Book Review: The Sufferings of Young Werther by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Translated by Stanley Corngold
Disclaimer: I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway on the premise that I would write a review of it. Also, this was an advance copy, and minor changes may be made in the final product.
I approached this book with some trepidation, seeing as how “The Sufferings of Young Werther” is considered one of the classics of German literature, and one of the most important works of literature, period. It’s certainly very different from my usual taste in novels.
It takes a while for the plot, such as it is, to get moving. Werther is a passionate young man at loose ends who falls in love with a woman who is already in love with someone else. She likes him back, but as a friend. Also, her fiance is a really swell guy who befriends Werther.
Werther gets a job elsewhere and tries to woo another young woman, only to have class distinctions rubbed in his face; she’s willing to see him on her own, but will not stand up for him among her peers.
So Werther returns to the town of his first love, now married to her fiance, and tries to work out that relationship. It fails, he falls into despair, and commits suicide.
I think I am perhaps finding Werther too late in my life for the book to have its full impact; it’s a story of youth, written from Goethe’s own youthful emotions. (Unlike his main character, Goethe got over it and grew up to a successful and moderately happy life.)
Trigger warnings: As is famous, Werther commits suicide. It’s a fairly compelling depiction and in its time caused at least a few copycat suicides (which is why copycat suicides are said to have “the Werther Effect.”) Also, there’s an attempted rape by a minor character, who is depicted sympathetically by Werther.
The translation seems competent, but I have never read the original German or other translations to compare. Notably, it is designed to use only words that were in English at the time the book was originally published.
It looks like the retail price of this book will be spendy; see if your library will be getting a copy.
