the totality of the human struggle. The storyline chronicles the adventures and misadventures of an extraordinarily disaffected academic, Dr. Heinrich Faust, who in a moment of despair makes a wager with the Devil regarding the attainability of a moment of absolute fulfillment. Beneath this surface, however, it is really a metaphysical journey that illustrates on multiple levels, the duality of man's life. Faust seeks the meaning of life, he seeks access to the Absolute, the Ideal, and the Spiritual, yet he is constantly frustrated and dissatisfied by the apparent human limitations of attaining those goals. This frustrated titanic desire results in the other side of Faust's/Man's quest, which is his/our ceaseless and error-prone striving for the highest realms of knowledge and experience (both good and bad) that are attainable during one's earthly tenure.

The poem is a difficult read due in large part to significant translation challenges. In addition to an astonishing number of verse forms used, Faust also has a complex structure, many classical allusions and multiple fantastical situations. While a powerful enough read even on the surface, such a reading can never be altogether quite satisfying. Patient and careful readers who are willing to work through the difficulties, however, should be rewarded with a clear sense of its timelessness and its Universality. Interestingly, and perhaps not coincidental, the complexity of the work makes the sheer act of studying it an exercise, in part, of what the drama itself represents.

While most of the poetic impact is surely lost at the expense of gaining comprehension, I nevertheless still suggest that English language readers first approach the Stuart Atkins modern English translation published by Princeton University Press. I further highly recommend, as a near necessary companion, the 1957 book Goethe's Faust: An Interpretation by Alexander Gillies. Unfortunately this wonderful book is out of print, but may be available through internet search engines. It aided my understanding immeasurably and further increased my already significant admiration for Goethe and this particular work.

In summary, throughout the story of Faust we are able to observe the twin competing forces of instinctive Good and ever-present Evil as they play out their roles within man's life of needs and wants. Importantly, we see their roles in the uncertain endgame of salvation versus damnation. While nominally `about' the fantastical adventures of a medieval scholar, Faust should really be read and recognized as the allegorical masterpiece that it is, that portrays both the glory and the tragedy of what it means to be fully human.

24 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The greatest book ever written, January 16, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Faust I & II (Goethe : The Collected Works, Vol 2) (Paperback)

Nothing could ever surpass this book in scope or beauty. This book asks the question: is life worth living? is it worth it to strive? or is the suicidal nihilism of Mephistopheles the only product having attained a great amount of experience? Part I is brilliant and romantic. The Gretchen tragedy is, in my mind, greater than Romeo and Juliet. Part II is classical. Though much more obscure in its references, it too manages to achieve great beauty and import. And all this not in the original language. Read this book.