| Faust: Part 1 Contributor(s): Goethe, Johann Wolfgang Von (Author), Constantine, David (Translator), Constantine, David (Introduction by) |
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ISBN: 0140449019 ISBN-13: 9780140449013 Publisher: Penguin Group OUR PRICE: $9.90 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: December 2005 Annotation: Goethe viewed the writing of poetry as essentially autobiographical, and the works selected in this volume represent more than sixty years in the life of the poet. In early poems such as Prometheus, he rails against religion in an almost ecstatic fervor, while To the Moon is an enigmatic meditation on the end of a love affair. The "Roman Elegies" show Goethes use of Classical meters in an homage to ancient Rome and its poets, and The Diary, suppressed for more than a century, is a narrative poem whose eroticism is combined with its morality. In selections from "Faust," arguably his greatest and most personal work, Goethe creates an exhilarating depiction of humankinds eternal search for truth. Faithful and felicitous, these verse translations . . . are an excellent introduction to [Goethes] genius. "The Daily Telegraph" (London) |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Drama | European - General - Literary Criticism | Drama |
| Dewey: 832.6 |
| Physical Information: 0.59" H x 5.18" W x 7.8" (0.43 lbs) 240 pages |
| Themes: - Cultural Region - Germany |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: Goethe's Faust reworks the late medieval myth of a brilliant scholar so disillusioned he resolves to make a contract with Mephistopheles. The devil will do all he asks on Earth and seeks to grant him a moment in life so glorious that he will wish it to last forever. But if Faust does bid the moment stay, he falls to Mephisto and must serve him after death. In this first part of Goethe's great work, the embittered thinker and Mephistopheles enter into their agreement, and soon Faust is living a rejuvenated life and winning the love of the beautiful Gretchen. But in this compelling tragedy of arrogance, unfulfilled desire, and self-delusion, Faust heads inexorably toward an infernal destruction. A.S. Byatt's preface considers Goethe's lifelong relationship with the myth of Faust and its influence on modern literature. This edition includes an introduction by the translator, a chronology, suggestions for further reading, explanatory notes, and an addendum on the writing of Faust. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators. |