elisemzaidi 's review for:

Goethe's Faust by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
3.0

The writing and rhythm of Goethe’s epic tale are exceptional. The philosophical exploration of morality and the never-ending search of meaning leave you with a lot to think about. I understand why this is a classic.

But ultimately, this story made me feel a bit icky. Most of it focuses on middle-aged Faust’s obsessive lust over the 14-year-old Margaret, a caricature of a woman who is obsessed with him for god knows what reason. Their relationship destroys her life, so much so that the main thing I took away from the story is how woefully unbalanced the consequences of the same behavior are for men and women.