virtualmima 's review for:

The Sorrows of Young Werther by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

2.25

funny

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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This is another book that's better if you don't identify with the protagonist. Though the author most probably intended for us to sympathize with Werther, from a modern-day perspective we ought only to see Werther as a pathetic stalker bent on harassing a woman who wasn't interested in him. From her behavior it seems like Charlotte initially is nice to him as she is to everyone else and later on pities him, and Werther mistakes this pity for love. He never bothers to ask her about how she feels about him, and maybe does not want to know because he values his own feelings above hers. He doesn't love her, he just wants ownership of her, and regrets that his friend possesses her instead of him. There's no real indication that even if she were unmarried she'd be any more inclined to marry Werther, though if it hadn't been for Albert he may just have been able to pressure her into a marriage with him, possibly against her own will. But if it weren't for Albert he might not even pursue her, since more than anything he just seems to want something to despair about, just like many other bored upper-class youths of his time. Unfortunately there are still many Werthers all around the world, some of them probably spamming your inbox or following you home. It's a good thing that most of us don't see this behavior as "romantic" anymore. I'd definitely add this to the list of books that are red flags, so if you know anyone who likes it they will probably require some further inspection as to their reasoning and whether they identify with the protagonist. This is only good as a view into the psychology of a stalker/harasser and the delusions that motivate them. Otherwise most of the human population should avoid it at all costs.