Goethe:ACriticalIntroduction(MajorEuropeanAuthorsSeries)

ThisisaconcisesurveyandcriticismofGoethe'swork,forthegeneralreaderandthestudent.Itisintendedasausefulfirstbookfromwhichthereadercanproceedtomorespecialisedstudies.HereGoethe'sworkisseenasawhole,andfromthepointofviewofliterarycriticism.ThefirstchaptersummarisesGoethe'slife.Theotherchapterdiscusstheworks,singlyandingroups.Muchattentionisgiventothepoems;andtherearetwolongchaptersonFaust.Werther,WilhelmMeister,ElectiveAffinities,andtheDivanaregivenachaptereach;soarethedramaticworks,theautobiographicalwritings,andthescientificwork.ArefreshingaspectofthebookisthatwhileDrGraytakesaccountofearliercriticismhealsoseekstoseeGoethe'sworkentirelyafresh,andtoreappraiseit;byquestioningthevalueofsomeworks,heenhancesthevaluationofothers.QuotationisinGerman,butEnglishtranslationsaregiveninfootnotes.Thereisausefulcomparativetableofbiographicaldates,whichshowswhatwashappening,politicallyandculturally,inEuropewhileGoethelived.Therearereferencesattheendofthebook,aselectbibliographyandanindex.ThebookcanbeusedinconjunctionwithDrGray'sselectionofthepoems.ThetwobookstogetherarethebestpossibleintroductiontoonethegreatestEuropeanmenofletters.