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thegreenship's review against another edition
2.0
Goethe war definitiv auf Drogen, als er dieses Stück geschrieben hat!!
cinnamonfox's review against another edition
3.0
Volumul II din Faust de Goethe era de câțiva ani buni pe lista mea de lectură și în sfârșit am ajuns la el. Mi-a plăcut mult construcția versului, povestea, personajele și reprezentarea firii umane într-o lumină nu tocmai agreabilă, dar absolut savuroasă. E genul de carte ce te face să te întorci la clasici, pentru că farmecul textelor vechi este unul inconfundabil și nu poate fi imitat.
meowpompom's review against another edition
3.0
A man who cannot reign
Over his inner self, lusts fiercely to control
His neighbour’s will
Over his inner self, lusts fiercely to control
His neighbour’s will
ursy's review against another edition
4.0
This was an extremely good translation given the text’s challenging qualities. The play itself moved away from the simplicity of Part One. A multitude of characters, including complex references to Greek mythology, made it a difficult read that lacked the instant engaging quality of its predecessor. In order to fully appreciate this text, one certainly needs to have a comprehensive grasp of Goethe Studies, perhaps a reason I found this such a difficult read. Clearly a seminal work, but one I found a little beyond my grasp!
msgtdameron's review against another edition
3.0
Part Two only gets a three due to Goethe's ending. Gretchen should NOT be able to save Faust from his bargain. One women's love does not mean that a life time of debauchery, rape, murder, theft, war mongering and a plethora of other sins is wiped out. I understand where Goethe is going the entire love can save us from our sins, but Faust is beyond the pale and unredeemable. That's why I give Part Two a three.
juanbymagic's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
4.25
jerza26's review against another edition
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
mges's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
10/10 magnum opus
michelle610's review against another edition
4.0
I thoroughly enjoyed the second part much more than the first part of the book. Even though the plot is based on the tale of a medieval legend who sold his soul to the devil, it actually applies to our modern sense of alienation and confusion around the world we live in. The book was written over Goethe’s entire life, beginning in his twenties and finished in his eighties before he die. It’s operatic extravaganza tone is a vivid reflection of its time around the 17th century. While Goethe called this book a tragedy, I personally see it as a comedy with a satirical sense of humour, sometimes aphoristic style of writing and a good ending as Faust achieved his final salvation in the end, which could be seen as tragic since Faust does not exactly deserve heaven.
The basic plot is about a well-respected but bored doctor Faust who made a deal with the devil Mephistopheles to exchange his soul for true satisfaction from unlimited knowledge and worldly pleasures. Because Doctor Faust is God’s favourite, the devil made a bet with the God to corrupt Faust from his goodness and prove to god no human is worth saving. This then led Faust and the devil to a series of adventures, all with tragic endings. When he finally died as a rich and experienced man, however, the angels decided to save his soul from hell because his relentless striving for progress during his lifetime despite of the fact that he agreed to sell his soul to the devil.
Personally, I much prefer the second part which was an explosion of sublime poetry of landscapes and grand mystical adventures that reveal truth about a range of more touching concepts such as power, money and attachment compare to the relatively trifle, domestic and melodramatic part I about an ill-fated love between Faust and Gretchen. For example, in Part II when Faust and Mephistopheles introduced paper money in their “magic act” as a way to restore the emperor’s economic depression, it leaves a satirical remark on our own assumption of the real value of currency.
To enjoy this book, readers need to read between the lines and think about not what the plot is saying but what it is implying as a metaphor.
The basic plot is about a well-respected but bored doctor Faust who made a deal with the devil Mephistopheles to exchange his soul for true satisfaction from unlimited knowledge and worldly pleasures. Because Doctor Faust is God’s favourite, the devil made a bet with the God to corrupt Faust from his goodness and prove to god no human is worth saving. This then led Faust and the devil to a series of adventures, all with tragic endings. When he finally died as a rich and experienced man, however, the angels decided to save his soul from hell because his relentless striving for progress during his lifetime despite of the fact that he agreed to sell his soul to the devil.
Personally, I much prefer the second part which was an explosion of sublime poetry of landscapes and grand mystical adventures that reveal truth about a range of more touching concepts such as power, money and attachment compare to the relatively trifle, domestic and melodramatic part I about an ill-fated love between Faust and Gretchen. For example, in Part II when Faust and Mephistopheles introduced paper money in their “magic act” as a way to restore the emperor’s economic depression, it leaves a satirical remark on our own assumption of the real value of currency.
To enjoy this book, readers need to read between the lines and think about not what the plot is saying but what it is implying as a metaphor.