The Sufferings of Young Werther: A New Translation

I had tried to read this book before, in a different translation, but it felt very stiff and hard to get into. This modern translation feels so much more natural, engaging the modern reader, but yet feels native to its time period.As for Goethe's story itself:"Sometimes I tell myself: Your fate is unique; count the others fortunate—no one else has ever been so tormented.—Then I read a poet from ancient times, and it seems as if I were looking into my own heart." --Goethe, The Sufferings of Young Werther, trans. Corngold.That passage how I often felt reading Werther, which was written nearly 2 1/2 centuries ago (not exactly "ancient times", but still).Most of the story is first-person narration in the form of letters (there is some filling-in by the "editor"), and Werther shows himself to be a highly intelligent young man who experiences emotions intensely. Unfortunately, he falls for a young lady who is spoken for, and he doesn't get over it, he becomes obsessed. Goethe really nails the emotional experience of unrequited love and despair--he was drawing from experience, and wrote Werther so as not to become Werther.Technical issue with the kindle edition:I also had the problem with several pages turning into a hyperlink (blue text, underlined), and accidentally bumped it a few times, where it went to a footnote. Then I tapped the footnote to go back, and it went to the beginning of the blue underlined passage, far from where I actually had been in the book. For me, it was a minor inconvenience, but if it hasn't been fixed already, please fix it.

Loved the translation. It was easy to use in class, easy to read, and much better than a paper back.

Had to read this one for my german literature class. Started off pretty relatable, sadly, and then it got too sappy for me. Werther becomes incredibly annoying midway, he's too much of a sap. However, after writing my paper on this book and doing a closer analysis I realized it's actually brilliant. The way Geothe immersed himself within his writing in the development of this fictional epistolary is fascinating - I almost hate to say it, but it really is quite a piece of work and clear devotion.There's so much emphasis on both this inner world within many of us, and this shell we create around us, all depicted through Werther. It becomes an almost breathing example of the unfortunate truth a lot men live. The connection between Werther's comparison of himseld to others and his disdain or admiration of them, and particularly of nature, depicts his mirroring of himself upon the world around him - it's very deeply rooted in psychology but in a way where it's totally hidden. Very open to interpretation though.So, yeah it's...a tedious read at times, but the book isn't bad.

Happy to receive the book and to be acquainted with the author.

This new translation is accessible to contemporary American college students. The introduction provides a context for the novel. There is not as much biographical information and parallels as in some other versions. The Kindle version has major problems with font changes.

This work was exactly what I expected. Beautiful. Werther cannot help but win your heart. He is so sincere about how he feels, even if it is to the detriment of his happiness. A sweet tribute to the time period also.

The theme of tomb and doom as escape options can become an obsession for cultural disasters that make secrecy so obvious that speaking up is regarded as strangely disturbing. Artistic differences picking on a social order that regards work as a meaningful activity that makes huge pile of money burn through what banks can't control in an orderly bubble cluster with a twist of fobbish political rocks off wiping out mortal trash like a flood of sludge needs to keep this head in the sand.

I often buy classic works of literature for my kindle so that I can highlight great quotes, historical references, unknown words and so on. Having bought this text for university, I needed this functionality even more so. However at about 40% through, the text transformed in to one long hyperlink which lasted the rest of the book. This meant I couldn't make my own highlights any more, and had to create notes instead saying 'good quote' or 'look this phrase up for reference' etc. It was also very frustrating to read chapter upon chapter of underlined text.