Faust, Part One

by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, W H Colquhoun, Johann Ludwig Gustav Von Loeper

Book Overview

This new translation, in rhymed verse, of Goethe's Faust--one of the greatest dramatic and poetic masterpieces of European literature--preserves the essence of Goethe's meaning without resorting either to an overly literal, archaic translation or to an overly modern idiom. It remains the nearest "equivalent" rendering of the German ever achieved.

The legend of Faust grew up in the sixteenth century, a time of transition between medieval and...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 019953621X
• ISBN13: 9780199536214
• Release Date: July 2008
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.43 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.0" x 7.8"

Customer Reviews

Great Read!

Very beautifuly written book!!! If you like Byronism, Gothic novels, and the regency dandy, you will love this book. I will admit that if you are new to this style of literature, it may be a little tough to read, but very worth it!!! The more you read the easier it gets to understand. If your interested give it a shot, you won't regret it!

Book description

Enduring legend of the old philosopher who sells his soul to the devil in exchange for knowledge and power. Translated in a performing version by Robert David MacDonald Cover painting by Peter Farmer The story of the philosopher-scientist who, in order to pierce the only mysteries unknown to him, sells his soul to the devil for a period of total knowledge and absolute power, is one of the most potent myths of our civilisation. Goethe's gigantic epic poem, the greatest dramatic work in German literature, has not attained the same degree of acceptance outside of Germany that such a masterpiece deserves. Now, at last, in a brilliant new translation, specifically made for, and already successfully produced in the theatre, the narrative sweep, shorn of metaphysical digressions and diversions is made accessible to both the reader and the playgoer...

Mephistopheles, master of the one-liner

I'd guess this is a book that reveals itself more thoroughly in experiences you have after reading it, so reviewing it now may be premature. There are many `big ideas' here, but I can't relate to the suggestion from one reviewer that Faust `held his morals under the worst circumstances' It seems more like Faust gave up his morals one by one under the most pleasant circumstances. The way I read it, Faust didn't fight temptation; but his curiosity was strong enough to allow him to give in to all temptation without becoming trapped. This has significant metaphysical implications when applied to modern Christianity, and certainly follows the psychological maxim that repressed urges exert a controlling influence on us. It's also not hard to imagine Faust's Mephistopheles as the embodiment of Blake's metaphysical Satan, and maybe it's no coincidence both these artists lived in the same period. I'm so curious to know how this comes across in German - and believe me, some of the contortions necessary to maintain the rhyme in English provided a temptation to learn German that Mephistopheles himself would have been hard-pressed to match. It's obvious Wayne has done a tremendous job, but there are limits to the achievable; and the feel of this poetry is not natural to the touch except in some later sections of part II. Or maybe it just wasn't so distracting after several hundred pages...

CLASSIC

Classic work of art. Wonderful read. Not for the pop-bubble gum culture crowd.

poetic

When I read through the introduction, I was surprised to find out that this work was the result of a lifetime's endeavor - because it's relatively short. While authors these days churn out 600 page books on a yearly basis, this man wrote over the course of his life. The writing is very different from modern day authors such as Steven King, in that detail is only applied to objects sparingly, where as S.King's books tend to delve into details at will.