The Sorrows of Young Werther

By: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Narrated by: Jim Donaldson

The Sorrows of Young Werther was Goethe's first major success, turning him from an unknown into a celebrated author practically overnight. Napoleon Bonaparte considered it one of the great works of European literature. He thought so highly of it that he wrote a soliloquy in Goethe's style in his youth and carried Werther with him on his campaigning to Egypt. It also started the phenomenon known as the "Werther-Fieber" ("Werther Fever") which caused young men throughout Europe to dress in the clothing style described for Werther in the novel.

Werther made Goethe one of the first international literary celebrities. Towards the end of his life, a personal visit to Weimar became crucial to any young man's tour of Europe. Werther was an important novel of the Sturm und Drang period in German literature, and influenced the later Romantic literary movement.

Public Domain (P)2012 Trout Lake Media

Historically Interesting but no Faust

This was an interesting and a very influential example of Storm & Stress proto-romanticism and of early Goethe. The narration was also very good, but I did not find this work as timeless or moving as Faust or later classical romantic novels. I found the characters and situations quite overdone, like an eighteenth century soap opera. If you like flawed and tragic romantic heroes perhaps you will enjoy this story. I really liked the brief Ossian poems near the end. I am glad I listened to this, but only for the literary, cultural and historical aspects.

More Jolly Than Melancholy

This is a hilarious and impassioned reading by Jim Donaldson, but one that is more likely to make you laugh than weep.

Believe the hype

For a meditative, melancholy book that inspired copycat suicides in its heyday -- nearly two an a half centuries ago -- this book absolutely holds up.

Literature and art of all kinds in this vein risk coming off as petulant, whiny, and -- in modern parlance -- "emo"; but this book avoids those pitfalls and achieves -- and maintains -- an insightful, touching, and brilliant narrative.

Timeless and heartbreakingly relatable.

passion and sorrow

Poor Young Werther emulates the irrational yet passionate in this tale that brings you back a couple of hundred years. Goethe depicts the comfortable life of a likeable Werther, who once falls in love, cannot be satisfied by anything else. I enjoyed the story and the format of this book very much. The narration as well as short interludes between entries were nice and gave a somber yet sweet dramatic effect.

I got this only because I visited Goethe's house in Weimar.

So, this book was mentioned in the tour. Goethe and Schiller made Weimar its World Heritage renown and gave Germany a literary heritage. I'm glad I listened to it, but won't give it a second hearing. I keep thinking of what some critic called Holden Caulfield of Catcher in the Rye--a "tiresome adolescent.." Granted, Werther is an important, older adolescent who provokes some psychological analysis. The book is worth a listen for history buffs.