The Sorrows of Young Werther
- Downloads
- 100+
- First published
- 1774
- Pages
- 109
Listen to The Sorrows of Young Werther Audiobook Free
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01 - Book 1, May Entries
29:59 -
02 - Book 1, June Entries
26:05 -
03 - Book 1, July Entries
29:23 -
04 - Book 1, August Entires
31:37 -
05 - Book 1, September Entries
10:20 -
06 - Book 2, October - February Entries
18:34 -
07 - Book 2, March - July Entries
19:07 -
08 - Book 2, August - October Entries
19:47 -
09 - Book 2, November - Dec. 6
20:00 -
10 - Book 2, Editor to Reader - Dec. 15
19:51 -
11 - Book 2, December 20 Part 1
14:53 -
12 - Book 2, December 20 Part 2
20:53 -
13 - Book 2, December 20 Part 3
22:45
The Sorrows of Young Werther (1902) is a public domain work.
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About this book
Goethe was in his mid-twenties when he poured a season of frustrated love into this short novel told entirely in letters, and it made him famous across Europe almost overnight. The sensitive young artist Werther describes settling into a country village, meeting the warm and lively Lotte, and falling helplessly in love with her despite her engagement to the steady, decent Albert. With no way forward and no wish to compromise his feeling, Werther sinks slowly toward despair. The book set off a wave of imitation in dress and manner, and even a rash of copycat deaths that alarmed the authorities of the day.
From the opening pages
How happy I am that I am gone! My dear friend, what a thing is the heart of man! To leave you, from whom I have been inseparable, whom I love so dearly, and yet to feel happy! I know you will forgive me. Have not other attachments been specially appointed by fate to torment a head like mine? Poor Leonora! and yet I was not to blame. Was it my fault, that, whilst the peculiar charms of her sister afforded me an agreeable entertainment, a passion for me was engendered in her feeble heart? And yet am I wholly blameless? Did I not encourage her emotions? Did I not feel charmed at those truly genuine expressions of nature, which, though but little mirthful in reality, so often amused us? Did I not—but oh! what is man, that he dares so to accuse himself? My dear friend I promise you I will improve; I will no longer, as has ever been my habit, continue to ruminate on every petty vexation which fortune may dispense; I will enjoy the present, and the past shall be for me the past. No doubt you are right, my best of friends, there would be far less suffering amongst mankind, if men—and God knows why they are so fashioned—did not employ their imaginations so assiduously in recalling the memory of past sorrow, instead of bearing their present lot with equanimity. Be kind enough to inform my mother that I shall attend to her business to the best of my ability, and shall give her the earliest information about it. I have seen my aunt, and find that she is very far from being the disagreeable person our friends allege her to be. She is a lively, cheerful woman, with the best of hearts. I explained to her my mother's wrongs with regard to that part of her portion which has been withheld from her. She told me the motives and reasons of her own conduct, and the terms on which she is willing to give up the whole, and to do more than we have asked. In short, I cannot write further upon this subject at present; only assure my mother that all will go on well. And I have again observed, my dear friend, in this trifling affair, that misunderstandings and neglect occasion more mischief in the world than even malice and wickedness. At all events, the two latter are of less frequent occurrence.
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Book facts
- First published
- 1774
- Reading time
- About 3 hours
- Pages
- 109
- Language
- English
- Genre
- Epistolary
- Formats
- PDF, EPUB, Read online, Audiobook