The Sorrows Of Young Werther

The Sorrows of Young Werther propelled Goethe to instant fame when it first appeared in 1774. Goethe drew on his own unhappy experiences to tell the story of Werther, a young man tormented by his love for Lotte, a tender-hearted girl who is promised to someone else. Overwhelmed by his feelings, Werther begins to see only one way to escape from his anguish.

Goethes story of a sensitive young artist alienated from society channelled the Romantic sensibility of the day and led to a wave of imitations. Werthers searching introspection and the passionate intensity with which he bares his soul have an immediacy that is all the more powerful for being expressed in letters; charting the course of his emotions, they give added drama to the unfolding account. David Constantines new translation captures the novels lyric clarity, and his introduction and notes illuminate Goethes achievement.