The Sorrows of Young Werther

By Johann Wolfgang von Goethe,

Book cover of The Sorrows of Young Werther

Book description

One of the world's first bestsellers, this tragic masterpiece attained an instant and lasting success upon its 1774 publication, catapulting the author to the forefront of the German literary movement known as Sturm und Drang. A burst of parodies, operas, poems, and plays based on The Sorrows of Young Werther…

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Why read it?

1 author picked The Sorrows of Young Werther as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Goethe’s Werther is a classic from the 18th century with the quality of being timeless.

It tells the story of a love-sick young man getting infatuated with a person he could never have, and we can all relate to this situation. At least, I have been there before: being so love-sick that the world seemed to become meaningless without that person.

On top, the novel is crafted with mastery. There are three counter-stories within the novel, revealing different possible outcomes for a similar situation. I like this book from an author’s perspective because I can learn about how to create…

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