Goethe's two-part verse drama retells the legend of Heinrich Faust, a learned scholar who has exhausted study, theology and magic and still feels empty. Mephistopheles wagers that he can satisfy Faust's restless striving, and Faust signs a pact: he forfeits his soul if he ever says to a moment, stay, you are so beautiful. The first part follows his love for the young Gretchen and the ruin that follows. The second moves through politics, mythology, a union with Helen of Troy and a final reckoning.
Anyone wanting to read a cornerstone of German literature will find it here, along with questions about ambition, knowledge and guilt that writers have borrowed ever since. Plan to read slowly: the verse is dense, and the second part rewards patience and a good set of 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
- 2011
- Language
- DE
