Faust: A Tragedy, Part One (Pt. 1)

A classic of world literature, Goethe's Faust has been neglected by English-speaking readers of the twentieth century. One reason for this is that there has been no readable English version of Goethe's philosophical and poetic drama, one that captures its life, satire, irony, humor, and tragedy. Now an award-winning translator and critic has supplied such a translation; it will enchant and enlighten students and general readers alike.

Martin Greenberg re-creates not only the varied meter and rhyme of Faust but also its diverse tones and styles—dramatic and lyrical, reflective and farcical, pathetic and coarse, colloquial and soaring. His rendition of Faust is the first faithful, readable, and elegantly written translation of Goethe's masterpiece available in English. Complete with preface and notes, it offers as does none other the range and power of the original in a modern idiom.

Martin Greenberg won a citation in 1989 from the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters for his versatility, skill, and probity as both critic and translator. He also received the 1989 Harold Morton Landon Verse Translation Award from the American Academy of Poets. Among his other translations is Five Plays, by Heinrich von Kleist, published by Yale University Press.