Forgotten Goethe

[Kay Fair]

The Sorrows of Young Werther by Johann Goethe is a book I must have been side-stepping for years. It seems like someone I know would have recommended it to me at some point as a "you need to read this... it's so you" suggestion. But alas, I'm left to wonder where this story has been all my life.

The basics: Boy meets Girl. Boy can't have Girl. Boy kills Self. Sure, I'm over-simplifying a bit, but that's the basic gist. As with all truly touching books, the plot is fairly basic at its core and the details are therefore allowed to emerge to the forefront and push you along in a tremendously heart-breaking way.

I was shocked by the end (not by the suicide, of course... that particular tragedy was even more obvious and expected than the one that ended my tenth grade relationship/first love. Sigh...) But I was fully appalled by the lack of attendants at the funeral. Where was beloved Lotte who (almost) gave into Werther's affections? Where was her somewhat understanding husband Albert who had claimed to pity Werther so much? Was there a sale on at the pistol store and they didn't want to miss their golden opportunity to replace the guns they'd... hu-hum, lent out?
Or perhaps Lotte was simply exhausted with the effort of being admired. Balancing a stalker whom you keep around because he feeds your ego and keeps your life youthful with a relationship ripe in maturity, boredom, and comfort (all synonymous, by the way) is a tiring endeavour to say the least. I suppose I'll give Lotte a pass on this one. So she didn't show up to the funeral... she was likely more relieved to have it all over with than Werther himself. (more at whatrefuge.blogspot)

[andr70]

Hi! Thanks a lot for sahring! It seems like an interesting story!