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jingyao 's review for:
The Sorrows of Young Werther
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
I first read this book when I was in elementary school in China. During that time I read many classics (quite abridged I believe, and in Chinese), including ones originally written in English (e.g. O. Henry, Mark Twain, Jonathan Swift), but also French (e.g. Dumas, Jules Verne, Hugo), Russian (e.g. Ostrovsky, Gorky) and German. I was too young to fully appreciate the works, but the experience made me always think of books like The Sorrows of Young Werther as true classics. But since coming to the states I've been surprised to find that no one knows about this book, despite Goethe being essentially the Shakespeare of Germany. It seems that many Americans that enjoy reading classics do not venture out of the English-speaking world much.
I can't say I have strong feelings about this story after rereading it - I tend to like novels that take more time and details to develop richer plot progression and characters, so this small book isn't really "my type" in novels, hence the rating, but it's still nice to know what this influential novel is all about. Werther is a clear case of someone who'd be diagnosed as clinically depressed and suicidal in today's world. It takes a glance at Charlotte or a tiny thought to arouse such dramatic emotions in him, which makes him a bit hard to relate to. The feeling of aloneness is a recurring theme - how people are fundamentally individual creatures that can't instill happiness in one another and friendship and relationships are temporary. Reading this book provides a real glimpse into people's lives in the 18th century - nature, literature and music play a much more prominent role in everyday entertainment. It's also interesting how this book had a major influence on young people in Germany during that era and made them emulate Werther in his radical attitude towards love.
----------------Excerpts (re-read in Chinese)
“我真高興自己的心靈能感受人類最單純、最天真的樂趣，他把自種的包菜端上桌，享受的不只是包菜，而且是一切美好的日子──他種菜的美麗清晨，他澆水的愉快黃昏，以及他看菜苗長大的歡喜。”
“我們總覺得自己缺少某一樣東西，而且自己缺少的東西別人偏偏有，於是我們還認定他們也具有我們的一切，加上某一種理想的幸福。於是那位幸運的人兒變得十全十美，完全是我們想像中的生物。”
“據說有一種高貴的名駒，每當牠們全身發熱、奄奄一息的時候，牠們會本能地咬開一條血管來幫助呼吸。我常常想那麼做。我寧願割開一道血管，得到永遠的自由。”
“有時候我硬是想不通；我這樣全心全意愛她，熱烈而完整，除了她一無所知，一無所覺，一無所有，別人怎麼能愛她呢。”
“不是發自我心中的愛情、歡樂、熱勁和狂喜，我根本無法由別人身上獲得。雖然我心裏充滿福佑，如果別人僵僵冷冷站在我面前，我也無法使他快樂。”
“聽天由命，飲下生命的苦酒，不是人類的命運又是什麼？──如果那杯酒太苦了，上帝的子民都難以下嚥，我又何必佯稱味道很甜呢？我的整個生命都在生死之間顫抖，過去的光亮像閃電般照見未來的黑暗深淵，身邊的一切都漸漸消逝，世界在我頭頂破裂，在這可怕的一刻，我何必自覺慚愧呢？──耶穌完全孤獨，完全無助的時候，筆直躍入深淵，不是由靈魂深處吐出這樣的肺腑之言嗎：「我的上帝，我的上帝，祢為什麼遺棄我？」能把天堂像布幕般捲起的祂都不怕說這句話，我又何必以這句話為恥呢，我又何必畏懼這一刻？”
“天父啊，祢以前曾充實我的心靈，如今卻對我不屑一顧！喚我到祢身邊吧！破除祢的沉默，祢的沉默支持不了這個饑渴的靈魂──父親看兒子提前回家，摟住他的脖子喊道：「父親，我回來了。你本來要我走遠一點，我卻半途回來，請您不要生我的氣。全世界都是一個樣子，有工作有辛勞，有報酬有快樂，但是對我又有什麼意義呢？只有您在的地方，我才覺得舒服，在您面前我會感到歡欣。」這位父親會生氣嗎？──而祢，親愛的天父，祢會推拒他嗎？”
“美麗的夏日傍晚，妳爬上山丘，請追念我，我曾多次在那兒俯視山谿，然後請妳隔著墓場，凝視我的墳墓，在落日餘暉中，和風將輕輕吹拂著小草。──提筆的時候我相當平靜，如今我清清楚楚看到這一切，忍不住像小孩子泣不成聲。”
I can't say I have strong feelings about this story after rereading it - I tend to like novels that take more time and details to develop richer plot progression and characters, so this small book isn't really "my type" in novels, hence the rating, but it's still nice to know what this influential novel is all about. Werther is a clear case of someone who'd be diagnosed as clinically depressed and suicidal in today's world. It takes a glance at Charlotte or a tiny thought to arouse such dramatic emotions in him, which makes him a bit hard to relate to. The feeling of aloneness is a recurring theme - how people are fundamentally individual creatures that can't instill happiness in one another and friendship and relationships are temporary. Reading this book provides a real glimpse into people's lives in the 18th century - nature, literature and music play a much more prominent role in everyday entertainment. It's also interesting how this book had a major influence on young people in Germany during that era and made them emulate Werther in his radical attitude towards love.
----------------Excerpts (re-read in Chinese)
“我真高興自己的心靈能感受人類最單純、最天真的樂趣，他把自種的包菜端上桌，享受的不只是包菜，而且是一切美好的日子──他種菜的美麗清晨，他澆水的愉快黃昏，以及他看菜苗長大的歡喜。”
“我們總覺得自己缺少某一樣東西，而且自己缺少的東西別人偏偏有，於是我們還認定他們也具有我們的一切，加上某一種理想的幸福。於是那位幸運的人兒變得十全十美，完全是我們想像中的生物。”
“據說有一種高貴的名駒，每當牠們全身發熱、奄奄一息的時候，牠們會本能地咬開一條血管來幫助呼吸。我常常想那麼做。我寧願割開一道血管，得到永遠的自由。”
“有時候我硬是想不通；我這樣全心全意愛她，熱烈而完整，除了她一無所知，一無所覺，一無所有，別人怎麼能愛她呢。”
“不是發自我心中的愛情、歡樂、熱勁和狂喜，我根本無法由別人身上獲得。雖然我心裏充滿福佑，如果別人僵僵冷冷站在我面前，我也無法使他快樂。”
“聽天由命，飲下生命的苦酒，不是人類的命運又是什麼？──如果那杯酒太苦了，上帝的子民都難以下嚥，我又何必佯稱味道很甜呢？我的整個生命都在生死之間顫抖，過去的光亮像閃電般照見未來的黑暗深淵，身邊的一切都漸漸消逝，世界在我頭頂破裂，在這可怕的一刻，我何必自覺慚愧呢？──耶穌完全孤獨，完全無助的時候，筆直躍入深淵，不是由靈魂深處吐出這樣的肺腑之言嗎：「我的上帝，我的上帝，祢為什麼遺棄我？」能把天堂像布幕般捲起的祂都不怕說這句話，我又何必以這句話為恥呢，我又何必畏懼這一刻？”
“天父啊，祢以前曾充實我的心靈，如今卻對我不屑一顧！喚我到祢身邊吧！破除祢的沉默，祢的沉默支持不了這個饑渴的靈魂──父親看兒子提前回家，摟住他的脖子喊道：「父親，我回來了。你本來要我走遠一點，我卻半途回來，請您不要生我的氣。全世界都是一個樣子，有工作有辛勞，有報酬有快樂，但是對我又有什麼意義呢？只有您在的地方，我才覺得舒服，在您面前我會感到歡欣。」這位父親會生氣嗎？──而祢，親愛的天父，祢會推拒他嗎？”
“美麗的夏日傍晚，妳爬上山丘，請追念我，我曾多次在那兒俯視山谿，然後請妳隔著墓場，凝視我的墳墓，在落日餘暉中，和風將輕輕吹拂著小草。──提筆的時候我相當平靜，如今我清清楚楚看到這一切，忍不住像小孩子泣不成聲。”