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Effi Briest (Classics)
 
 
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Effi Briest (Classics) (Paperback)

by Theodor Fontane (Author), D. Parmee (Translator) "To the front of Hohen-Cremmen, country seat of the von Briest family since the time of Elector Georg Wilhelm, bright sunshine fell on the midday..." (more)
3.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Paperback: 272 pages
  • Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd (May 1967)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0140441905
  • ISBN-13: 978-0140441901
  • Product Dimensions: 17.5 x 11.2 x 1.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 90,551 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category:

    #62 in  Books > Fiction > World > German

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Product Description

Product Description
The story of a woman's adultery. The story of Effi and the chinaman's ghost, the forest and dunes that are its setting, the stern Prussian code that makes the climax both terrible and absurd, are unique to Fontane and to German literature.
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First Sentence
To the front of Hohen-Cremmen, country seat of the von Briest family since the time of Elector Georg Wilhelm, bright sunshine fell on the midday silence in the village street, while on the side facing the park and gardens a wing built on at right angles cast its broad shadow first on a white and green flagstone path, then out over a large roundel of flowers with a sundial at its centre and a border of canna lilies and rhubarb round the edge. Read the first page
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Customer Reviews

3 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
3.3 out of 5 stars (3 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars A very good book, 27 Mar 2004
This review is from: Effi Briest (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)
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.

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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A compelling & good read, 23 Jan 2006
An emotive portrayal of the damaging effects of Prussian society, where the opression of the protagonist Effi is Fontane's concern. Effi is forced to live according to society's rules and regulations, after marrying Innstetten to secure her social position. Society's rectitude limits the autonomy of Effi and also her husband Innstetten, although both characters respond to this limitation in contrasting ways. Effi resorts to adultery to escape her oppressive marriage, whereas Innstetten throws himself deeper into the social world. The consequences of both responses lead to the tragic ending of the book. Above all, a great book & well written.
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0 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars Poor translation, 18 Mar 2008
This review is from: Effi Briest (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)
A pity the translation of this classic novel has to be so stilted. The choice of words and the un-Englishness of the English seriously detracts from the story. My recommendation is: either read it in German or don't read it at all - it can't really be enjoyed by reading this version.
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