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In 1786, when he was already the acknowledged leader of the Sturm und Drang literary movement, Goethe set out on a journey to Italy to fulfil a personal and artistic quest and to find relief from his responsibilities and the agonies of unrequited love. As he travelled to Venice, Rome, Naples and Sicily he wrote many letters, which he later used as the basis for the Italian Journey. A journal full of fascinating observations on art and history, and the plants, landscape and the character of the local people he encountered, this is also a moving account of the psychological crisis from which Goethe emerged newly inspired to write the great works of his mature years.
About the Author
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was born in 1749. Having studied at Leipzig and Strassburg, he began to write some essays and lyrical verse, and at twenty-four wrote a play Goetz von Berlichingen, which brought him national fame and established him in the Sturm und Drang movement. He is most famous for his tragedy Werther. He died in 1832.
W. H. Auden was Professor of Poetry at Oxford University from 1956 to 1960. He published poems throughout his life, and in 1946 became a US citizen. He died in 1973.
Elizabeth Mayer has also translated, in collaboration with Louise Bogan, Elective Affinities and Werther.
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First Sentence
I SLIPPED out of Carlsbad at three in the morning; otherwise, I would not have been allowed to leave. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
I SLIPPED out of Carlsbad at three in the morning; otherwise, I would not have been allowed to leave. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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18 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I purchased this book for an essay on Goethe's journey in Italy. I chose this translation after comparing it to the other one available, as I felt the style was closer to Goethe's intentions. Admittedly I expected it to be somewhat boring and the first few pages were a slow read. However once Goethe reaches Rome, his excitement of being on "classic soil" is so well conveyed, that I really got into it. The book is based on letters that he wrote home to Weimar and his reflections some time later when he compiled it. They provide an interesting perspective of Italy and Europe at the time and the lifestyles of the upper-class intellectuals. The most surprising part for me however, was that Goethe actually has a sense of humour which his quirky little observations of life as a humanitarian show. I recommend finding a copy of the Roman Elegies and some of his other works of the time, to complement 'Italian Journey'.
2 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book was the first selection by the Round the World Book Group in Edinburgh. I first read it in about 1998 when on holiday in Italy, visiting the Italian lake region and staying in Malcesine. Goethe visited Malcesine during his journey and stayed there for some time. I found his description of the town and the surrounding area very colourful, and I could follow some of his travels myself. The one thing we did in Malcesine which he didn't, was to be caught in a mountain thunderstorm, a temporale, and get thoroughly soaked.
0 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Goethe is one of the towering figures of European civilization.
This description of his Wanderjahre in Italy serves as an excellent introduction for those about to embark on Goethe's Roemische Elegien - and reminds one that he possessed one of the most penetrating intellects of all times.
This description of his Wanderjahre in Italy serves as an excellent introduction for those about to embark on Goethe's Roemische Elegien - and reminds one that he possessed one of the most penetrating intellects of all times.
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