Heinrich Faust, a scholar who has mastered every field and still feels empty, makes a wager with the devil Mephistopheles: if the devil can give him a moment so fulfilling that he wants it to last forever, Faust will lose his soul. Mephistopheles takes him to a tavern, a witch's kitchen, and a love affair with the young Gretchen, a story that ends in tragedy for her. Goethe's drama, written in verse, also includes a prologue in heaven and the wild Walpurgis Night.
This is the cornerstone of German literature and the source of the idea of a deal with the devil. Readers who enjoy poetic drama and philosophical questions about knowledge and desire will find it rewarding, and it is easier to follow with notes.
Deep, inward-looking, contemplative, open-ended and thought-provoking; a demanding read.
Best for readers like The Wisdom Collector. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 1986
- Publisher
- Reclam
- Language
- DE
