The Sorrows of Young Werther by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
It’s surprising how many short novels can create such an impact. Apparently written in six weeks by a then 24 year old Goethe (according to Wikipedia at least), it is the descriptive language through which the passions are expressed that really made this book a powerful read for me.
Many people attempt, but struggle to articulate some very human concepts relatable to the masses – sorrows, joys, heartbreak. Yet, you sense it is only with the better writers you can really feel their involvement in the piece, in ways I think that readers can relate to and be in awe at how their own similar experiences could be described so well.
It’s been described as having a loose autobiographical element to it. It is very difficult to imagine by the way in which it is written that it is not from a place close to his own heart, rather than concepts he tries to articulate that he has not experienced himself. Yet whichever the case was, both only seem to reiterate his great ability as a writer with this piece.
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