Geschichte des Agathon

by Christoph Martin Wieland, Rolf Vollmann (Editor)

Geschichte des Agathon ist ein 1766 und 1767 in zwei Bänden erstmals erschienener, 1773 und 1794 jeweils umgearbeiteter Roman des deutschen Schriftstellers Christoph Martin Wieland (1733–1813).
Er gilt als der erste große Bildungs- und Erziehungsroman in der deutschen Literatur und als Vorläufer des modernen psychologischen Romans. Die Handlung spielt im Übergang vom 5. zum 4. vorchristlichen Jahrhundert, geschildert wird das Heranwachsen des schönen athenischen Jünglings Agathon zu einem reifen Mann. Der Autor zeigt, wie Agathon nach und nach durch Desillusionierungen und Enttäuschungen zu einer realistischeren, erfolgversprechenderen und glücklicheren Lebenseinstellung gelangt.

Genres: Fiction, German Literature, Literature, Classics

792 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1766

About the author

Christoph Martin Wieland (1733 – 1813) was a German poet and writer.

Reviews

[Manybooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

Truly and to a point positively, Christoph Martin Wieland's Agathon (and the plot of Geschichte des Agathon is set in a fictionalised ancient Greece, the romanticised classical Greece of antiquity and philosophy) is (and actually very similar to the author's textually delightful Don Sylvio character) very strongly, very much an ardent and heartfelt idealist. But while Agathon is definitely and even primarily depicted with pathos and even much supportive understanding by Wieland, he is also presented by the author as being inhabited by an overabundance of exaggerated, almost extreme enthusiasm, and thus in many ways massively and sadly removed from pragmatic reality, not only inherently naive, but also very prone to believing and respecting given philosophers simply because they happen to be "philosophers" even if it is clearly demonstrated beyond any shadow of a doubt that there are major issues, that this respect is not in any way even remotely to be warranted. And then, of course, when disappointment and discouragement then inevitably do finally occur, Agathon's high and un-pragmatic ideals cause him to fall in a sadly spectacular manner (making him despair and become infuriated with oh so much more disillusioned exaggeration and over- emphasis than a more well balanced and moderate individual generally would be doing).

And while the above mentioned Don Sylvio's in many rather similar path to his personal joy, his enlightenment (although often definitely rather painful and frustrating for him as a character) generally reads satirically, humorously and sweetly delightfully, sorry, but the path of Agathon's education, the path that Christoph Martin Wieland makes his hapless protagonist tread in Geschichte des Agathon to achieve enlightenment, is conversely often very very much a more than tedious trudge through which the reader has literally to plough with difficulty and massive frustration (and while I do appreciate the novel's general themes and messages, and also realise that Wieland's Geschichte des Agathon is now both recognised as the first German language novel of development, the first so-called Bildungsroman, as well as a precursor to the 20th century psychological novel, this does not make the plot flow any easier, it does not make the constant barrage of philosophical jargon that is literally hurled at the reader any easier to digest and internalise). And thus, while with Don Sylvio's adventures, I primarily read and have enjoyed these as such and as entertaining (but still enlightening) satire, with Wieland's Geschichte des Agathon, I was (and am) often at my whits' end with regard to comprehension issues and resulting mindnumbing tedium, and was, although I did end up much cherishing what Geschichte des Agathon has taught me, especially with regard to Greek philosophy, unfailingly glad when I finally arrived at the end, when Geschichte des Agathon became a fait accompli (and I also do not think that I would ever desire to peruse Gescichte des Agathon a third time, much unlike many if not most of Wieland's satires which I really and truly can and do read over and over again with not only equal enjoyment but often with the delightful feeling and sensation that each time I read, I learn something new, I learn something interesting, enlightening and above all entertainingly humorous).

[Old-Fashioned Agnes · Rating 3 out of 5]

“The story of Agathon” by Christoph Wieland is a historical novel, written in the 18th century and set in Ancient Greece. The main character, Agathon, wants to be the ruler of Athens and make it the most powerful city in the whole Greece. Other character of the book was a historical king Dionys who organised a party that lasted 3 months.

There were interesting fragments together with boring ones. I recommend it to those who would like to know how 18th c. people viewed the times of Ancient Greece.

The author made a mistake: he wrote that Agathon was described in newspapers. However, I think that there were no newspapers at that time due to the lack of print. The newspapers must have been rewritten by hand what contradicts their function as a mass medium because it would have been very expensive.

[bookishescapedi_b · Rating 4 out of 5]

🇮🇹 & 🇬🇧

🇮🇹
Consigliato assolutamente! Non è una lettura semplice e purtroppo le traduzioni in circolo sono poche. L'ho letto in lingua originale per il corso di letteratura tedesca, ma ovviamente ho avuto l'aiuto del prof. Se siete appassionati di letteratura tedesca o semplicemente di letteratura è un diamante ben nascosto. È un romanzo all'origine di tutti i romanzi di formazione, non solo tedeschi. Sono moltissimi e chiari gli spunti che altri autori dall'illuminismo in poi hanno preso ispirazione da Wieland. Agathon è un protagonista che si ama e si odia, a volte ci sta simpatico, altre un po' meno. È realistico, e questo è quello che voleva l'autore. Il personaggio di Danae è meraviglioso, e anche Ippia, per quanto odioso è molto divertente. Spero che questo libro possa egli anni acquisire il successo che merita. Ringrazio davvero il mio prof di letteratura tedesca per avermelo fatto scoprire.

🇬🇧
Absolutely recommended! It is not an easy read and unfortunately there are few translations in circulation. I read it in the original language for the German literature course, but obviously I had the help of the professor. If you are passionate about German literature or literature in general, it is a well hidden gem. It is a novel at the origin of all coming-of-age novels, not just German ones. There are many elements that other authors from the Enlightenment onwards obviously took from Wieland. Agathon is a protagonist who we love and hate, sometimes we like him, other times a little less. He is realistic, and this is what the author wanted. The character of Danae is wonderful, and Hippias, although hateful, is very funny. I hope that this book will eventually gain the success it deserves. I'm really thankful to my German literature teacher for letting me discover it.

[Kristian Svane · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a banger book!

[Susu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Klassiker des Bildungsromans - in altmodischer Sprache - für mich persönlich nur in Etappen zu genießen