List About Books Faust, Part Two (Goethe's Faust #2)
Title | : | Faust, Part Two (Goethe's Faust #2) |
Author | : | Johann Wolfgang von Goethe |
Book Format | : | Paperback |
Book Edition | : | First Edition |
Pages | : | Pages: 304 pages |
Published | : | July 22nd 1999 by Oxford University Press, USA (first published 1832) |
Categories | : | Classics. Plays. Fiction. Poetry. European Literature. German Literature. Drama. Literature |
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Paperback | Pages: 304 pages Rating: 3.73 | 4712 Users | 169 Reviews
Explanation Concering Books Faust, Part Two (Goethe's Faust #2)
Er so according to Wikipedia, "Appreciation of the work often requires an extensive knowledge of Greek mythology, and it is arguably one of the most difficult works of world literature."Eh. No. Cmon. Is that a joke? This is 1000% more accessible than anything by James Joyce, John Milton, and dozens of other writers. Even a rudimentary knowledge of classical myth & lit will make this readable.
Didn't enjoy it as much as Part 1, though. This is defs more sophisticated, to be sure... but it lacks the vibrancy, the energy, the eager honesty of P1, which felt resonant and personal and human. P2 reads more like an intellectual exercise of someone who's spent scores of years studying the classics, someone who wants to establish himself as descendant of those great writers. Which makes it feel more pretentious than groundbreaking.
It's very Odyssean, except that Faust's katabasis is not a literal descent into the underworld but a figurative one, via his deal with Mephisto.
There were parts I loved, though. The Euphorion bit- the part about the son Faust has with Helen of Troy- was pretty heavy-handed in its parallels with the myth of Icarus, but nevertheless a memorable section. And the ending was stunning, too.
Particularize Books Toward Faust, Part Two (Goethe's Faust #2)
Original Title: | Faust: Der Tragödie Zweiter Teil |
ISBN: | 0192836366 (ISBN13: 9780192836366) |
Edition Language: | English |
Series: | Goethe's Faust #2 |
Literary Awards: | PEN Translation Prize Nominee for David Constantine (2010) |
Rating About Books Faust, Part Two (Goethe's Faust #2)
Ratings: 3.73 From 4712 Users | 169 ReviewsComment On About Books Faust, Part Two (Goethe's Faust #2)
Preface & NotesChronologyIntroductionTranslator's NoteThe Writing of 'Faust, Part II''Faust, Part II' Act by Act: Composition and SynopsisFurther Reading--Faust, Part IINotesIt is no accident that there are many literary figures that are built on this classic. Be it Don Quixote or Don Juan, they all share the same over achieving characters that Faust desperately tries to. He goes as far as committing suicide in search of a moment of true bliss. He takes on an adventure with the Devil after making a wager. What follows is romance, tragedy, heartbreak and adventure. The interesting twist is the Devil himself has made a bet with the angels so he moves with an agenda of
Strange ending Goethe chose for his masterpiece drama, not sure I fully adhere to his choice of the "Eternal Feminine" but the magnitude of it and the rest of the poem deserve its praise.
I had the pleasure of rereading this while at a conference with a Goethe scholar. Having had some conversations with him, I feel like I'm more able to put my finger on the seeming change of gears between this and the first part of Faust. There is definitely a change in tone and pacing, as well as theme. The first part always strikes me as more Romanticist, while the second part (explicitly in parts) moves away from romanticism and to classicism. Having reread both parts recently, I still like
GOETHE'S FAUST----THE IMMORTAL CLASSIC OF HUMAN ASPIRATION-----FROM THE WORLD LITERATURE FORUM RECOMMENDED CLASSICS AND MASTERPIECES SERIES VIA GOODREADS-ROBERT SHEPPARD, EDITOR-IN-CHIEFJohann Wolfgang von Goethe is universally revered as one of the great immortal geniuses of World Literature, and his great classic "Faust," the epic drama of the scholar's pact with the devil that has come to embody the spirit of the West and its fated love affair with limitless knowledge and technology, is often
The second and concluding part of Goethe's Faust, written years after the first part, is a very different play altogether. Faustus is now an eminent figure, a person of influence in the Emperor's court. But he is still unfulfilled, and the condition of the state is similarly parlous. Mistrusted and feared by all but invaluable for the services their magic can bring, Faustus and Mephistopheles rescue the state from bankruptcy by promising to deliver gold from beneath the earth, but instead
Shall I call Sweet folk, god-fearing Ho, I greet you, call you blest.If you still, with ways endearing,Give good comfort to a guest.
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