Synopses & Reviews
Partly autobiographical, and the prototype for many later Romantic works in its depiction of the sensitive, tortured Romantic hero, Goethe's seminal classic is a timeless masterpiece of world literature
Presented as a collection of confessional letters written by the eponymous protagonist, The Sorrows of Young Werther charts the emotional journey of a young man who—during a stay in a picturesque German village—falls in love with Lotte, a sweet-natured local woman engaged to another man. As he realizes that his passion is doomed to failure and constant pain, Werther contemplates taking the most drastic measures. The first great "confessional" novel, it draws both on Goethe's own unrequited love for Charlotte Buff as well as on the death of a close friend.
About the Author
Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe (1749-1832) was a German polymath, whose works spanned the fields of literature, theology, and science. He is best known for his drama Faust, and was a key figure in nineteenth-century German literature.