Because of my infatuation with The Sorrows of Young Werther, I had high hopes for this fictitious depiction of historical possibilities. But it was long-winded and I can’t imagine how anyone could have stayed interested. The Sorrows of Young Mike is a much better option if you are looking to read deeper into something that pertains to Werther.

Mă obişnuisem cu "volubilitatea aristocratică" a lui Mann după Muntele vrăjit şi după Doctor Faustus, adevărate capodopere ale literaturii universale. Naraţiunii din Lotte la Weimar îi lipseşte însă acel ceva care contrasta sobrietatea aproape ştiinţifică din cele două opere mai sus amintite: patosul. Dacă în Muntele vrăjit dialectica dintre iezuitul Leo Naphta şi progresistul Ludovico Settembrini scuză orice neajuns ce i s-ar fi putut reproşa romanului şi dacă în Docto [...]

In his 1939 novel Lotte in Weimar, Thomas Mann uses Johann Wolfgang von Goethe as a case study to explore the effect charismatic individuals have on those around them. Lotte was the heroine of Goethe’s 1774 novel The Sorrows of Young Werther, written when he was 24. She was based on a real person, Charlotte Kestner, née Buff; she and Goethe had been two-thirds of a romantic triangle, the other third being Lotte’s fiancé, whom she later married. Goethe rendered the events in fictional form [...]

The first characteristic of this book wich you will remark is its refinement, a refinement wich made Thomas Mann famous with Buddenbrooks, but to a whole new level this time (no wonder since there are 38 years between these two beautiful works): it's more than charming. The society back then was charming: elegance, manners, language, everythingAfter a while, and you'd be right to believe so, you would have the impression that this will only turn out to be an afternoon full of "conversations", ma [...]

Only a novelist as self-possessed as Mann could adequately tackle the monumental subject of Goethe. Indeed it seems that, with a work as unique in style as this, Mann was attempting to make yet another stride toward the same vast stylistic breadth as Goethe's own oeuvre of verse.The premise is so simple, yet the philosophic scope so wide and rich. Whether such a reunion between Goethe and the inspiration for his The Sorrows of Young Werther ever occurred or not, the reader will insist: "This is [...]

This is a very special book. If you are an admirer of both Thomas Mann and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, arguably the greatest literary giant in German history, you will capture rare insight of both men.The only problem with the book is that as a prerequisite, one certainly must be familiar with Goethe's "The Sorrows of Young Werther" for this book to really be appreciated. Mann's conception and writing is first rate as always. One could probably enjoy reading this without knowledge of Werther, bu [...]

Un capolavoro di ironia, questo ritratto della società e in particolare dell’intellettualità che si raccoglie attorno al vecchio Goethe come attorno a un monumento nazionale. Coraggioso e affascinante il capitolo in cui Mann ci conduce all’inseguimento dei pensieri di Goethe, mettendoli in scena in un monologo interiore (o pseudo tale).

არ ვიცი შეიძლება სხვისთვის საინტერესოა მაგრამ .გაგრძელება არ შემეძლო უბრალოდ.

Sehr schön konstruiert und ausgesprochen amüsant (vor allem, wenn man Goethe nicht besonders mag). Thomas Mann führt den Goethe-Kult und die überspannten Romatiker vor und zeichnet dabei ein interessantes Bild der Zeit. Besonders gefallen hat mir, wie er in Lottes Persönlichkeit ihre Existenz als "Werther's Lotte" und als bodenständige Frau mit einem individuellen, vom literarischen Kult der auf ihr basierten Figur losgelösten Ehe- und Familienleben verbindet. Die Charaktere des Romans bl [...]

A bit tedious at times but mostly because I felt like I should know more about some of the characters prior to this reading. I'm not smart enough or informed enough for this book as real life people are mentioned like I should know their personal biographies. I'm sure if I knew more about Goethe, and his circle, this story would have been interesting on many more levels than it was for me. But, none the less, I found it interesting on the surface levels that I could embrace. The basis of the sto [...]

Well I read it in Japanese translation. One of two books I read in 2010 over which I lingered the longest(the other being Schild's Ladder by Greg Egan). Its audacity of structure, depth and breadth of knowledge on Goethe, and gentle sense of irony were all eye-opening. I mean who else, writing on Goethe, has the guts to show the great man get so aroused by his own fantasies that he starts to masterbate(this, if my interpretation of the scene is correct in the translation). Such a rewarding book [...]

Less a novel than a work of social and literary criticism in the guise of fiction, this is a masterly work, but not a masterpiece like Magic Mountain. Much of the book resembles a Platonic dialogue, though there is often less dialogue as such than long expositions and narrative by one character told to another who mostly listens. The "incident" around which the novel revolves is the visit of "Lotte" of "Sorrows of Young Werther" to Weimar where the book's author Goethe has long lived.

„Realitatea e o operă a renunțării.”

"There it is, the faith of our youth; we never, at bottom, relinquish it; never, however old we grow, do we tire of reconfirming its truth, of reassuring ourselves that we are still the same, that growing old is but a physical, outward phenomenon and naught can avail to alter that innermost, foolish self of ours which we have carried about so long."If you are a big Werther fan, then this will delight you. I enjoyed the straight forward storytelling of Lotte's arrival more than Goethe's stream of [...]

this isn't a novel; half comedic Lustspiel, half platonic dialogue, this is Mann's study on Goethe, his person, his work and his artistry (and to some extent on Mann himself and his self-conception). The level of detail in this is honestly awe-inspiring but, even though it is filled with lots of typical Mann tongue-in-cheek humour, I would bestow it with the predicate 'interesting' rather than 'entertaining' (which isn't necessarily a bad thing). The predominant non-fictional reflections are rea [...]

Het ontbreekt me aan tijd en waarschijnlijk ook kwalificaties voor een uitgebreide kritiek, daarom opteer ik voor een veilige maximum score van vijf sterren, waarin toch ook weer een zekere lafheid doorschemert.

Besuch bei Goethe "Mit der ordinären Post von Gotha trafen an diesem Tage, morgens kurz nach 8 Uhr, drei Frauenzimmer vor dem renommierten Hause am Markte ein, denen auf den ersten Blick – und auch auf den zweiten noch – nichts Sonderliches anzumerken gewesen war."Bei den drei Frauenzimmern handelt es sich um Charlotte Kestner samt Tochter und Zofe. Unter dem Vorwand, ihre Schwester besuchen zu wollen, ist die in die Jahre gekommene Lotte nach Weimar gereist und lässt sich im Gasthof „Zu [...]

long, hard to read sometimes, but rewarding. Not essential TM, but worth reading.

Thomas Mann admired Goethe tremendously, wrote essays about him and gave lectures on this author. It is safe to say that Mann was fascinated by the author. This novel portrays Goethe as a difficult, irritating, selfish aging man who is devoted primarily to his own special interests and pursuits. The psychology of a man like this is plumbed with the acuity of the great writer that Mann was by the late nineteen-thirties. The character of Goethe is delineated through the perspectives of Lotte, Goet [...]

One of the very best books I ever read! Except of the final chapter it describes one day in Weimar when Charlotte Kestner, born Buff, arrived in Weimar to visit her sister - but actually to meet Goethe first time after 44 years when they had a unfulfilled love. Not any love - but the one which inspired Goethe to write his most famos novel: "Die Leiden des jungen Werther".Beside this aspect there are a lot of statements in Goethe's thoughts which seem to be more Thomas Mann's own thoughts about a [...]

Carlota es una señora madura que ha alcanzado una fama equívoca; en su juventud inspiró a Goethe el personaje de la amada, en la novela El joven Werther. Después de muchos años vuelve a Weimar, donde vive el Maestro, y donde contra su voluntad es reverenciada; todos están pendientes de un reencuentro con el escritor. La novela se desarrolla a través de larguísimos monólogos, llenos de circunloquios y cortesías protocolares, que hace muy ardua la lectura de una historia que podría habe [...]

Continuation of Goethe's Werther. As Goethe is processing the impossibility of his young love in his "Die Leiden des jungen Werther", this book is to be understood as the second part of the story some decades of life later. Outstanding reproduction of the mood of a time, full of carricatures in many levels. Even the longish and procedural mood, obsessed of details is reproduced from classicism very precise. ;) Nevertheless (and therefore): an excellent writing.

„არა აქვს მნიშვენელობა, გიყვართ ან მოგწონთ თუ არა თომას მანი (თუმცა წარმოუდგენელია არ მოგწონდეთ,) მაგრამ შეუძლებელია ყველაზე კრიტიკულად განწყობილმა ადამიანმაც არ აღიაროს: როდესაც მი წიგნ [...]

I have yet to tackle Goethe full-on, but have always enjoyed Mann so picked it off the library shelf when I saw it. What really came through for me was the intricate portrayals of Lotte and Goethe, particularly that of an ageing lady still with a foot in her past glories -- far more sympathetic and real than Goethe. I'll need to come back to it again after more familiarity with Goethe's works.

Absolutely boring. I was the only one in my class who read it until the end. The others only read the first chapter and then based their homework on interpretations they borrowed from the local library or older students.No stars for this one, I hated it. I remember there is no action at all, it all takes place in one room, only talk, and I didn't like Thomas Mann's writing style.

Verhaal van de Hofrätin Charlotte Kestner, geboren Buff, die op oudere leeftijd terugkeert naar Weimar. Door de butler Mager van het hotel waar ze verblijft wordt ze herkend als Lotte uit de Werther van Goethe. Wat volgt is een stoet van personen die haar willen zien en hun adoratie én beklag over Goethe bij haar komen doen. Saaie lectuur, echt voor Goethe-liefhebbers

(For the Turkish version, Can Yayinlari) Kitabın konusu dikkat çekici olmasına rağmen, anlatımda çok fazla tıkanıklık olması kitabı okurken neredeyse acı çekmenize neden olabiliyor.

Pretty boring

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Picked And now there is a movie about Goethe and Lotte, but I still don't care