Customer Reviews

The Sorrows of Young Werther and Selected Writings (Signet Classics)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I am certain that Goethe should be read in German to fully appreciate his work. Catherine Hutter to me is the best translation of 3 translations I have read. Werther is a most wonderful book full of introspection and reflections of life. Napoleon read it 40 times! and was his chosen book to take when he visited Egypt. Thomas Mann read it over 10 times and I have read it five times already. After reading Werther, the reader must read Goethe's Reflections on Werther ( in the same book) to really understand the reason why he wrote this book. This is one of my favorites. Do not forget the Divan, Faust and mostly his biography by Emil Ludwig . . . . his poetry is the best!

I am looking for the best translation of this novel for my students. This translation of Catherine Hutter is utterly incompetent. Example: "I have spoken to my aunt and must say that I didn't find her to be the dreadful vehement woman with the kindest of hearts." The German reads: "Ich habe meine Tante gesprochen und bei weitem das boese Weib nicht gefundet, das man bei uns aus ihr macht. Sie ist eine muntere, heftige Frau von dem besten Herzen" = "I have spoken to my aunt and found her to be not at all the dreadful woman she is made out to be among us. She is a cheerful, energetic woman with the best of hearts."

Werther is *arguably* the greatest literary work of the modern world. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe--world-renowned German classicist and author of Faust, Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship, and many more--has created a BEAUTIFULY worded story which displays his unique views on love, death, etc. As German author Thomas Mann said, "...The nerve-shattering sensitivity of this little book [TSOYW] provoked a storm of applause which broke all bounds and fairly intoxicated the world..." Though the genius of Goethe is praised throughout the world, he is rarely taught in the United States because his work--which is, even at it's dryest, poetic--translates poorly into English. Do not miss the opportunity to read this. If I were to be locked away forever with just one book, I would choose The Sorrows of Young Werther.

Somebody may have told you this is a story about some late 18th century guy who is unhappily in love with a girl and ends up killing himself. That somebody might add that Napoleon disliked this unhappy ending, and that the book so impressed its young readership that people did not only start to dress like Werther but even killed themselves.

The fairly slim novel consists of letters written by Young Werther to his friend Wilhelm. The book is not just a love story, however, for there are quite a number of other things which make his life difficult. Werther is supposed to start a career, but the sensitive young man finds it impossible to play his part in the soulless machinations of his bosses. Maybe his love for Lotte, who is married to another man, becomes so important to him, because she stands for the simple, authentic life he wants to lead.

This book triggered off the Romantic movement all over Europe and seems to have been the "Generation X" of its time.

Once on here I read a comment by someone that the American educational system is biased against works not written in English. Obviously, this is true.

The greatest sin caused by this is that Americans aren't ever realy exposed to Goethe more than to read 'Faust, p. 1' once in college. This book, even in translation, is one of the most powerful books ever written: Goethe here created a psychological kind of novel that was never again equalled (though Gide's 'Straight as a Gate' and Flaubert do come close....) and NO Americans EVER read this.....

Buy this book. It is haunting, beautiful, and every other adjective that you might want to lay upon it. Goethe, perhaps the world's best writer ever (even out of German, when translated well...) writes his best work in prose (in my humble estimation....) here.....

Read this!

When I found this book on the reading list for my European literature class, and once I'd read a synopsis of the story, I wasn't expecting to like it much. And initially I was a little put off by the protagonist's melodramatic way of expressing himself, but by the time I'd finished the book, my opinion had changed drastically. I don't usually go in for tragedies, but this one is somehow different. "The Sorrows of Young Werther" is the tale of a young man, Werther, who seeks a new life by moving to a pretty country town and immersing himself in the beauties of nature. Once there, however, he meets and falls in love with Lotte, a young woman who happens to be already engaged to another man. Werther initially befriends the couple, but as the tension in this hopeless love triangle increases, so does Werther's depression deepen.

The story is told mainly in the form of a series of letters written by Werther to a close friend, William, whom we never actually meet, and occasionally a few other individuals, including Lotte. Each letter is dated and we see the progression and deterioration of Werther's mental state from infatuation, to love, and then to destructive obsession and despair. Toward the end of the book, shortly before Werther's depression finally drives him to take his own life, the narrative style abruptly switches to third person, allowing us for the first time to see the thoughts and emotions of other characters without having them first filtered through Werther's unreliable perception. And the viewpoints of those around Werther give us critical insight into the manifestations of his mental state.

Over the years this book has sparked much concern as to whether it advocates suicide in cases of unrequited love. And indeed there have been cases where individuals were motivated to take their own lives after reading this story. However, those who draw such a message from "The Sorrows of Young Werther" are, I believe, misinterpreting the work. Though the protagonist does indeed commit suicide, his act is not glorified (just look at the pitiful way in which his death is described) and nowhere does Goethe make any commentary on whether suicide is right or wrong in such a situation. In fact, I didn't find anything judgmental in the book at all. Rather, Goethe simply explores the human heart and emotions, presents his findings, and leaves the reader to draw their own conclusions.

Despite being a first novel for Goethe, "The Sorrows of Young Werther" is beautifully written. I cannot compare this particular translation (1962 Signet Classics printing, translated by Catherine Hutter) to the original German text, but even in translation it is clear that Goethe had a powerful command of the written word. And it is quite plausible to believe that the depth and intensity of emotions expressed in the work are a result of Goethe's own experiences with unsuccessful romances. This particular edition also contains an interesting piece entitled "Goethe in Sesenheim" in which he relates one such relationship and in which we can identify many parallels with Werther's story.

This Signet Classics edition also includes two other short stories - "The New Melusina" and "The Fairy Tale." Neither one is, in my opinion, as good as "The Sorrows of Young Werther," but they are interesting to read nonetheless. Both contain the theme of love, making the book as a whole into a nice exploration of this particular emotion. "The Fairy Tale" is a rather strange and rambling tale, the plot of which is difficult to pin down and identify, and I could either take it or leave it. "The New Melusina" is my favorite of the two, and is told from the perspective of a traveling gentleman who enters a relationship with an alluring but mysterious woman he meets at an inn. He later discovers that she is a pixie, and must then choose between joining his love in her own world, or losing her forever.

"The Sorrows of Young Werther," as well as the other pieces in this edition, really does give us a lot to think about. Goethe's insights into human emotion are right on the mark, and he expresses them in haunting and moving language. While many modern readers will balk at Werther's extreme romanticism, it is really only his outward expression of emotion that is so alien to us. Once you get past this and delve into the actual feelings beneath, most readers will realize that they can identify with Werther in many ways. Nearly all of us has been in a similar romantic situation, longing for someone we will never have, and Goethe offers a wealth of material for us to contemplate in analyzing our own emotions. Any thoughtful reader will find much to appreciate here.

Currently I'm taking a class in German, as is being taught by a professor from Germany. When pressed on what sorts of things might be a good read from the German catalogue, she pointed me towards the likes of Thomas Mann.

Fortunately for me I'm bad with names. I went to the bookstore in search of something to read (because I would like to know more about Germany) but I couldn't remember any of the authors she told me to check out. The only name I could remember was Goethe and his only work that I was familiar with was, of course, Faust. One more happy circumstance (that they were out of that story) put me in possession of this edition of 'Werther'. Again, I am a fortunate man.

This is a terrific little book. I am told that it caused a storm of praise and a sort of cult following upon its publication (even a few suicides) and I find that I can truly believe that. It tells the story of unrequited love, of a man who meets a woman who fills all the holes in his heart and life, yet remains estranged from him. The emotions that Werther goes through in pining for his Lotte are real, for they are the same emotions that every other human being has had in shaking anticipation of seeing their 'crush'.

As you read through the short work, you find yourself feeling the initial highs that Werther goes through. Without saying it so succinctly, Werther begins to see green for green and blue for blue for the first time, all augmented by his new appreciation for life through the filter of his beloved. As the story progresses, the emotions grow darker and more foreboding. You can feel the onset of defeat, the slow torture of knowing that even if Lotte became his, his whole life would never be the same for it because the moment of ripeness for the relationship has come and passed. You can feel Werther's non-acceptance of his situation...it lies inside all of our hearts.

The other short pieces in the book are tantalizing tidbits as well. 'The New Melusina' is a quaint tale of a typical man who cannot commit himself to anything but Bacchus. 'The Fairy Tale' reminded me somewhat of a CS Lewis work. The non-fiction pieces are insightful into the way Goethe's mind worked although I found myself wondering if maybe he wasn't trying to tell a tale about his own life in the Sesenheim recounting; it sounded more like wishful thinking than anything else, though I think a historian (or a few minutes research in a library) might settle the matter (sorry- didn't have time to do that for this review).

Bottom line: Buy this book and give it a read. It bears the word 'classic' on the back of it with more justification than some of the other books in that milieu.

-NL

goethe's morbid tale of a man madly in love is purely emotional and beautifully unrestricted. some call it over-exaggeration but when reading the book one must understand when goethe wrote it he wasn't trying to be subtle. the book, written in the form of werther's letters to wilhelm, already gives the reader a personal front. what werther thinks and does eventually, and how goethe writes it, is the strongest reason for this book's attractiveness. this is deep reading best for those who want to uncover a darker side to the human heart and mind

So, I'm a little annoyed and stressed out because Amazon sent me a "new" copy, that was missing 40 pages. I needed this book for a college course and was tested on it. Unfortunately, it was later in the story that was missing the pages, and I was already only given a couple days to read it... it was too late to buy a new copy and read what was missing.

This is a pretty good translation of Goethe's original novel. It does have a few other of Goethe's writings, which were qutie interesting. I recommend it. :)