fredag den 8. januar 2021

The Sorrows of Young Werther - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1774)

 


The Sorrows of Young Werther

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was one of the big authors. I Germany they are very proud of him and visiting you will get bombarded with adds from Goethe schools to learn German. My own experience with Goethe is however very limited and I mostly know of him from Faust, his famous play.

Back in the day, though, what really made Goethe famous was “The Sorrows of Young Werther” (“Die Leiden des jungen Werthers”). This was all the rage back in the late 18th century and I found it hilarious to learn that there was even a smart Chinese printer who made a version for export in Europe. Why does that sound so familiar today?

“The Sorrows of Young Werther” is a fairly short novel in the sentimental style that was so popular at the time and of which I already had a few examples. Only, Goethe goes all-out. His protagonist, Werther, is hyper emotional and sensitive to a degree that makes Rousseau look drab. In a modern context he would probably be diagnosed as bi-polar, but in the 18th century this sensitivity is merely fashionable. Werther gets moved by the simplest things in nature and gets a kick out of just watching people, but he is also easily agitated and provoked into a frenzy. We meet him as he arrives in Wahlheim where he soon meets and gets enchanted by Lotte. Only, Lotte is already engaged to Albert, a very decent and agreeable young man whom Werther also befriends. Soon Werther is in an odd triangle, being madly in love with Lotte while having an amiable friendship with Albert.

Eventually, Werther leaves the couple when this is getting too weird. He embarks on a diplomatic career but keeps clashing with his employers. It is clear that Werther considers himself smarter than all these men, but he is also out of touch with decorum and his career flounders. In disappointment he returns to Wahlheim and continue the triangle, but with a melancholic and depressive slant. He is like a moth to the flame and it is devouring him until in the end he kills himself.

The interesting thing here and the brilliance of Goethe is that we see all this with the eyes of Werther. Goethe sets up an epistolary novel, what today would be called “found footage”, consisting of letters Werther writes to his friend Vilhelm. That means we are supposed to read Werther’s own account of the affair. Sometimes he is completely biased as an unreliable witness, projecting his emotions on what he observes, sometimes he more objective, trying to be rational, to the extent of rationalizing his own actions. His emotional rush are the colors used to describe the scenes and Werther is always in an emotional state. The epistolary novel is at this time not new, but Goethe uses it very successfully to paint this character by letting us witness his writings. That the character itself is insufferable is another thing, but there is no question that Goethe manages to bring him to life.

Part of the legend is that the novel is partial autobiographical, Goethe was himself involved in such a triangle, and many readers saw this as an endorsement of the hypersensitive lover and made an ideal out of this desperate infatuation. I think this impression is merely a result of Goethe’s skill, that Werther becomes so real to the reader, a bit like Orson Welles “War of the Worlds” radio show, that they buy into the character and the romance. I think Goethe was a lot more critical to Werther, I think he painted him a bi-polar, as a sociopath who is unable to cope with life, more like a warning than an example. But because Werther is so real he was misunderstood.

This was maybe not my kind of book, triangle dramas are not my thing, but Goethe’s talent is unquestionable, and I look forward to his other entries on the List.

     


10 kommentarer:

  1. I'm still reading Part II and will comment more later. I think Werther is the ultimate unreliable narrator. Goethe writes so beautifully that I don't mind that his hero irritates the hell out of me.

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    1. The real beauty is how convincing Goethe is. I am not so certain of the beauty of the setup Werther being a third wheel and ultimately killing himself is not pretty, but Goethe makes him very real.
      Let me know what you think when you are done.

      Slet
  2. I finished the book and now I'm even madder at Werther. He had not one thought for the people he left behind, except Lotte of course. For Lotte, he writes a letter that will probably make her feel guilty for the rest of his life.

    I think you are right about the bi-polar. He's also sort of a narcissist. But the writing is beautiful and I enjoyed the book. I cheated and did not read through the loooong translation of Ossian toward the end.

    Starting Evalina and am only a few pages in. We'll see.

    SvarSlet
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    1. That is the thing, suicide in general is an egoistic undertaking and Werther's suicide is aimed at Lotte, to make her feel miserable. Such a jerk.
      I was so tempted to skip that Ossian quote, it added absolutely nothing to the story, but my inner completist would not let go and so I had to suffer.
      Nice that you are doing Evelina as well. What version are you reading? My copy, the Oxford Classics version, has a very interesting introduction and it has gotten me so pumped to read the novel itself.

      Slet
  3. I thought you could use some company! I bought an edition of Evelina for the Kindle that cost 99 cents! It doesn't include any extras except a biography of Burney at the end. I'm only a few pages in.

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  4. How did you read the Goethe, in an English or a Danish translation?

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    1. I guess I am old-school when it comes to books, I really like to hold an actual book in my hands. Also I look at a screen all day and it is just nice to get away from that. All my books are in English. The classics are super cheap in English and almost impossible to find in Danish. I wish I could read Goethe in original language but my German is just bit strong enough.
      It is really great that we can read together, I appreciate it. And so far Evelina looks good.

      Slet
  5. After starting to read on the Kindle, I found a really good audiobook narrated by Judy Dench, Finty Williams, and Geoffrey Palmer so I'm listening to it. At first I thought all the letter writers were laying it on really thick but now that I have got to Evelina's letters it's a lot more amusing.

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  6. After starting to read on the Kindle, I found a really good audiobook narrated by Judy Dench, Finty Williams, and Geoffrey Palmer so I'm listening to it. At first I thought all the letter writers were laying it on really thick but now that I have got to Evelina's letters it's a lot more amusing. Jane Austin admired Burney's novels and I am beginning to see why!

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    1. So you are listening to Evelina as an audiobook instead? With that cast I do not blame you. I have split it so that my reading follow the list while for listening I pick whatever trash makes me curious.
      I am around 20% in and those letters by Evelina are just wonderful. This is very entertaining indeed.

      Slet