FAUST: PART I & II

by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Bayard Taylor (translator)

"Faust" , the timeless masterpiece penned by the prolific German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, stands as an enduring testament to the complexity of the human soul and the pursuit of knowledge, power, and redemption.

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In Part 1 of "Faust," we meet the disillusioned scholar, Doctor Faustus, who, feeling unfulfilled and dissatisfied with his earthly knowledge, makes a pact with the devil, Mephistopheles. In exchange for his soul, Faust seeks boundless knowledge, worldly pleasures, and transcendent experiences. As he embarks on a journey filled with temptation, seduction, and the quest for ultimate understanding, Faust grapples with the consequences of his choices and the profound impact they have on his life and the lives of those around him.

Part 2 of "Faust" takes us even deeper into the complexities of Faust's character. Now a man of vast experience and wisdom, Faust strives to attain spiritual redemption. His quest leads him through a series of intricate and allegorical adventures, where he encounters mythical figures, explores the limits of power, and contemplates the eternal questions of human existence. As Faust navigates the realms of politics, love, and the supernatural, Goethe weaves a rich tapestry of poetic language, philosophical inquiry, and profound insight.

Goethe's "Faust" is not merely a tragedy or morality play but a profound exploration of the human condition, a poetic meditation on the nature of good and evil, and a poignant reflection on the consequences of unchecked ambition. "Faust - Part 1 & 2" invites readers to delve into the depths of the human soul, to grapple with the complexities of desire and redemption, and to contemplate the eternal struggle for meaning and purpose in a world filled with both light and darkness.

1181 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 22, 2023

About the author

A master of poetry, drama, and the novel, German writer and scientist Johann Wolfgang von Goethe spent 50 years on his two-part dramatic poem Faust , published in 1808 and 1832, also conducted scientific research in various fields, notably botany, and held several governmental positions.

George Eliot called him "Germany's greatest man of letters... and the last true polymath to walk the earth." Works span the fields of literature, theology, and humanism.
People laud this magnum opus as one of the peaks of world literature. Other well-known literary works include his numerous poems, the Bildungsroman Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship and the epistolary novel The Sorrows of Young Werther .

With this key figure of German literature, the movement of Weimar classicism in the late 18th and early 19th centuries coincided with Enlightenment, sentimentality (Empfindsamkeit), Sturm und Drang, and Romanticism. The author of the scientific text Theory of Colours , he influenced Darwin with his focus on plant morphology. He also long served as the privy councilor ("Geheimrat") of the duchy of Weimar.

Goethe took great interest in the literatures of England, France, Italy, classical Greece, Persia, and Arabia and originated the concept of Weltliteratur ("world literature"). Despite his major, virtually immeasurable influence on German philosophy especially on the generation of Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel and Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph von Schelling, he expressly and decidedly refrained from practicing philosophy in the rarefied sense.

Influence spread across Europe, and for the next century, his works inspired much music, drama, poetry and philosophy. Many persons consider Goethe the most important writer in the German language and one of the most important thinkers in western culture as well. Early in his career, however, he wondered about painting, perhaps his true vocation; late in his life, he expressed the expectation that people ultimately would remember his work in optics.