Faust, Part I (Paperback)

Goethe

ISBN 10: 0140449019 / ISBN 13: 9780140449013

Published by Penguin Books Ltd, London, 2005

About this Item

Paperback. A major new translation by award-winning poet and translator David Constantine that captures the lyrical liveliness of Goethe's original.Goethe's Faust reworks the late-medieval myth of Dr Faust, a brilliant scholar so disillusioned he resolves to make a contract or wager with the devil, Mephistopheles. The devil will do all he asks on Earth and seek to grant him a moment in life so glorious that he will wish it to last for ever. But if Faust does bid the moment stay, he falls to Mephisto and must serve him after death. In this first part of Goethe's great work the embittered thinker and Mephistopheles enter into their agreement, and soon Faust is living a life beyond his study and - in rejuvenated form - winning the love of the charming and beautiful Gretchen. But in this compelling tragedy of arrogance, unfulfilled desire and self-delusion, Faust, served by the devil, heads inexorably towards destruction. Goethe viewed the writing of poetry as essentially autobiographical, and the works selected in this volume represent more than sixty years in the life of the poet. In early poems such as aPrometheus, a he rails against religion in an almost ecstatic fervor, while aTo the Moona is an enigmatic meditation on the end of a love affair. The "Roman Elegies" show Goetheas use of Classical meters in an homage to ancient Rome and its poets, and aThe Diary, a suppressed for more than a century, is a narrative poem whose eroticism is combined with its morality. In selections from "Faust," arguably his greatest and most personal work, Goethe creates an exhilarating depiction of humankindas eternal search for truth. aFaithful and felicitous, these verse translations . . . are an excellent introduction to [Goetheas] genius.a a"The Daily Telegraph" (London) Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9780140449013

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Faust, Part I (Paperback)
• Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd, London
• Publication Date: 2005
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0140449019
• ISBN 13: 9780140449013
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

Goethe’s Faust reworks the late medieval myth of a brilliant scholar so disillusioned he resolves to make a contract with Mephistopheles. The devil will do all he asks on Earth and seeks to grant him a moment in life so glorious that he will wish it to last forever. But if Faust does bid the moment stay, he falls to Mephisto and must serve him after death. In this first part of Goethe’s great work, the embittered thinker and Mephistopheles enter into their agreement, and soon Faust is living a rejuvenated life and winning the love of the beautiful Gretchen. But in this compelling tragedy of arrogance, unfulfilled desire, and self-delusion, Faust heads inexorably toward an infernal destruction.

A.S. Byatt's preface considers Goethe's lifelong relationship with the myth of Faust and its influence on modern literature. This edition includes an introduction by the translator, a chronology, suggestions for further reading, explanatory notes, and an addendum on the writing of Faust.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

About the Author

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was born in Frankfurt-on-Main in 1749. He studied at Leipzig, where he showed interest in the occult, and at Strassburg, where Herder introduced him to Shakespeare’s works and to folk poetry. He produced some essays and lyrical verse, and at twenty-two wrote Götz von Berlichingen, a play which brought him national fame and established him in the current Sturm und Drang movement. This was followed by the novel The Sorrows of Young Werther in 1774, which was an even greater success.

Goethe began work on Faust, and Egmont, another tragedy before being invited to join the government of Weimar. His interest in the classical world led him to leave suddenly for Italy in 1786 and the Italian Journey recounts his travels there. Iphigenia in Tauris and Torquato Tasso, classical dramas, were written at this time. Returning to Weimar, Goethe started the second part of Faust, encouraged by Schiller. In 1806 he married Christiane Vulpius. During this late period he finished his series of Wilhelm Master books and wrote many other works, including The Oriental Divan (1819). He also directed the State Theatre and worked on scientific theories in evolutionary botany, anatomy and color. Goethe completed Faust in 1832, just before he died.

A. S. Byatt, novelist, short-story writer, and critic, is the author of many books, including Possession, winner of the Man Booker Prize.