Customer Reviews

Faust: A Tragedy, Part One (Pt. 1)

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After comparing most of the major English translations of Faust (Luke, Kaufmann, Arndt, Wayne) I found Martin Greenberg's to be the most beautiful and accessible of them all. Greenberg does an excellent job of suiting the tenor of the verse to the dramatic occasion, ranging from low comical to sublime lyric. Whereas the majority of previous English translations tend (mistakenly) strive for a uniformly "elevated" tone, Greenberg's translation gets the nuances right. A central idea running throughout Goethe's works is that in any comprehensive formulation of life, extremes must be united. The range of poetic styles in Faust--from high to low, comic to tragic, beautiful to sublime, "volk" slang to epic vaunt--also follows this general rule, and again Greenberg's sensativity to this range is wonderful. While the other translations are not bad, if you really want to experience the fantastic emotional-intellectual rollercoaster ride of Faust, this translation does it best.

This is an excellent translation of an amazing book.

Not only does Greenberg's translation rhyme (as opposed to the free-verse versions of lesser translators), but it's a great deal more intelligible to modern American readers than the other translations I've read. Nothing has been dumbed down, this book radiates the same brilliance and wit as the German original.

I highly recommend it.

the translation is done in a way to preserve the poetic nature of the text while avoiding the usual pitfalls of obscuring the meaning with stilted english.

I really appreciate the Foust's struggle between head and heart, belief and unbelief, striving and erring.

Enduring legend of the old philosopher who sells his soul to the devil in exchange for knowledge and power.

Translated in a performing version by Robert David MacDonald

Cover painting by Peter Farmer

The story of the philosopher-scientist who, in order to pierce the only mysteries unknown to him, sells his soul to the devil for a period of total knowledge and absolute power, is one of the most potent myths of our civilisation.

Goethe's gigantic epic poem, the greatest dramatic work in German literature, has not attained the same degree of acceptance outside of Germany that such a masterpiece deserves.

Now, at last, in a brilliant new translation, specifically made for, and already successfully produced in the theatre, the narrative sweep, shorn of metaphysical digressions and diversions is made accessible to both the reader and the playgoer...