I first read this novel as part of my degree and expected it, like so many other books I've read for the course, to be either dull or too abstract to be enjoyable. However, I was pleasantly surprised. I suspected at first that it was going to be a Jane Austen style period thing, whereas in actual fact it turns out to be a beautifully written and involving tale of the difficulties of fitting in with the norms of a society that leaves no space for the individual.
Effi is a wonderful protagonist because it is so easy to like her. She is not the wet and feeble woman of so many novels in this vein, she is lively and engaging. There is genuine engagement with all the characters, both male and female, which I have never felt with Jane Austen or the Brontes. There is plenty of dialogue, which Fontane was wonderful at writing. It really helps you to get to know the characters, and it is also very entertaining. I would have to disagree with Fontane himself to say that Effi's husband does not come across as the nice guy Fontane was aiming for.
By this point in history we have probably realised that late 19th century society left a lot to be desired in some respects, and so Fontane's social criticism is perhaps unnecessary if you're not studying the period. But it is so well written, and the story is so simple but so involving (based on a true story, so I hear, although there are probably so many true stories of this kind that that's not really very exciting) that it is well worth a read so that you can get to know Effi and go through her troubles with her. Sadly I can't comment on the quality of this translation though because I haven't read it in translation.