Goethe

Safranski is precise on the philosophical questions that dominated the life of a genius and his illustrious peers but the lessons for the many are outlined in a simple, engaging style... [his] achievement is to stir the most poignant of contrasting emotions. -- The Herald Enthralling...Rudiger Safranski makes the reader fall madly in love with Goethe again. -- Ijoma Mangold - Die Zeit In this expansive biography, Safranski, a philosopher and historian, mixes narrative and commentary with the great poet's own words, from celebrated verse to obscure correspondence. Safranski's strength lies in his ability to blend artistic analysis with swift, sharp renderings of various artists, thinkers, pietists, lovers, and plundering solders who shaped Goethe. His portrait of the prolific genius leaves the reader with lasting awe, even envy. -- The New Yorker ... fresh and authentic-feeling read. -- The Economist Safranski has written an outstanding biography, one that can be enjoyed by both scholars and general readers... he brilliantly captures Goethe's perpetual incipience... Goethe has been lucky, on this occasion, with both his biographer and his translator. -- Literary Review