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Carlotta a Weimar
Forty years after their youthful association, Lotte Kestner, real-life heroine of Goethe's famous novel The Sorrows of Werther, makes a pilgrimage to Weimer to see Goethe. Upon her arrival, Lotte, to her surprise, is greeted as a celebrity and taken up into Goethe's set.
Thomas Mann, fascinated with the concept of genius and with the richness of German culture, found in Johann Wolfgang von Goethe the embodiment of the German culture hero. Mann's novelistic biography of Goethe was first published in English in 1940. Lotte in Weimar is a vivid dual portrait—a complex study of Goethe and of Lotte, the still-vivacious woman who in her youth was the model for Charlotte in Goethe's widely-read The Sorrows of Young Werther. Lotte's thoughts, as she anticipates meeting Goethe again after forty years, and her conversations with those in Weimar who knew the great man, allow Mann to assess Goethe's genius from many points of view.
Thomas Mann, fascinated with the concept of genius and with the richness of German culture, found in Johann Wolfgang von Goethe the embodiment of the German culture hero. Mann's novelistic biography of Goethe was first published in English in 1940. Lotte in Weimar is a vivid dual portrait—a complex study of Goethe and of Lotte, the still-vivacious woman who in her youth was the model for Charlotte in Goethe's widely-read The Sorrows of Young Werther. Lotte's thoughts, as she anticipates meeting Goethe again after forty years, and her conversations with those in Weimar who knew the great man, allow Mann to assess Goethe's genius from many points of view.
352 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1939
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2294 people want to read
About the author
Thomas Mann
2,108 books5,294 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
See also:
Serbian: Tomas Man
Thomas Mann was a German novelist, short story writer, social critic, philanthropist, essayist, and Nobel Prize laureate in 1929, known for his series of highly symbolic and ironic epic novels and novellas, noted for their insight into the psychology of the artist and the intellectual. His analysis and critique of the European and German soul used modernized German and Biblical stories, as well as the ideas of Goethe, Nietzsche, and Schopenhauer. His older brother was the radical writer Heinrich Mann, and three of his six children, Erika Mann, Klaus Mann and Golo Mann, also became important German writers. When Hitler came to power in 1933, Mann fled to Switzerland. When World War II broke out in 1939, he emigrated to the United States, from where he returned to Switzerland in 1952. Thomas Mann is one of the best-known exponents of the so-called Exilliteratur.
See also:
Serbian: Tomas Man
Thomas Mann was a German novelist, short story writer, social critic, philanthropist, essayist, and Nobel Prize laureate in 1929, known for his series of highly symbolic and ironic epic novels and novellas, noted for their insight into the psychology of the artist and the intellectual. His analysis and critique of the European and German soul used modernized German and Biblical stories, as well as the ideas of Goethe, Nietzsche, and Schopenhauer. His older brother was the radical writer Heinrich Mann, and three of his six children, Erika Mann, Klaus Mann and Golo Mann, also became important German writers. When Hitler came to power in 1933, Mann fled to Switzerland. When World War II broke out in 1939, he emigrated to the United States, from where he returned to Switzerland in 1952. Thomas Mann is one of the best-known exponents of the so-called Exilliteratur.
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December 18, 2024In search of lost time.
I remember being impressed by Thomas Mann's use of Time in The Magic Mountain, sometimes playing it out slow, sometimes spooling it out fast.
He breaks his own record at playing it out slow in this book, taking a year of pages—365—to tell the story of a single day. Then he speeds up, recounting the three weeks that followed the eventful day in a mere fifteen pages. In a further twist on the Time theme, the eventful day, plus the three weeks that follow it, are a repetition of events that happened to two real life characters, Charlotte Buff and Johan Wolfgang von Goethe during a visit Goethe made to Charlotte's home town of Westlar many years before. Goethe later fictionalised the events of those weeks in The Sorrows of Young Werther, exposing the details of Charlotte's family life to the literary world's gaze—and making himself very famous in the process.
Taking Goethe as his model, Thomas Mann fictionalises a real life event that happened more than forty years after the Werther episode, an event that saw widowed Charlotte Kestner, née Buff, visiting Weimar where Goethe was then living.
Thomas Mann presents the Weimar episode initially from Charlotte/Lotte's point of view and we get to revisit the turmoil she experienced as a result of Goethe's attentions in her youth, attentions that put her in an awkward position since she was engaged to the man who had introduced Goethe into her circle—a situation that didn't seem to bother Goethe in the least. Those who have read Werther may remember the line Goethe gave his hero: Auch halte ich mein Herzchen wie ein krankes Kind; jeder Wille wird ihm gestattet—I treat my heart like a sick child; I let it have anything it wants.
I feel Thomas Mann had that line in mind as he wrote this interestingly structured account. The series of conversations Lotte has with people from Goethe's circle in Weimar create a picture of a man who has spent his whole life letting his heart have everything it wants. Thomas Mann allows the characters to use the image of a cuckoo in relation to Goethe more than once, and it does seem as if the great poet liked to take more than to give. The final example of his 'taking' habit proves to be a repetition of the situation Lotte experienced in her youth—at least in Thomas Mann's version of the events. On the very day his old love is arriving in Weimar, Goethe is contemplating stealing a new love from someone close to him. The new love is a much younger one, a girl whom he thinks he, in his mature years, is a much better match for than the younger man she is engaged to: What a callow, green-sickly thing is the love of youth, beside the head-turning flattery paid to lively adolescence singled out by maturity and greatness...For youth has no right understanding for youth, only age has that. Frightful it would be if only age were to come to age.
Poor Lotte, arriving in Weimar in older age, hoping to be welcomed by the admirer of her youth.
Poor Lotte, once again the victim of Goethe's spoilt heart.
I remember being impressed by Thomas Mann's use of Time in The Magic Mountain, sometimes playing it out slow, sometimes spooling it out fast.
He breaks his own record at playing it out slow in this book, taking a year of pages—365—to tell the story of a single day. Then he speeds up, recounting the three weeks that followed the eventful day in a mere fifteen pages. In a further twist on the Time theme, the eventful day, plus the three weeks that follow it, are a repetition of events that happened to two real life characters, Charlotte Buff and Johan Wolfgang von Goethe during a visit Goethe made to Charlotte's home town of Westlar many years before. Goethe later fictionalised the events of those weeks in The Sorrows of Young Werther, exposing the details of Charlotte's family life to the literary world's gaze—and making himself very famous in the process.
Taking Goethe as his model, Thomas Mann fictionalises a real life event that happened more than forty years after the Werther episode, an event that saw widowed Charlotte Kestner, née Buff, visiting Weimar where Goethe was then living.
Thomas Mann presents the Weimar episode initially from Charlotte/Lotte's point of view and we get to revisit the turmoil she experienced as a result of Goethe's attentions in her youth, attentions that put her in an awkward position since she was engaged to the man who had introduced Goethe into her circle—a situation that didn't seem to bother Goethe in the least. Those who have read Werther may remember the line Goethe gave his hero: Auch halte ich mein Herzchen wie ein krankes Kind; jeder Wille wird ihm gestattet—I treat my heart like a sick child; I let it have anything it wants.
I feel Thomas Mann had that line in mind as he wrote this interestingly structured account. The series of conversations Lotte has with people from Goethe's circle in Weimar create a picture of a man who has spent his whole life letting his heart have everything it wants. Thomas Mann allows the characters to use the image of a cuckoo in relation to Goethe more than once, and it does seem as if the great poet liked to take more than to give. The final example of his 'taking' habit proves to be a repetition of the situation Lotte experienced in her youth—at least in Thomas Mann's version of the events. On the very day his old love is arriving in Weimar, Goethe is contemplating stealing a new love from someone close to him. The new love is a much younger one, a girl whom he thinks he, in his mature years, is a much better match for than the younger man she is engaged to: What a callow, green-sickly thing is the love of youth, beside the head-turning flattery paid to lively adolescence singled out by maturity and greatness...For youth has no right understanding for youth, only age has that. Frightful it would be if only age were to come to age.
Poor Lotte, arriving in Weimar in older age, hoping to be welcomed by the admirer of her youth.
Poor Lotte, once again the victim of Goethe's spoilt heart.
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March 25, 2022I was above all struck by the confidence of the author, Thomas Mann shows that he has come a long way from Buddenbrooks by abandoning a number of features of the novel that a reader takes for granted as normal, Fionnuala in her review discusses Mann's handling of time, pointing out that most of the book - seven out of nine chapters takes place on a single day, indeed the events of the seventh chapter are concurrent with events in some of the earlier chapters. Is this taking respect for the unity of time a bit too far, you might wonder, only to notice Mann being similarly over respectful to the unity of place, the Lotte of the title spends four long chapters in the same hotel room.
The Lotte of the title is the love interest in Goethe's The Sorrows of Young Werther, or rather she is the inspiration behind the character of the love interest in that book - so we are reading a fiction about the uneasy boundaries between fiction and reality. Ostensibly she has come to Weimar to visit her sister, intending to stay in the Hotel and dine with her sister, however this plan is, at least on the first day, which as mentioned is most of the novel, frustrated by a steady flow of visitors.
And a sense of flow, if not flood was my most powerful impression of the book. I felt that Mann had heard of the expression stream of consciousness and its application in the novel but decided against it. In this novel instead he unleashes the flood of speech. Redefluss, is mentioned once or twice in the novel, I experienced it rather like swimming against the tide, and not being much of a swimmer I found myself mostly pushed to the margins of the page, hanging on as best I could, while getting very wet.
All of the visitors come because of Lotte's youthful connection to Goethe, but all unburden their souls at her rather than holding a conversation with her, Lotte, like me is mostly washed to oneside. Her interjections are like a rock in the middle of a stream, they break the floww for moment but cannot stop or divert it. The effect of this series of conversations about Goethe, I found was to push us further away from Goethe, and my impression of the novel was that it was dark - the author as a consumer and recycler of the lives of others, I wondered how far in talking about Goethe, Mann was writing about himself and his effect on the people around him.
Finally when we meet Goethe in the seventh chapter, we get another flow of speech, as he mumbles to himself (but is occasionally interrupted). The picture we get of him in the eighth chapter at the dinner party which seems to have been held in order to avoid Goethe having to have a tête a tête with Lotte; a purpose of conversation, in this book at least, is to avoid talking about things that are more important or potentially painfully
Close to the end, in the ninth chapter Lotte writes to her son: "Von dem Wiedersehen des grossen Mannes habe ich Euch selbst noch wohl nichts gesagt: Viel kann ich auch nicht darüber bemerken. Nur so viel, ich habe eine neue Bekanntschalf von einem alten Manne gemacht, welcher, wenn ich nicht wüsste, dass es Goethe wäre, und auch dennoch, keinen angenehmen Eindruck auf mich gemacht hat... (p. 431). For me this unifies the theme with the technique, this is a fluid book. The man who was her friend is now the great genius, he's flowed on, and perhaps we can imagine that she has too.
I imagine this is related to Doctor Faustus particularly in terms of engaging with Goethe and the problems of being a genius and worse, being around one!
The Lotte of the title is the love interest in Goethe's The Sorrows of Young Werther, or rather she is the inspiration behind the character of the love interest in that book - so we are reading a fiction about the uneasy boundaries between fiction and reality. Ostensibly she has come to Weimar to visit her sister, intending to stay in the Hotel and dine with her sister, however this plan is, at least on the first day, which as mentioned is most of the novel, frustrated by a steady flow of visitors.
And a sense of flow, if not flood was my most powerful impression of the book. I felt that Mann had heard of the expression stream of consciousness and its application in the novel but decided against it. In this novel instead he unleashes the flood of speech. Redefluss, is mentioned once or twice in the novel, I experienced it rather like swimming against the tide, and not being much of a swimmer I found myself mostly pushed to the margins of the page, hanging on as best I could, while getting very wet.
All of the visitors come because of Lotte's youthful connection to Goethe, but all unburden their souls at her rather than holding a conversation with her, Lotte, like me is mostly washed to oneside. Her interjections are like a rock in the middle of a stream, they break the floww for moment but cannot stop or divert it. The effect of this series of conversations about Goethe, I found was to push us further away from Goethe, and my impression of the novel was that it was dark - the author as a consumer and recycler of the lives of others, I wondered how far in talking about Goethe, Mann was writing about himself and his effect on the people around him.
Finally when we meet Goethe in the seventh chapter, we get another flow of speech, as he mumbles to himself (but is occasionally interrupted). The picture we get of him in the eighth chapter at the dinner party which seems to have been held in order to avoid Goethe having to have a tête a tête with Lotte; a purpose of conversation, in this book at least, is to avoid talking about things that are more important or potentially painfully
Close to the end, in the ninth chapter Lotte writes to her son: "Von dem Wiedersehen des grossen Mannes habe ich Euch selbst noch wohl nichts gesagt: Viel kann ich auch nicht darüber bemerken. Nur so viel, ich habe eine neue Bekanntschalf von einem alten Manne gemacht, welcher, wenn ich nicht wüsste, dass es Goethe wäre, und auch dennoch, keinen angenehmen Eindruck auf mich gemacht hat... (p. 431). For me this unifies the theme with the technique, this is a fluid book. The man who was her friend is now the great genius, he's flowed on, and perhaps we can imagine that she has too.
I imagine this is related to Doctor Faustus particularly in terms of engaging with Goethe and the problems of being a genius and worse, being around one!
June 25, 2020
«Αχ ο χρόνος – κι εμείς τα παιδιά του! Μαραινόμαστε μέσα στο χρόνο και κατεβαίνουμε κάτω, η ζωή όμως κι η νιότη ήταν πάντοτε πάνω…»
Δύσκολο να αναμετρηθείς με τον μύθο, εφόσον δεν είσαι εσύ ο ίδιος αναπόσπαστο τμήμα του – κι αν όχι η απαρχή, τουλάχιστον συνέχεια ή κατάληξη. Το να εισέλθεις στην περιοχή της μεγαλοφυίας του Γκαίτε και να δοκιμάσεις να οργώσεις το ίδιο χώμα στο οποίο ο προπάτορας έσπειρε σπορά αθάνατη, δεν είναι έργο για λιπόψυχους και ανεπίγνωστους γραφιάδες μετρίου αναστήματος. Όλοι γνωρίζουν πως η σύγκριση είναι λαιμητόμος που καραδοκεί να επιφέρει άμεσα την πολυπόθητη ισορροπία για εκείνους που «ρίπτουν τα άγια τοις κυσί».
Είναι αδιανόητο για μια συγγραφική μεγαλοφυία του ύψους του Τ. Μαν να μην είχε υπόψη του τα δεδομένα ετούτα. Έχοντας κατακτήσει τη δημιουργική κορυφή, ο αυτοεξόριστος στην Αμερική συγγραφέας σώριασε έναν ακόμα… ογκόλιθο στο πέρασμα που οδηγεί στη Βαλχάλα της Δημιουργίας, διότι «λιθαράκι» δεν δύνασαι να το πεις. Πήρε το αρχετυπικό έργο του Γκαίτε, τα «Πάθη του νεαρού Βέρθερου» (έργο που έτυχε τεράστιας αποδοχής στην εποχή του, αλλά ο ώριμος δημιουργός, δικαίως, το απέρριπτε ως πρωτόλειο και άωρο) και το μετέφερε στο δικό του σύμπαν.
Δεν είναι τυχαίο πως ο εναλλακτικός τίτλος του έργου αυτού είναι «Η επιστροφή της αγαπημένης», καθότι το όλο λογοτεχνικό οικοδόμημα βασίζεται στην επάνοδο της ηρωίδας του «Βέρθερου» (η Λότε υπήρξε ιστορικό πρόσωπο) στη ζωή του Γκαίτε σε ώριμη πλέον ηλικία. Ο Μαν συνεχίζει, τρόπον τινά, εκεί που σταμάτησε ο ποιητής, συνυφαίνοντας τα πραγματικά γεγονότα με τη μυθοπλασία. Η Λότε εμφανίζεται στη Βαϊμάρη συνοδεία της κόρη της και της αναπόφευκτης μετά από δεκαετίες σκιά του γήρατος στο πρόσωπο και τις κινήσεις, πλην όμως ακόμα θαλερή ως μυθιστορηματική ύπαρξη, κρυσταλλωμένη στην εποχή της νεότητάς της.
Η παρουσία της στη μικρή αλλά ιστορική πόλη έχει μια δικαιολογία ως αφορμή (επίσκεψη σε συγγενικό πρόσωπο), αλλά ταυτόχρονα μια βαθύτερη αιτία ως κίνητρο: τη δια ζώσης επαφή του δημιουργήματος με τον Δημιουργό του. Η Λότε ως ιστορικό πρόσωπο έχει εκμετρήσει με πληρότητα το ζην της, με έναν ευτυχισμένο γάμο, πάμπολλους απογόνους και αναγνώριση. Η μυθιστορηματική Λότε, αντιθέτως, αειθαλής, παραμένει ανασφαλής και ημιτελής, επιθυμώντας μια τελευταία παρτίδα με τον Δημιουργό προτού επιτρέψει στη ζώσα εκδοχή της να επιστρέψει στο Μεγάλο Πουθενά.
Ο Γκαίτε, ως γεννήτορας, έφερε στο φως ένα πλάσμα της φαντασίας του, εκκινώντας από μια πραγματική γυναίκα. Έδωσε πνοή στον πηλό, κι όπως όλοι οι Θεοί στη συνέχεια εξαφανίστηκε αιθερολάμνοντας στο δικό του όνειρο που περιλαμβάνει άλλες δημιουργίες, οπτασίες και κυήματα. Απέμεινε λοιπόν το δημιούργημα να περιπλανιέται στον κόσμο, διερωτώμενο ποιος ο ρόλος του, ποιο το νόημα της ύπαρξής του και ποια η σημασία του για τον Δημιουργό. Αν η ζωή της ιστορικής Λότε είναι αποκλειστικά και μόνο οι δικές τις επιλογές, σε ποιο βαθμό η μυθιστορηματική της αποτύπωση, η έγερσή της στη σφαίρα του μύθου, οφείλει να είναι προσωπικό της άχθος; Μήπως εν μέρει ανήκει σε Εκείνον που της το μεταβίβασε εκούσια, που την υποχρέωσε να ενδυθεί την επιλογή του, ούσα η ίδια επιλογή, με τίμημα την αιωνιότητα;
Ο Μαν φέρνει τη Λότε αντιμέτωπη με έναν αριθμό ατόμων που σπεύδουν να την καλωσορίσουν και να συνομιλήσουν με τον μύθο της. Τα περισσότερα κεφάλαια του μυθιστορήματος κινούνται στο δωμάτιο που καταλύει η ηλικιωμένη γυναίκα. Οι επισκέπτες δίνουν την ευκαιρία στον συγγραφέα να εκφράσει τις απόψεις του επί παντός, με τρόπο βεβαίως άρτια καλλιτεχνικό, συχνότερα υπαινικτικό, αλλά και όταν δείχνει να ωρύεται για φλέγοντα ζητήματα, δεν επιβάλει τη φωνή του επάνω σε εκείνη των ηρώων του. Ο Μαν παραμένει… «über alles» συγγραφέας κι όχι αγκιτάτορας ή παιδαγωγός.
Ουδείς βεβαίως εξ αυτών των επισκεπτών δύναται να παρηγορήσει τη Λότε, να της προσφέρει την επιβεβαίωση που έχει ανάγκη. Καθότι όλοι τους διαμεσολαβητές, υμνητές μιας εικόνας, όχι της ίδιας, αλλά εκείνης που οι σελίδες του Βέρθερου τους έχει υποβάλει. Μέσω αυτής, ανεπαίσθητα και υποσυνείδητα, υμνούν (ακόμα και ψέγοντας, διότι καραδοκεί συνεχώς η αποκαθήλωση του ανδρός, αν όχι του ποιητή) τον Δημιουργό και την πένα του. Μικρή παρηγοριά για τη γυναίκα που η ψυχή της διψάει για το άγγιγμα του Ενός, για το οριστικό Ναι.
Στο έβδομο κεφάλαιο παύουν οι διαμεσολαβήσεις, οπότε η εξοχότητά του εμφανίζεται (όχι ακόμη στην Λότε, αλλά στο δωμάτιό του) και ξεκινά παρευθύς ο εσωτερικός μονόλογος. Προφανώς ουδείς δύναται να γνωρίζει τα διαμειφθέντα στο μυαλό του Γκαίτε, αλλά τούτο διόλου δεν αποτρέπει την ταύτιση του νεότερου συγγραφέα με τον πρόγονο, όπου με περισσή οίηση αποδίδει στο είδωλό του σκέψεις, αναμνήσεις, ιδέες. Αίφνης ξεδιπλώνεται σε όλο της το μεγαλείο η Βουή και η Μανία – σαν να αναδύεται μια μελωδία κατανυκτική, να ορθώνεται μπροστά στον αναγνώστη ένας γίγαντας που μιλάει με φωνή ανθρώπου και ημίθεου ταυτόχρονα.
Ο Γκαίτε/ Μαν σε μια «επί του όρους ομιλία», ορμητικά, καταιγιστικά και με δυσήνιο αφηγηματικό ρυθμό, ακροάται την εποχή του, τον αντίλαλο του παρελθόντος, μα και τις αντηχήσεις του μέλλοντος. Προφήτης και Προμηθέας, φέρνει τον λόγο του στους διψώντες για την τέχνη, τη σκέψη, τον βιωμένο και μη χρόνο, προτάσσοντας το μείζον δίχως να αποστρέφεται το έλασσον. Προσωπικά πάθη, ανασφάλειες, η πανταχού παρούσα αισθητική, ο Σίλερ, η ποίηση, ο έρωτας, η μουσική… Και η επωδός, το γερμανικό Πνεύμα, η Γερμανία (χώρα και άνθρωποι), η σχέση της με τα άλλα έθνη, το ιδεατό, η εικόνα που κυριαρχεί στο μυαλό του για το παλαιό μεγαλείο και την Πτώση, όλα εκείνα που εξέθρεψαν τον ίδιο.
Και η παραδοχή, η μανιασμένη άρνηση του διανοούμενου να αποδεχτεί πως το συγκαιρινό του ναζιστικό θηρίο εκπροσωπεί την αγαπημένη του πατρίδα. Ο Ιεροφάντης ορθώνει το τιτάνιο ανάστημά του σε εκείνους που τολμούν να βεβηλώσουν τον ναό και ανακράζει: «Νομίζουν ότι είναι η Γερμανία, αλλά η Γερμανία είμαι εγώ, ακόμη κι αν αφανιζόταν από τη ρίζα θα συνέχιζε να υπάρχει σε μένα». Ύψιστη αμετροέπεια, ψευδαίσθηση μεγαλείου ή απλά de profundis εξομολόγηση που κοχλάζει από τον πόνο της διάψευσης εκείνων που προορίζονταν να μεταδώσουν τα φώτα του υψηλού πολιτισμού στην ανθρωπότητα και αντ’ αυτού την οδήγησαν χαμηλότερα «στου κακού τη σκάλα»; Η απάντηση είναι προφανής: Όταν εσείς οι σφετεριστές παρέλθετε, η δική μου πνευματική λάμψη θα διαλύσει τις σκιές, φέρνοντας ξανά τον Λόγο στους ανθρώπους.
Και η Λότε αναμένει στο μεταξύ τον χρησμό, την απάντηση, το σημάδι της θεϊκής παρουσίας. Ή, έστω, την οριστική διάψευση. Η στιγμή δεν θα έρθει ούτε στο 8ο κεφάλαιο, της συνάντησης στο σπίτι, παρουσία άλλων ατόμων. Η παράσταση δίνεται μπροστά σε κοινό, διατηρείται μια ψυχρή ουδετερότητα, διανθισμένη από ιστορίες, διηγήσεις. Ο Μαν μέσω του Γκαίτε, ευκαιρίας δοθείσης, συνομιλεί με το σύγχρονό του κοινό για το εβραϊκό ζήτημα (είμαστε στη δεκαετία του ’30) και ποικίλα άλλα θέματα. Η ιστορία του πίνακα με το φιλί παγωμένο επάνω στο τζάμι (αναφορά στο έργο του ντα Βίντσι «Ευσπλαχνία») κάνει την Λότε να κοκκινήσει με την κατακλείδα της: «Τυχαία υλοποίηση μιας θαλερής τρυφερότητας που αποτίθεται στο παγερά αδιάφορο. Ήταν κάτι σαν συμπαντικό καλαμπούρι». Όπως ίσως κι η ίδια ένα τυχαίο γεγονός στη ζωή του Γκαίτε, ένα αστείο που το σύμπαν έπαιξε εις βάρος της. Ίσως…
Στο καταληκτικό 9ο κεφάλαιο, ο Δημιουργός καταδέχεται να έρθει σε επαφή με το δημιούργημά του. Η συνάντηση πραγματοποιείται μέσα σε μια άμαξα, όταν η Λότε έχει απωλέσει κάθε ελπίδα. Η ηλικιωμένη γυναίκα ζητά την απάντηση, απορεί, επιτίθεται, εξανίσταται με τη μοίρα της, εκείνη που δίχως να ερωτηθεί βρέθηκε να συνομιλεί με την αιωνιότητα μέσα από τις σελίδες ενός βιβλίου. Άραγε υπήρξε ένα καπρίτσιο, ένα πείραμα, μια μικρή φαντασίωση, όπως λέει και η ίδια, μια πεταλούδα που είχε την ατυχία (μα και την τύχη, δεν το αρνείται) να την τραβήξει κοντά της το δυνατό φως της φλόγας που άστραψε απατηλά στο σκοτάδι της ύπαρξής της; Μα γνωρίζουμε καλά τη μοίρα της πεταλούδας: θα μετεωριστεί φέγγοντας για ελάχιστο χρόνο, προτού η φλόγα αναλώσει το εύθραυστο σώμα της. Το πάθος της για φως είναι και η καταστροφή της, ο μεγάλος αποχαιρετισμός της και η σπαρακτική υπόκλισή της στο τίποτα.
Και ο Δημιουργός; Είναι το κερί, ο πυρσός, καλύτερα, που φωτίζει τις σκιές, εμφυσά ζωή στο μηδέν μετατρέποντάς το σε άπειρο, χαρίζει θάλπος σε όσους τον ακούν, τον διαβάζουν, ομνύουν σ’ αυτόν. Ταυτόχρονα όμως θα καψαλίσει τα φτερά εκείνων που τολμούν να προσεγγίσουν απερίσκεπτα το πυριφλεγέθον άστρο του, θα τυφλώσει όσους θαρραλέα στυλώσουν απροειδοποίητα επάνω του το βλέμμα τους, θα τους εγκαταλείψει στις σκιές όταν αποφασίσει πως ήρθε η ώρα να δύσει, αποσύροντας το φωτεινό του χάδι.
Αναπάντεχα ο Γκαίτε αρνείται για τον εαυτό του τον ρόλο που του αποδίδει η Λότε – η μόνη φύση που του αρμόζει είναι μεν της πεταλούδας, όχι όμως ως θύμα της φλόγας, αλλά ως αποτέλεσμα σταδιακής μεταμόρφωσης. Μεταμόρφωση είναι η λέξη κλειδί, μεταμόρφωση που διαρκεί εσαεί και αποτελεί την έκφραση της δημιουργικότητας, την προϋπόθεσή της, την αφετηρία και τον κολοφώνα της. Ο ποιητής είναι μια εν δυνάμει κατάσταση, μια μικρή εξέλιξη, ένα ακόμα ασταθές βήμα σε απάτητο έδαφος, μια βραχεία πνοή σε ερημικό τοπίο, μοναχικός και ταυτόχρονα συλλογικός. Εκπροσωπώντας αποκλειστικά τον εαυτό του, λογοδοτώντας αποκλειστικά στην τέχνη του, καταλήγει να εκφράζει την εποχή του πληρέστερα.
Ο αποχαιρετισμός είναι θερμός, καθώς Δημιουργός και δημιούργημα ακολουθούν ο καθένας τον δρόμο του: το κλέος για τον ποιητή που αφιερώθηκε ολοκληρωτικά στην Τέχνη προδίδοντας τα ανθρώπινα, «ειρηνικά γεράματα» (η ευχή του) για τη γυναίκα που της έλαχε να παίξει έναν μικρό ρόλο στη μεγάλη Παράσταση που εκείνος έστησε. Η αυλαία πέφτει και οι δευτεραγωνιστές αποσύρονται οριστικά στα καμαρίνια τους, επιστρέφοντας στη μικρή καθημερινή παράστασή τους, όπου τίποτε πλέον δεν σκιάζεται ούτε ορίζεται από το ετερόφωτο θάμπος τής καλλιτεχνικής δημιουργίας.
https://fotiskblog.home.blog/2020/06/...
April 15, 2017
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.
April 13, 2024
With his 1939 novel Lotte in Weimar (The Beloved Returns is the English translation's title, and no, I have only read the original German text) Thomas Mann very clearly and textually delightfully demonstrates that he is also (or that he definitely can be) a master of social and cultural satire, walking a fine line between reverencing Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and also somewhat mocking and laughing at him, showing the arrival in Weimar of Charlotte Buff (now Kestner), of Goethe's former sweetheart and the inspiration for his Werther novel forty years after their youthful dalliances as the impetus for reflection and a bit of a biographical reckoning (all as historical fiction of course, as Charlotte Buff did not in fact ever travel to Weimar to meet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe).
Labeled as one of Thomas Mann's masterpieces by his author colleague Stefan Zweig (and with with a number of ample justification in my opinion), Lotte in Weimar is certainly one of my favourite Thomas Mann novels, is a sparkling, a wonderful satire of multiple social and cultural levels which actually often tends to feel somewhat like a play, like a typical comedy, and in which Goethe himself appears in a number of separate guises both positive and sometimes also negative. And yes, I most definitely appreciate that for Thomas Mann in Lotte in Weimar his Johann Wolfgang von Goethe character is obviously not just some to be lauded and above criticism literary icon, but someone flawed, someone who is not perfect, and not to mention that textually speaking Lotte in Weimar with its 1939 publication in German (but in Sweden, away from the Third Reich) is clearly also a novel of exile with Thomas Mann (writing as Goethe) musing that that the New Germany should be European and inclusive and not ever again one-sided and destructively, dangerously nationalistic.
Combining humor with history, art appreciation and philosophy, and presenting interesting literary portraits not only of Goethe et al but also of Germany as an area and the Germans collectively as a people, Lotte in Weimar has at almost five hundred pages been a surprisingly engaging and also for me a very quick read, and a book I was often having trouble putting down for such mundane activities such as eating, sleeping and even teaching. Furthermore (and of course only in my humble opinion), Lotte in Weimar has been and is a considerably better and above all a more interesting and flowing novel than in fact many of Thomas Mann's pieces longer fiction I have read to date have proven. And indeed, I am in fact after finally now getting to Lotte in Weimar rather majorly annoyed that Lotte in Weimar was not on my Comprehensive Exam reading list for Thomas Mann, as I definitely would have rather have had to read Lotte in Weimar for my comps than in particular Der Zauberberg (The Magic Mountain) and Doktor Faustus.
Five stars for Lotte in Weimar and highly recommended, but with the caveat that readers should have an interest in Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, late 18th to mid 19th century Weimar and also be willing and able to appreciate cleverly rendered satire, as in particular if one does not enjoy reading satire, one will not likely find Lotte in Weimar and Thomas Mann's text all that engaging.
Labeled as one of Thomas Mann's masterpieces by his author colleague Stefan Zweig (and with with a number of ample justification in my opinion), Lotte in Weimar is certainly one of my favourite Thomas Mann novels, is a sparkling, a wonderful satire of multiple social and cultural levels which actually often tends to feel somewhat like a play, like a typical comedy, and in which Goethe himself appears in a number of separate guises both positive and sometimes also negative. And yes, I most definitely appreciate that for Thomas Mann in Lotte in Weimar his Johann Wolfgang von Goethe character is obviously not just some to be lauded and above criticism literary icon, but someone flawed, someone who is not perfect, and not to mention that textually speaking Lotte in Weimar with its 1939 publication in German (but in Sweden, away from the Third Reich) is clearly also a novel of exile with Thomas Mann (writing as Goethe) musing that that the New Germany should be European and inclusive and not ever again one-sided and destructively, dangerously nationalistic.
Combining humor with history, art appreciation and philosophy, and presenting interesting literary portraits not only of Goethe et al but also of Germany as an area and the Germans collectively as a people, Lotte in Weimar has at almost five hundred pages been a surprisingly engaging and also for me a very quick read, and a book I was often having trouble putting down for such mundane activities such as eating, sleeping and even teaching. Furthermore (and of course only in my humble opinion), Lotte in Weimar has been and is a considerably better and above all a more interesting and flowing novel than in fact many of Thomas Mann's pieces longer fiction I have read to date have proven. And indeed, I am in fact after finally now getting to Lotte in Weimar rather majorly annoyed that Lotte in Weimar was not on my Comprehensive Exam reading list for Thomas Mann, as I definitely would have rather have had to read Lotte in Weimar for my comps than in particular Der Zauberberg (The Magic Mountain) and Doktor Faustus.
Five stars for Lotte in Weimar and highly recommended, but with the caveat that readers should have an interest in Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, late 18th to mid 19th century Weimar and also be willing and able to appreciate cleverly rendered satire, as in particular if one does not enjoy reading satire, one will not likely find Lotte in Weimar and Thomas Mann's text all that engaging.
September 13, 2015
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, everything...
After 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", masterly crafted, between Lotte and some of Goethe's acquaintances in her hotel room, but just after you get used with the fact that she's never going to meet Goethe, and that's fine since the book is anything but boring, finally she actually decides to decline all of those who'd want to have a chat or speak with her and go to her relatives and meet Goethe later on.
Being inside the mind of Goethe and see from his eyes, not literally ofcourse, is a wonderful experience. Also, all the reference to his works, yet not a critical study but words and opinions by his relatives and acquaintances, is a valuable contribution in understanding them a little better.
Lotte's perspective on the world is not something you should omit. It is really interesting to see what is her reaction and opinion on Goethe's famous epistolary novel,The sorrows of young Werther, and the consequences that book had on her ordinary life. You will also notice she has quite an intellect and her views concerning the world are nothing short of spirit.
The ending of this novel is sublime. Lotte's fever, after being silenced by Goethe who sais his final words, cannot be described...it's overwhelming.
The allegory with the fly and the candle, wich she had used against him - claiming that everyone close to him are sacrificing for him - is superbly reversed: he is the candle that consumes itself so that everyone could be enlightened by it.
A beautiful and undeniable proof of Mann's admiration for Goethe. Definitely something "worthy to be written".
One of my favorite books from him, not sure if it's in second place but definitely in top three.
After 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", masterly crafted, between Lotte and some of Goethe's acquaintances in her hotel room, but just after you get used with the fact that she's never going to meet Goethe, and that's fine since the book is anything but boring, finally she actually decides to decline all of those who'd want to have a chat or speak with her and go to her relatives and meet Goethe later on.
Being inside the mind of Goethe and see from his eyes, not literally ofcourse, is a wonderful experience. Also, all the reference to his works, yet not a critical study but words and opinions by his relatives and acquaintances, is a valuable contribution in understanding them a little better.
Lotte's perspective on the world is not something you should omit. It is really interesting to see what is her reaction and opinion on Goethe's famous epistolary novel,The sorrows of young Werther, and the consequences that book had on her ordinary life. You will also notice she has quite an intellect and her views concerning the world are nothing short of spirit.
The ending of this novel is sublime. Lotte's fever, after being silenced by Goethe who sais his final words, cannot be described...it's overwhelming.
The allegory with the fly and the candle, wich she had used against him - claiming that everyone close to him are sacrificing for him - is superbly reversed: he is the candle that consumes itself so that everyone could be enlightened by it.
A beautiful and undeniable proof of Mann's admiration for Goethe. Definitely something "worthy to be written".
One of my favorite books from him, not sure if it's in second place but definitely in top three.
May 15, 2025
“Menschliches, Allzumenschliches”
Het zou een passende ondertitel zijn geweest voor deze prachtige roman uit 1939, de eerste die Thomas Mann voltooide na zijn aankomst als vrijwillige balling in de VS.
Net als in De Toverberg, zijn absolute meesterwerk wat mij betreft, is ook hier het gegeven erg eenvoudig en laat de plot zich gemakkelijk samenvatten.
We schrijven 1816. Na meer dan veertig jaar afwezigheid keert Charlotte Kestner, née Buff, Goethe’s eerste jeugdliefde en de inspiratiebron voor Het lijden van de jonge Werther terug naar Weimar. Officieel komt ze er, samen met haar dochter, haar zus bezoeken, maar uiteraard stelt iedereen (inclusief de lezer) van bij haar aankomst zich de vraag of ze ook de dichter die haar vereeuwigde als personage in zijn hartstochtelijke briefroman zal opzoeken. Al snel blijkt het hele stadje op de hoogte van haar aanwezigheid en dienen zich verscheidene bewonderaars aan: Mager, de maître van het hotel waar Lotte verblijft, Miss Rose Cuzzle, een Ierse celebrity jager die kostte wat kost haar portret wil toevoegen aan haar collectie schetsen van beroemdheden, Dr. Riemer, Goethe’s voormalige persoonlijke secretaris, Adèle Schopenhauer, auteur en zus van de beroemde filosoof en Goethe’s zoon August. Elk van deze personages gaat het gesprek aan met Lotte en telkens gaat het daarbij uiteraard in hoofdzaak over de Duitse dichter. Pas na ongeveer driekwart van het boek verschijnt deze laatste ook zelf ten tonele (ik laat jullie zelf ontdekken of Lotte en Johann Wolfgang elkaar ook inderdaad opnieuw ontmoeten en hoe het boek uiteindelijk afloopt).
Dit ogenschijnlijk banale gegeven biedt Mann uitgebreid de gelegenheid om de figuur van Goethe vanuit verschillende invalshoeken te belichten. Goethe als dichter en denker, als minnaar en politicus, als vader en echtgenoot, als werkgever en als mens.
Nu heb ik zelf maar weinig met het absolute icoon van de Duitse letterkunde. Ik las Werther decennia geleden in een barslechte Nederlandse vertaling en later ook de twee delen van Faust, maar daar bleef het bij. Allicht heb ik tijdens het lezen dan ook heel wat bedekte en zelfs meer openlijke verwijzingen naar diens werk gemist.
Toch hoef je geen Goethe-kenner te zijn om van Mann’s roman te kunnen genieten. De prachtige dialogen, de subtiele manier waarop uiteenlopende thema’s met elkaar worden verwoven en de erg verfijnde karaktertekeningen zijn, althans wat mij betreft, drie uitstekende redenen om tijd te maken voor dit boek.
De dialogen zijn, net als in De Toverberg, magistraal literair. Overduidelijk was het er Mann niet om te doen realistisch over te komen. Elk van de personages is stuk voor stuk meer dan gemiddeld eloquent en de lange, vloeiende periodes waarin ze zich uitdrukken mogen dan wel allesbehalve alledaags zijn, ze zijn van een plechtstatige pracht die sterk bijdraagt tot het leesplezier. Die plechtstatigheid klinkt trouwens telkens anders, afhankelijk van wie spreekt. Riemer bijvoorbeeld drukt zich aan het begin van zijn ontmoeting met Lotte als volgt uit:
“‘Zeer vereerde mevrouw’, zei hij, ‘het is eigenlijk niet geoorloofd over een zo dubbelzinnig wezen als de mens anders te spreken dan op dubbelzinnige wijze; wanneer men zo spreekt, beledigt men toch niet de hele mensheid. Volgens mij is men geen knorrige zwartkijker maar een vriend des levens, wanneer men uit de vele verschijningsvormen ervan vooral het goede en aangename haalt, zonder blind te zijn voor de keerzijde, waar men menige harde knoop en menig fantasieloos draadje ziet.”
Adele Schopenhauer klinkt als volgt:
“Geachte Hofrätin – of mag ik al zeggen: vereerde vriendin? Mijn ziel is vol zelfverwijt, en al weegt het zwaarst dat ik het geschenk van uw tijd al te gewetenloos in ontvangst neem, haast even zwaar drukt het feit dat ik van dat geschenk ook nog een slecht gebruik maak… Ik laat op schandalige wijze een zeldzame kans voorbijgaan, en ik moet denken aan een volkssprookje – wij jongelui hebben tegenwoordig veel gevoel voor de poëzie van volkssprookjes – waarin iemand door tovermacht drie wensen mag doen en dan driemaal iets onbenulligs en onbeduidends wenst, zonder te denken aan het beste, het belangrijkste. Zo zit ik hier ogenschijnlijk zorgeloos bij u te babbelen over ditjes en datjes en spreek ik niet over wat mij het naast aan het hart ligt.”
De breed uitgewerkte dialogen tussen de personages zijn niet alleen vormelijk prachtig. Ze staan Mann ook toe om een heel breed spectrum van verschillende onderwerpen uit te diepen en met elkaar te verweven. Hoofdthema van het boek is uiteraard de verhouding tussen Kunst en Werkelijkheid of nog, preciezer uitgedrukt, de verhouding tussen inspiratie (de reëel bestaande Charlotte Kestner), uitdrukking (Lotte, het personage uit Goethe’s boek) en interpretatie (Lotte als icoon in de verbeelding van de verschillende generaties lezers). Daarnaast echter komen er ook heel wat andere thema’s aan bod. Lotte in Weimar gaat ook over ouder worden, gemiste kansen, jeugdliefdes en nostalgie, over vaders en zonen en moeders en dochters en, heel nadrukkelijk zelfs, over de Franse revolutie en Napoleon, romantiek, nationalisme en de ziel van de Duitse (cultuur)natie.
En dan de karaktertekening. Die is, zoals steeds bij Mann, erg verfijnd. Elk van de personages wordt van verschillende kanten belicht door wat ze zeggen en doen, door de wijze waarop ze zich uitdrukken en door de subtiele commentaren van de verteller. Het kaleidoscopische beeld dat daardoor ontstaat is steeds ook dubbelzinnig. Geen van de personages is waarlijk antipathiek maar geen één is helemaal zonder gebreken. Hoewel ze nobele idealen nastreven vertonen ze allen ook kleinmenselijke kanten. Zo bijvoorbeeld blijkt Dr. Riemer, hoewel hij met de grootste eerbied over Goethe spreekt, heimelijk toch enige wrok te voelen ten aanzien van zijn meester en houdt hij die tenminste ten dele verantwoordelijk voor het mislukken van de eigen academische carrière. Ook Goethe’s zoon heeft duidelijk moeite met het bestaan in de schaduw van zijn vader. De kleinere kanten van deze laatste worden uitgebreid belicht in het zevende hoofdstuk, het enige waarin geen extradiegetische verteller aan bod komt en dat de vorm aanneemt van een langgerekte interne monoloog van de meester zelf. Die monoloog leert ons Goethe kennen als een wat humeurige en bij wijlen tactloze opportunist die neerkijkt op de eigen zoon (“een overbodigheid”, een “naspel”), twijfelt aan de waarde van zijn eigen poëtische productie (“rijmelarij”) maar zich wel verheven weet boven tijdgenoten als Schiller, Herder en Mme de Stäel; als iemand zich als wetenschapper en denker miskent voelt maar zelf afgunstig kijkt ten aanzien van Newton.
Ook Lotte zelf, het onbetwiste hoofdpersonage uit het boek, beschikt over een complex karakter. Ze gedraagt zich erg hoffelijk en waardig ten aanzien van haar bewonderaars en laat zich ogenschijnlijk het hoofd niet op hol brengen. Ze lijkt ook oprecht vrede te hebben genomen met haar bestaan en betreurt de gemaakte keuzes niet. Toch blijkt ook zij niet helemaal ongevoelig voor alle aandacht die haar ten toon valt en vertoont ze af en toe ijdele trekken. Zo heeft ze er moeite mee dat Goethe de Lotte uit het boek zwarte ogen gaf, in plaats van blauwe zoals zij en hoopt ze de intussen veel oudere dichter opnieuw het hoofd op hol te kunnen brengen door dezelfde jurk te dragen als diegene die ze destijds als jong meisje droeg bij hun eerste ontmoeting (een ridicule verleidingstactiek voor een oudere dame in de onverbiddelijke ogen van haar eigen dochter). Zelfs al hield ze oprecht van haar man zaliger, en heeft ze geen spijt van haar huwelijk ze kan het ook niet helpen om te denken aan wat er had kunnen geweest zijn indien ze destijds andere keuzes had gemaakt. Niets menselijks is haar vreemd, met andere woorden.
Wat Lotte daarnaast ook tot het meest fascinerende personage maakt is dat ze als enige tijdens de drie weken in Weimar die in het boek centraal staan tot nieuwe inzichten komt. Ook Goethe zelf maakte een overduidelijke evolutie door maar die gaat aan de vertelling vooraf en wordt enkel ter sprake gebracht in de herinneringen van het personage aan hoe hij vroeger tegen de dingen aankeek. De andere personages lijken onveranderlijke karakters. In het geval van Lotte echter is er sprake van een plotse inkeer, een epifanie waardoor ze plots heel anders tegen de dingen aankijkt. Hoe haar kijk op de dingen precies verandert moet je zelf maar ontdekken want, dat zal je intussen al hebben begrepen, Lotte in Weimar is een boek dat je vooral zelf moet lezen.
Veel plezier alvast!
Het zou een passende ondertitel zijn geweest voor deze prachtige roman uit 1939, de eerste die Thomas Mann voltooide na zijn aankomst als vrijwillige balling in de VS.
Net als in De Toverberg, zijn absolute meesterwerk wat mij betreft, is ook hier het gegeven erg eenvoudig en laat de plot zich gemakkelijk samenvatten.
We schrijven 1816. Na meer dan veertig jaar afwezigheid keert Charlotte Kestner, née Buff, Goethe’s eerste jeugdliefde en de inspiratiebron voor Het lijden van de jonge Werther terug naar Weimar. Officieel komt ze er, samen met haar dochter, haar zus bezoeken, maar uiteraard stelt iedereen (inclusief de lezer) van bij haar aankomst zich de vraag of ze ook de dichter die haar vereeuwigde als personage in zijn hartstochtelijke briefroman zal opzoeken. Al snel blijkt het hele stadje op de hoogte van haar aanwezigheid en dienen zich verscheidene bewonderaars aan: Mager, de maître van het hotel waar Lotte verblijft, Miss Rose Cuzzle, een Ierse celebrity jager die kostte wat kost haar portret wil toevoegen aan haar collectie schetsen van beroemdheden, Dr. Riemer, Goethe’s voormalige persoonlijke secretaris, Adèle Schopenhauer, auteur en zus van de beroemde filosoof en Goethe’s zoon August. Elk van deze personages gaat het gesprek aan met Lotte en telkens gaat het daarbij uiteraard in hoofdzaak over de Duitse dichter. Pas na ongeveer driekwart van het boek verschijnt deze laatste ook zelf ten tonele (ik laat jullie zelf ontdekken of Lotte en Johann Wolfgang elkaar ook inderdaad opnieuw ontmoeten en hoe het boek uiteindelijk afloopt).
Dit ogenschijnlijk banale gegeven biedt Mann uitgebreid de gelegenheid om de figuur van Goethe vanuit verschillende invalshoeken te belichten. Goethe als dichter en denker, als minnaar en politicus, als vader en echtgenoot, als werkgever en als mens.
Nu heb ik zelf maar weinig met het absolute icoon van de Duitse letterkunde. Ik las Werther decennia geleden in een barslechte Nederlandse vertaling en later ook de twee delen van Faust, maar daar bleef het bij. Allicht heb ik tijdens het lezen dan ook heel wat bedekte en zelfs meer openlijke verwijzingen naar diens werk gemist.
Toch hoef je geen Goethe-kenner te zijn om van Mann’s roman te kunnen genieten. De prachtige dialogen, de subtiele manier waarop uiteenlopende thema’s met elkaar worden verwoven en de erg verfijnde karaktertekeningen zijn, althans wat mij betreft, drie uitstekende redenen om tijd te maken voor dit boek.
De dialogen zijn, net als in De Toverberg, magistraal literair. Overduidelijk was het er Mann niet om te doen realistisch over te komen. Elk van de personages is stuk voor stuk meer dan gemiddeld eloquent en de lange, vloeiende periodes waarin ze zich uitdrukken mogen dan wel allesbehalve alledaags zijn, ze zijn van een plechtstatige pracht die sterk bijdraagt tot het leesplezier. Die plechtstatigheid klinkt trouwens telkens anders, afhankelijk van wie spreekt. Riemer bijvoorbeeld drukt zich aan het begin van zijn ontmoeting met Lotte als volgt uit:
“‘Zeer vereerde mevrouw’, zei hij, ‘het is eigenlijk niet geoorloofd over een zo dubbelzinnig wezen als de mens anders te spreken dan op dubbelzinnige wijze; wanneer men zo spreekt, beledigt men toch niet de hele mensheid. Volgens mij is men geen knorrige zwartkijker maar een vriend des levens, wanneer men uit de vele verschijningsvormen ervan vooral het goede en aangename haalt, zonder blind te zijn voor de keerzijde, waar men menige harde knoop en menig fantasieloos draadje ziet.”
Adele Schopenhauer klinkt als volgt:
“Geachte Hofrätin – of mag ik al zeggen: vereerde vriendin? Mijn ziel is vol zelfverwijt, en al weegt het zwaarst dat ik het geschenk van uw tijd al te gewetenloos in ontvangst neem, haast even zwaar drukt het feit dat ik van dat geschenk ook nog een slecht gebruik maak… Ik laat op schandalige wijze een zeldzame kans voorbijgaan, en ik moet denken aan een volkssprookje – wij jongelui hebben tegenwoordig veel gevoel voor de poëzie van volkssprookjes – waarin iemand door tovermacht drie wensen mag doen en dan driemaal iets onbenulligs en onbeduidends wenst, zonder te denken aan het beste, het belangrijkste. Zo zit ik hier ogenschijnlijk zorgeloos bij u te babbelen over ditjes en datjes en spreek ik niet over wat mij het naast aan het hart ligt.”
De breed uitgewerkte dialogen tussen de personages zijn niet alleen vormelijk prachtig. Ze staan Mann ook toe om een heel breed spectrum van verschillende onderwerpen uit te diepen en met elkaar te verweven. Hoofdthema van het boek is uiteraard de verhouding tussen Kunst en Werkelijkheid of nog, preciezer uitgedrukt, de verhouding tussen inspiratie (de reëel bestaande Charlotte Kestner), uitdrukking (Lotte, het personage uit Goethe’s boek) en interpretatie (Lotte als icoon in de verbeelding van de verschillende generaties lezers). Daarnaast echter komen er ook heel wat andere thema’s aan bod. Lotte in Weimar gaat ook over ouder worden, gemiste kansen, jeugdliefdes en nostalgie, over vaders en zonen en moeders en dochters en, heel nadrukkelijk zelfs, over de Franse revolutie en Napoleon, romantiek, nationalisme en de ziel van de Duitse (cultuur)natie.
En dan de karaktertekening. Die is, zoals steeds bij Mann, erg verfijnd. Elk van de personages wordt van verschillende kanten belicht door wat ze zeggen en doen, door de wijze waarop ze zich uitdrukken en door de subtiele commentaren van de verteller. Het kaleidoscopische beeld dat daardoor ontstaat is steeds ook dubbelzinnig. Geen van de personages is waarlijk antipathiek maar geen één is helemaal zonder gebreken. Hoewel ze nobele idealen nastreven vertonen ze allen ook kleinmenselijke kanten. Zo bijvoorbeeld blijkt Dr. Riemer, hoewel hij met de grootste eerbied over Goethe spreekt, heimelijk toch enige wrok te voelen ten aanzien van zijn meester en houdt hij die tenminste ten dele verantwoordelijk voor het mislukken van de eigen academische carrière. Ook Goethe’s zoon heeft duidelijk moeite met het bestaan in de schaduw van zijn vader. De kleinere kanten van deze laatste worden uitgebreid belicht in het zevende hoofdstuk, het enige waarin geen extradiegetische verteller aan bod komt en dat de vorm aanneemt van een langgerekte interne monoloog van de meester zelf. Die monoloog leert ons Goethe kennen als een wat humeurige en bij wijlen tactloze opportunist die neerkijkt op de eigen zoon (“een overbodigheid”, een “naspel”), twijfelt aan de waarde van zijn eigen poëtische productie (“rijmelarij”) maar zich wel verheven weet boven tijdgenoten als Schiller, Herder en Mme de Stäel; als iemand zich als wetenschapper en denker miskent voelt maar zelf afgunstig kijkt ten aanzien van Newton.
Ook Lotte zelf, het onbetwiste hoofdpersonage uit het boek, beschikt over een complex karakter. Ze gedraagt zich erg hoffelijk en waardig ten aanzien van haar bewonderaars en laat zich ogenschijnlijk het hoofd niet op hol brengen. Ze lijkt ook oprecht vrede te hebben genomen met haar bestaan en betreurt de gemaakte keuzes niet. Toch blijkt ook zij niet helemaal ongevoelig voor alle aandacht die haar ten toon valt en vertoont ze af en toe ijdele trekken. Zo heeft ze er moeite mee dat Goethe de Lotte uit het boek zwarte ogen gaf, in plaats van blauwe zoals zij en hoopt ze de intussen veel oudere dichter opnieuw het hoofd op hol te kunnen brengen door dezelfde jurk te dragen als diegene die ze destijds als jong meisje droeg bij hun eerste ontmoeting (een ridicule verleidingstactiek voor een oudere dame in de onverbiddelijke ogen van haar eigen dochter). Zelfs al hield ze oprecht van haar man zaliger, en heeft ze geen spijt van haar huwelijk ze kan het ook niet helpen om te denken aan wat er had kunnen geweest zijn indien ze destijds andere keuzes had gemaakt. Niets menselijks is haar vreemd, met andere woorden.
Wat Lotte daarnaast ook tot het meest fascinerende personage maakt is dat ze als enige tijdens de drie weken in Weimar die in het boek centraal staan tot nieuwe inzichten komt. Ook Goethe zelf maakte een overduidelijke evolutie door maar die gaat aan de vertelling vooraf en wordt enkel ter sprake gebracht in de herinneringen van het personage aan hoe hij vroeger tegen de dingen aankeek. De andere personages lijken onveranderlijke karakters. In het geval van Lotte echter is er sprake van een plotse inkeer, een epifanie waardoor ze plots heel anders tegen de dingen aankijkt. Hoe haar kijk op de dingen precies verandert moet je zelf maar ontdekken want, dat zal je intussen al hebben begrepen, Lotte in Weimar is een boek dat je vooral zelf moet lezen.
Veel plezier alvast!
April 16, 2020
Mann ammirava Goethe e questo romanzo è un omaggio reso al Maestro. La particolarità che rende il libro un unicum è il punto di vista dal quale si guarda alla figura del grande intellettuale tedesco,tra incensi e veleni.
Carlotta Buff, la fanciulla immortalata da Goethe ne I dolori del giovane Werther, ormai sessantenne, vedova e madre di nove figli, si reca a Weimar, località in cui vive Goethe, con la scusa di far visita alla famiglia di sua sorella, ma in realtà per rivedere l’uomo che trenta anni prima le aveva fatto battere il cuore, si era infatuato di lei tanto da renderla protagonista, senza farne mistero, del romanzo che tanto successo ebbe, un best seller dell’epoca, a tal punto che non solo in Europa dettò moda l’abbigliamento del Werther, ma purtroppo anche i suicidi “per amore” aumentarono notevolmente come effetto della pubblicazione del romanzo.
I colloqui di Carlotta, alloggiata all’Albergo all’Elefante nel centro di Weimar, con alcuni personaggi vicini al Nume, quali il suo ex segretario Riemer, la sorella del filosofo Schopenhauer, Adele, ed il figlio di Goethe, Augusto, costituiscono le colonne su cui si basa l’opera, insieme con un capitolo in cui leggiamo un monologo interiore dello stesso Goethe dal momento in cui si sveglia al mattino -venato di fine ironia- . Il ritratto che ne emerge non è certo lusinghiero: Goethe è una divinità, ma è anche un anziano signore, adulato e venerato dai suoi ascoltatori, compiaciuto di sé stesso, indifferente alle sorti altrui, concentrato esclusivamente nell’Arte, che è metamorfosi, è capacità di tramutare ciò che è vivente e pulsante in eterna opera immortale. Ma allora la vita e l’arte sono inconciliabili? In un finale che sintetizza e chiude, sempre con ironia, la narrazione dell’incontro, Goethe esprime ad una “terrena” Carlotta, - che impersona la vita con la ricchezza di eventi futili e insignificanti, amari e tragici- il suo pensiero, che è anche quello di Mann, sull’arte intesa come un gioco, il gioco di metamorfosi che trasforma la realtà frammentata in una unità… “Spalanchiamo gli occhi, facciamoli grandi per l’unità del mondo, grandi e sereni e coscienti”-dice Goethe.
Un omaggio da Thomas Mann al “mito” Goethe, frutto di studio e riflessione, che è corrispondenza di sensibilità artistica ed ammirazione.
Carlotta Buff, la fanciulla immortalata da Goethe ne I dolori del giovane Werther, ormai sessantenne, vedova e madre di nove figli, si reca a Weimar, località in cui vive Goethe, con la scusa di far visita alla famiglia di sua sorella, ma in realtà per rivedere l’uomo che trenta anni prima le aveva fatto battere il cuore, si era infatuato di lei tanto da renderla protagonista, senza farne mistero, del romanzo che tanto successo ebbe, un best seller dell’epoca, a tal punto che non solo in Europa dettò moda l’abbigliamento del Werther, ma purtroppo anche i suicidi “per amore” aumentarono notevolmente come effetto della pubblicazione del romanzo.
I colloqui di Carlotta, alloggiata all’Albergo all’Elefante nel centro di Weimar, con alcuni personaggi vicini al Nume, quali il suo ex segretario Riemer, la sorella del filosofo Schopenhauer, Adele, ed il figlio di Goethe, Augusto, costituiscono le colonne su cui si basa l’opera, insieme con un capitolo in cui leggiamo un monologo interiore dello stesso Goethe dal momento in cui si sveglia al mattino -venato di fine ironia- . Il ritratto che ne emerge non è certo lusinghiero: Goethe è una divinità, ma è anche un anziano signore, adulato e venerato dai suoi ascoltatori, compiaciuto di sé stesso, indifferente alle sorti altrui, concentrato esclusivamente nell’Arte, che è metamorfosi, è capacità di tramutare ciò che è vivente e pulsante in eterna opera immortale. Ma allora la vita e l’arte sono inconciliabili? In un finale che sintetizza e chiude, sempre con ironia, la narrazione dell’incontro, Goethe esprime ad una “terrena” Carlotta, - che impersona la vita con la ricchezza di eventi futili e insignificanti, amari e tragici- il suo pensiero, che è anche quello di Mann, sull’arte intesa come un gioco, il gioco di metamorfosi che trasforma la realtà frammentata in una unità… “Spalanchiamo gli occhi, facciamoli grandi per l’unità del mondo, grandi e sereni e coscienti”-dice Goethe.
Un omaggio da Thomas Mann al “mito” Goethe, frutto di studio e riflessione, che è corrispondenza di sensibilità artistica ed ammirazione.
December 9, 2018
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 Doctor Faustus mediul obscur antrena imaginaţia cititorului astfel încât acesta îşi remodela propria concepţie despre lume, acum cu un colorit pesimist-artistic, în Lotte la Weimar personajele nu transmis mai nimic, oricât de mult ar fi ele înzestrate cu acea eleganță aristocratică şi oricât de palpitant ar fi trebuit să sune o frază rostită de Goethe, personaj cheie al romanului.
În fapt, ideea centrală a operei este reprezentată de acel imbold instopabil de a regăsi iubirea care a suferit de marele necaz de a fi irealizabilă în Suferinţele tânărului Werther. Astfel, romanul emană, sporadic, un parfum nostalgic, fiind o încheiere postum a marii opere biografice a lui Goethe. Totuşi, nici acesta nu este descris la anvergura unui mare geniu, el ieşind în evidenţă numai în lumina respectului şi a grijilor de ceilalţi arătate.
La fel ca celelalte opere ale lui Mann, Lotte la Weimar este o poveste ermetică: nici plictisitoare, nici captivantă, ci mai degrabă caracterizată printr-o (prea) nobilă descriere a unor figuri nobiliare.
"... interesant însă era că toate aceste imagini şi amintiri nu aveau, nu-şi căpătaseră imediat extraordinara lor claritate şi strălucire şi belşugul lor de detalii şi că la început memoria nu se preocupase prea mult să le păstreze în amănunt, ci abia mai târziu se străduise să le smulgă din adâncul ei, frântură cu frântură, vorbă cu vorbă. Ele fuseseră căutate, reconstituite şi scoase cu exactitate la iveală, cu motivele şi intenţiile lor, vernisate frumos şi aşezate parcă între policandre, din pricina importanţei pe care, în chip cu totul nebănuit şi neaşteptat, o căpătaseră după aceea."
În fapt, ideea centrală a operei este reprezentată de acel imbold instopabil de a regăsi iubirea care a suferit de marele necaz de a fi irealizabilă în Suferinţele tânărului Werther. Astfel, romanul emană, sporadic, un parfum nostalgic, fiind o încheiere postum a marii opere biografice a lui Goethe. Totuşi, nici acesta nu este descris la anvergura unui mare geniu, el ieşind în evidenţă numai în lumina respectului şi a grijilor de ceilalţi arătate.
La fel ca celelalte opere ale lui Mann, Lotte la Weimar este o poveste ermetică: nici plictisitoare, nici captivantă, ci mai degrabă caracterizată printr-o (prea) nobilă descriere a unor figuri nobiliare.
"... interesant însă era că toate aceste imagini şi amintiri nu aveau, nu-şi căpătaseră imediat extraordinara lor claritate şi strălucire şi belşugul lor de detalii şi că la început memoria nu se preocupase prea mult să le păstreze în amănunt, ci abia mai târziu se străduise să le smulgă din adâncul ei, frântură cu frântură, vorbă cu vorbă. Ele fuseseră căutate, reconstituite şi scoase cu exactitate la iveală, cu motivele şi intenţiile lor, vernisate frumos şi aşezate parcă între policandre, din pricina importanţei pe care, în chip cu totul nebănuit şi neaşteptat, o căpătaseră după aceea."
September 4, 2025
Of the Thomas Mann novels that I have read, and I have read quite a few, I find that Lotte in Weimar is the most didactic, the most “preachy”. It’s a novel of ideas scantily clothed in a minimal frame story. Charlotte Kestner, purportedly the original model for the Lotte of Goethe’s The Sorrows of Young Werther (an assumption that will be subverted to a certain extent), wishes to reconnect with him and travels to Weimar more than forty years after their initial relationship, in an attempt to do so.
More than half of the novel is made up of several interviews granted by Lotte to several personages all somehow connected to “the great man”. In these interviews, philosophical subjects are raised and discussed, although the discussions are mostly monologues as the Lotte character doesn’t have the intellectual capacity to meaningfully weigh in.
Art is presented as a godly gift placed on select humans, such as Goethe (and perhaps Mann?), men of genius who enjoy a god given privilege and the social entitlement that goes with it. This subject is at its most exquisite in the 50 page stream of Goethe’s consciousness as we are unceremoniously dropped into his mind. Although I didn’t get many of the references, and didn’t have the energy to look them up, it’s a magnificent read.
With obvious reference to Germany in the 1930s there are several discussions and perspectives on the rise of Prussian patriotic fervor and nationalism during the Napoleonic wars at the expense of the principles of universality of the Enlightenment. The conflict between these two world views coincides with the impending end of the period of Goethe whose voice will be drowned out by the rising young voices bent on nationalism.
Throughout the novel Lotte presents as quite a silly woman who doesn’t have much to show for herself except for the glory brought by that famous novel. However, at the very end of the novel, during the only private meeting she has with Goethe, Mann gives Lotte an uncharacteristically critical, confident and intelligent voice with which she lashes out at him as none of his entourage have ever dared. The Lotte character as we have come to know her is completely undermined in favor of the ideas she is promoting. And that, for me, is the consistent weakness of this novel.
Thomas Mann, the author, is ever present barely attempting to hide behind the characters he has created. In comparison, The Magic Mountain, also a novel of ideas, creates a credible story and well developed characters who trigger the ideas. In this novel the ideas govern the story and seem to be imposed on the characters.
Not my favorite Thomas Mann novel.
More than half of the novel is made up of several interviews granted by Lotte to several personages all somehow connected to “the great man”. In these interviews, philosophical subjects are raised and discussed, although the discussions are mostly monologues as the Lotte character doesn’t have the intellectual capacity to meaningfully weigh in.
Art is presented as a godly gift placed on select humans, such as Goethe (and perhaps Mann?), men of genius who enjoy a god given privilege and the social entitlement that goes with it. This subject is at its most exquisite in the 50 page stream of Goethe’s consciousness as we are unceremoniously dropped into his mind. Although I didn’t get many of the references, and didn’t have the energy to look them up, it’s a magnificent read.
With obvious reference to Germany in the 1930s there are several discussions and perspectives on the rise of Prussian patriotic fervor and nationalism during the Napoleonic wars at the expense of the principles of universality of the Enlightenment. The conflict between these two world views coincides with the impending end of the period of Goethe whose voice will be drowned out by the rising young voices bent on nationalism.
Throughout the novel Lotte presents as quite a silly woman who doesn’t have much to show for herself except for the glory brought by that famous novel. However, at the very end of the novel, during the only private meeting she has with Goethe, Mann gives Lotte an uncharacteristically critical, confident and intelligent voice with which she lashes out at him as none of his entourage have ever dared. The Lotte character as we have come to know her is completely undermined in favor of the ideas she is promoting. And that, for me, is the consistent weakness of this novel.
Thomas Mann, the author, is ever present barely attempting to hide behind the characters he has created. In comparison, The Magic Mountain, also a novel of ideas, creates a credible story and well developed characters who trigger the ideas. In this novel the ideas govern the story and seem to be imposed on the characters.
Not my favorite Thomas Mann novel.
October 2, 2013
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, but much will be missed. And anyway, "The Sorrows of Young Werther" is a short book that can be read in a day or two and will add so much enjoyment to "Lotte in Weimer".
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, but much will be missed. And anyway, "The Sorrows of Young Werther" is a short book that can be read in a day or two and will add so much enjoyment to "Lotte in Weimer".
April 20, 2021
Un tardivo incontro con Goethe
Goethe, a 23 anni nel 1772, conobbe Carlotta Buff allora diciannovenne promessa sposa a un altro uomo. A lei s'ispirò per delineare la celebre protagonista femminile del Werter. La rivide solo nel 1816 a Weimar.
"Carlotta a Weimar" è il romanzo di T. Mann frutto di una rilevante consultazione degli scritti di Goethe. Pochissimo è inventato e riguarda solo il finale.
L'ormai sessantenne Carlotta è "una cosiddetta vecchia signora" che porta in sé "il pudico segreto della nostra dignità senile".
Giunta a Weimar con la figlia per una visita alla sorella, si stabilisce nel confortevole albergo che prospetta sulla piazza gremita di curiosi per vedere la donna che ispirò la Lotte del famoso romanzo goethiano. In coda, all'interno, le persone altolocate per porgerle un saluto. Tra esse il figlio di Goethe, con l'invito a un pranzo che il padre darà in suo onore.
Basti questo, per non svelare troppo.
Il romanzo, scritto nel 1939 negli Usa, risplende nella bellezza della scrittura di Mann. Solo talvolta ho avvertito la necessità di una rinfrescata di traduzione.
Il libro è, quindi, sicuramente bello, ma il lettore deve sapere che verrà calato in una prosa che scorre lenta come limpida acqua di un maestoso fiume in pianura.
Goethe, a 23 anni nel 1772, conobbe Carlotta Buff allora diciannovenne promessa sposa a un altro uomo. A lei s'ispirò per delineare la celebre protagonista femminile del Werter. La rivide solo nel 1816 a Weimar.
"Carlotta a Weimar" è il romanzo di T. Mann frutto di una rilevante consultazione degli scritti di Goethe. Pochissimo è inventato e riguarda solo il finale.
L'ormai sessantenne Carlotta è "una cosiddetta vecchia signora" che porta in sé "il pudico segreto della nostra dignità senile".
Giunta a Weimar con la figlia per una visita alla sorella, si stabilisce nel confortevole albergo che prospetta sulla piazza gremita di curiosi per vedere la donna che ispirò la Lotte del famoso romanzo goethiano. In coda, all'interno, le persone altolocate per porgerle un saluto. Tra esse il figlio di Goethe, con l'invito a un pranzo che il padre darà in suo onore.
Basti questo, per non svelare troppo.
Il romanzo, scritto nel 1939 negli Usa, risplende nella bellezza della scrittura di Mann. Solo talvolta ho avvertito la necessità di una rinfrescata di traduzione.
Il libro è, quindi, sicuramente bello, ma il lettore deve sapere che verrà calato in una prosa che scorre lenta come limpida acqua di un maestoso fiume in pianura.
February 10, 2021
Ένα ακόμη διαπιστευτήριο πως η πένα του Τόμας Μαν μπορεί να συγκριθεί με ελάχιστες..η θεματολογία αναφορικά με τον Γκαίτε δημιουργεί έναν εκρηκτικό συνδυασμό και έχουμε μπροστά μας ένα λογοτεχνικό και φιλοσοφικό αριστούργημα!
September 30, 2018
Für mich als brauchbarer Schlüssel zum Buch sei hier folgendes Zitat aus der „Lotte“ ausreichend:
„Viel kann ich auch nicht darüber bemerken. Nur soviel, ich habe eine neue Bekanntschaft von einem alten Mann gemacht, welcher, wenn ich wüsste, dass es Goethe wäre, und auch dennoch, keinen angenehmen Eindruck auf mich gemacht hat.“ (S. 377)
„Viel kann ich auch nicht darüber bemerken. Nur soviel, ich habe eine neue Bekanntschaft von einem alten Mann gemacht, welcher, wenn ich wüsste, dass es Goethe wäre, und auch dennoch, keinen angenehmen Eindruck auf mich gemacht hat.“ (S. 377)
October 24, 2025
In old age Werther’s Lotte goes to visit Goethe. I found this to be the most accessible and enjoyable Thomas Mann that I’ve read so far. But I should know that’s an incredibly low bar. So verbose he makes Henry James look like Hemingway. There was a real sense of achievement having finished this but it was rather like running a marathon with an injured knee. It was painful and exhausting. Still, I may look back with some contentment at the achievement, and memory might still push forward the few enjoyable moments from this book to the front of my mind.
October 5, 2021
Το 1939, ο Τόμας Μαν γράφει τη Λόττε στη Βαϊμάρη, ένα μυθιστόρημα /προσέγγιση στο έργο του Γκαίτε, που συνομιλεί με το αριστούργημα του τελευταίου, Τα πάθη του νεαρού Βέρθερου.
Η προσωπική φίλη και ηρωίδα του διηγήματος του Γκαίτε, Λόττε Κέστνερ, αποφασίζει να επισκεφτεί μετά από πολλά χρόνια, μαζί με την κόρη της, την αδερφή της που ζει στη Βαϊμάρη.
Στο ξενοδοχείο που καταλύουν, αναγνωρίζουν στο πρόσωπό της την Λόττε του Βέρθερου και πλήθος κόσμου συγκεντρώνεται για να την αντικρίσει, ενώ επιφανείς πολίτες της πόλης επιθυμούν να συνομιλήσουν μαζί της.
Μέσα από αυτές τις συζητήσεις μας αποκαλύπτεται ο πραγματικός λόγος της επίσκεψης της στη Βαϊμάρη, η ζωή και το έργο του Γκαίτε.
Η Λόττε στη Βαϊμάρη είναι ένα έργο που κινείται σε πολλά επίπεδα. Εξετάζει τη λογοτεχνία και την σχέση της μυθιστορία με την πηγή έμπνευσης και την επίδραση που αυτό έχει στο υποκείμενο.
Παρουσιάζει τη σχέση του Γκαίτε με τον Ναπολέοντα και την επίδραση του γαλλικού πνεύματος στο γερμανικό.
Έμμεσα θίγει το θέμα του πολέμου και κάνει αναφορά στο εβραϊκό ζήτημα προοικονομώντας τα στρατόπεδα συγκέντρωσης ενώ μιλά για μια σφαγή Εβραίων στο Έγκερ.
Παρομοιάζει τις ρητορικές ικανότητες του Γκαίτε με αυτές του Λούθηρου όταν ο μεγάλος ποιητής εξυμνεί τον εβραϊκό λαό και προβάλλει τις ανησυχίες του για την πορεία του γερμανικού πολιτισμού, το έντονο εθνικιστικό πνεύμα και την ξενοφοβία που έχει διαμορφωθεί.
Ένα έργο για τη λογοτεχνία, την κουλτούρα, την αξία της ύπαρξης, τον ναρκισσισμό σε όλες τις μορφές του και τις επιπτώσεις του στην κοινωνία και στην ανθρώπινη ιστορία.
Η προσωπική φίλη και ηρωίδα του διηγήματος του Γκαίτε, Λόττε Κέστνερ, αποφασίζει να επισκεφτεί μετά από πολλά χρόνια, μαζί με την κόρη της, την αδερφή της που ζει στη Βαϊμάρη.
Στο ξενοδοχείο που καταλύουν, αναγνωρίζουν στο πρόσωπό της την Λόττε του Βέρθερου και πλήθος κόσμου συγκεντρώνεται για να την αντικρίσει, ενώ επιφανείς πολίτες της πόλης επιθυμούν να συνομιλήσουν μαζί της.
Μέσα από αυτές τις συζητήσεις μας αποκαλύπτεται ο πραγματικός λόγος της επίσκεψης της στη Βαϊμάρη, η ζωή και το έργο του Γκαίτε.
Η Λόττε στη Βαϊμάρη είναι ένα έργο που κινείται σε πολλά επίπεδα. Εξετάζει τη λογοτεχνία και την σχέση της μυθιστορία με την πηγή έμπνευσης και την επίδραση που αυτό έχει στο υποκείμενο.
Παρουσιάζει τη σχέση του Γκαίτε με τον Ναπολέοντα και την επίδραση του γαλλικού πνεύματος στο γερμανικό.
Έμμεσα θίγει το θέμα του πολέμου και κάνει αναφορά στο εβραϊκό ζήτημα προοικονομώντας τα στρατόπεδα συγκέντρωσης ενώ μιλά για μια σφαγή Εβραίων στο Έγκερ.
Παρομοιάζει τις ρητορικές ικανότητες του Γκαίτε με αυτές του Λούθηρου όταν ο μεγάλος ποιητής εξυμνεί τον εβραϊκό λαό και προβάλλει τις ανησυχίες του για την πορεία του γερμανικού πολιτισμού, το έντονο εθνικιστικό πνεύμα και την ξενοφοβία που έχει διαμορφωθεί.
Ένα έργο για τη λογοτεχνία, την κουλτούρα, την αξία της ύπαρξης, τον ναρκισσισμό σε όλες τις μορφές του και τις επιπτώσεις του στην κοινωνία και στην ανθρώπινη ιστορία.
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March 20, 2020Biti ću iskrena - nakon mesec dana natezanja, jedva sam je dovela do poslednje stranice...
...više iz poštovanja prema gospodinu Manu, no iz ličnog gušta. Žao mi je, Lota.
...više iz poštovanja prema gospodinu Manu, no iz ličnog gušta. Žao mi je, Lota.
July 16, 2025
«تو میگویی من آن شعلهای هستم که پروانه مشتاقانه به میان آن پر میکشد، اما من آن شمعی هم هستم که میسوزد و تن خود را قربانی میکند نا نور بدرخشد..»
بالاخره بعد از مدتها، رمانی که به عمق جانم نشست.
«لوته در وایمار» ادامهایست معنوی بر «رنجهای ورتر جوان»؛ داستان بازگشت معشوقهی گوته، همان الهامبخش کتاب عظیم و باشکوه ورتر، که حالا پس از سالها آمده تا شاید نقطهی پایانی بر تضادهای حلنشدهی آن روزگار بگذارد.
گوته در این رمان، نماد خودمحوریایست از نوع مثبت؛ نمادی از ابرانسان نیچهای. با وجود فردیتی بینظیر، انسانیست لبریز از تمام چیزهای ارزشمند، که اطرافیانش از او بهره میبرند. هرچند خیلیها، از جمله پسرش، از این نور هم سوختهاند، یا حتی خود لوته. اما به تعبیر نیچه، ابرانسان ممکن است موجب آزار دیگران شود، بیآنکه خود در اندیشهی آزار باشد.
شخصیتها در این رمان بسیار دقیق و عمیق پرداخته شدهاند. پسر گوته با نوعی احساسات متضاد، میان ستایش و رنج، با پدرش مواجه است، و این پیچیدگی روانی، بینظیر به تصویر کشیده شده.
لوته هم با انتظاری نادیدنی به این دیدار آمده؛ به نظر میرسد که میخواست پس از سالیان، بار دیگر با همان گوتهی جوان، با ورتر، و همان احساسات و عواطف روبرو شود. این را میشود از نامهی ابتدای داستان فهمید… و از نامهی پایان داستان که خواندنش را به خودِ خواننده وامیگذارم.
و پایان… پایان داستان با سخنان گوته، فوقالعاده اثرگذار و به زیباییِ تمام است.
ترجمهی استاد علی اصغر حداد هم که نیازی به تعریف ندارد.
بالاخره بعد از مدتها، رمانی که به عمق جانم نشست.
«لوته در وایمار» ادامهایست معنوی بر «رنجهای ورتر جوان»؛ داستان بازگشت معشوقهی گوته، همان الهامبخش کتاب عظیم و باشکوه ورتر، که حالا پس از سالها آمده تا شاید نقطهی پایانی بر تضادهای حلنشدهی آن روزگار بگذارد.
گوته در این رمان، نماد خودمحوریایست از نوع مثبت؛ نمادی از ابرانسان نیچهای. با وجود فردیتی بینظیر، انسانیست لبریز از تمام چیزهای ارزشمند، که اطرافیانش از او بهره میبرند. هرچند خیلیها، از جمله پسرش، از این نور هم سوختهاند، یا حتی خود لوته. اما به تعبیر نیچه، ابرانسان ممکن است موجب آزار دیگران شود، بیآنکه خود در اندیشهی آزار باشد.
شخصیتها در این رمان بسیار دقیق و عمیق پرداخته شدهاند. پسر گوته با نوعی احساسات متضاد، میان ستایش و رنج، با پدرش مواجه است، و این پیچیدگی روانی، بینظیر به تصویر کشیده شده.
لوته هم با انتظاری نادیدنی به این دیدار آمده؛ به نظر میرسد که میخواست پس از سالیان، بار دیگر با همان گوتهی جوان، با ورتر، و همان احساسات و عواطف روبرو شود. این را میشود از نامهی ابتدای داستان فهمید… و از نامهی پایان داستان که خواندنش را به خودِ خواننده وامیگذارم.
و پایان… پایان داستان با سخنان گوته، فوقالعاده اثرگذار و به زیباییِ تمام است.
ترجمهی استاد علی اصغر حداد هم که نیازی به تعریف ندارد.
July 4, 2023
"Sonraki duygu, önceki duygu, duygular aslolan. Bırak, bakışımız açılsın ve gözlerimiz faltaşı olsun, dünyanın birliğini görmek için - büyük, şen ve bilgece."
Thomas Mann'ın görece kolay metinleriyle bir müddet vakit geçirdikten sonra yolum bu zor ve acayip kitaba vardı. Nasıl demeli - sanatçının süreçleri ve hayatla ilişkisine dair anlattıkları itibariyle biraz Venedik'te Ölüm; zamanın kitabın başrolünde olması ve insan doğasına dair akıl yürütmeleriyle biraz Büyülü Dağ gibi bir kitap. Bu ikisini okuduysanız zaten nasıl bir metinden bahsettiğim kafanızda somutlaşmıştır.
Zor ve fakat çok ilginç, zira acayip bir iş yapıyor Mann. Kendisinin Goethe'ye çok meraklı olduğunu biliyoruz, bu kitabında da Goethe'nin ünlü eseri Genç Werther'in Acıları'na bir tür devam kitabı yazıyor ama tam da öyle değil; şöyle: Goethe'nin romanı aslında kısmen otobiyografik, arkadaşının nişanlısına (ki kadının adı Charlotte) aşık olan kendisi, bazı kurgu unsurlar da ekleyerek Werther'i ve aşık olduğu Lotte'yi yaratmış. Burası gerçeklik. Mann da bu gerçekliği alıyor, zamanı 40 yıl ileri sarıyor ve Goethe'nin aşık olduğu kadın Charlotte'un (yani kitaptaki meşhur Lotte), Goethe ile tekrar karşılaşmak üzere Weimar'a gelişinin öyküsünü anlatıyor. Gerçeklikten devşirilen kurgunun üstüne kurgudan devşirdiği bir gerçeklik katıyor bir nevi - çok acayip bir iş bu açıdan yaptığı.
Öykü ilginç, anlatı zor. İlk altı bölüm aynı otel odasında, toplam birkaç saatte geçiyor. Goethe'nin ünlü Lotte'sine ilham veren Charlotte'un şehre döndüğü haberi büyük yankı uyandırıyor ve insanlar kendisiyle tanışmak üzere otele doluşuyorlar. İlk bölümler bu diyaloglardan oluşuyor; epey derinlikli konuşmalar bunlar. Yedinci bölümde Goethe'nin zihnine giriyoruz bir nevi ve Goethe'ye aşırı hakim değilseniz (ki ben değilim mesela) bu bölümdeki göndermeleri anlamak epey güç olabilir, ben zorlandım.
Sonrasında da Goethe ve Charlotte sonunda buluşuyorlar. Burayı anlatmayayım artık. Werther okunmadan bu kitap okunmaz, bence o da yetmez, Mann külliyatını ve Goethe'yi de epey biliyor olmak lazım.
Çok değişik bir deneyimdi. Benim gibi Mann'ı didiklemek derdindeyseniz buyrun, yoksa pas geçin derim ben.
Thomas Mann'ın görece kolay metinleriyle bir müddet vakit geçirdikten sonra yolum bu zor ve acayip kitaba vardı. Nasıl demeli - sanatçının süreçleri ve hayatla ilişkisine dair anlattıkları itibariyle biraz Venedik'te Ölüm; zamanın kitabın başrolünde olması ve insan doğasına dair akıl yürütmeleriyle biraz Büyülü Dağ gibi bir kitap. Bu ikisini okuduysanız zaten nasıl bir metinden bahsettiğim kafanızda somutlaşmıştır.
Zor ve fakat çok ilginç, zira acayip bir iş yapıyor Mann. Kendisinin Goethe'ye çok meraklı olduğunu biliyoruz, bu kitabında da Goethe'nin ünlü eseri Genç Werther'in Acıları'na bir tür devam kitabı yazıyor ama tam da öyle değil; şöyle: Goethe'nin romanı aslında kısmen otobiyografik, arkadaşının nişanlısına (ki kadının adı Charlotte) aşık olan kendisi, bazı kurgu unsurlar da ekleyerek Werther'i ve aşık olduğu Lotte'yi yaratmış. Burası gerçeklik. Mann da bu gerçekliği alıyor, zamanı 40 yıl ileri sarıyor ve Goethe'nin aşık olduğu kadın Charlotte'un (yani kitaptaki meşhur Lotte), Goethe ile tekrar karşılaşmak üzere Weimar'a gelişinin öyküsünü anlatıyor. Gerçeklikten devşirilen kurgunun üstüne kurgudan devşirdiği bir gerçeklik katıyor bir nevi - çok acayip bir iş bu açıdan yaptığı.
Öykü ilginç, anlatı zor. İlk altı bölüm aynı otel odasında, toplam birkaç saatte geçiyor. Goethe'nin ünlü Lotte'sine ilham veren Charlotte'un şehre döndüğü haberi büyük yankı uyandırıyor ve insanlar kendisiyle tanışmak üzere otele doluşuyorlar. İlk bölümler bu diyaloglardan oluşuyor; epey derinlikli konuşmalar bunlar. Yedinci bölümde Goethe'nin zihnine giriyoruz bir nevi ve Goethe'ye aşırı hakim değilseniz (ki ben değilim mesela) bu bölümdeki göndermeleri anlamak epey güç olabilir, ben zorlandım.
Sonrasında da Goethe ve Charlotte sonunda buluşuyorlar. Burayı anlatmayayım artık. Werther okunmadan bu kitap okunmaz, bence o da yetmez, Mann külliyatını ve Goethe'yi de epey biliyor olmak lazım.
Çok değişik bir deneyimdi. Benim gibi Mann'ı didiklemek derdindeyseniz buyrun, yoksa pas geçin derim ben.
May 26, 2021
Fan-Fiktion als gut getarnte Faschismuskritik
Thomas Mann in Höchstform, ein Leckerbissen für Goetheaner und Kenner der Epoche. Der eigentliche Bonus ist die Befreiung des Dichterfürsten aus der Vereinnahmung oder Notzüchtigung durch die Nazis. Das Zentrum des Hofstaats am Frauenplan bleibt lange in Deckung, lange genug, dass den den Routinekritikern und vielen späteren Generationen entgangen sein dürfte, wie hart Goethe in der Morgenstunde mit den Deutschen ins Gericht geht. Für mich ist diese Partie treffender als der gesamte Doktor Faustus, bei dem ich mich schon sehr anstrengen musste, um was Gutes an diesem Roman zu finden. Und ich war damals Musikwissenschaftler.
Wem der ganze Goethe-Wirbel vorher schon nichts gesagt hat, wird das Buch möglicherweise fade finden. Ich habe mich über weite Strecken glänzend amüsiert, dass Thomas Mann ein brillantes Anfangstempo nicht bis zu letzten Zeile durchhält, dürfte niemand enttäuschen, der sonst mit seinem Werk vertraut ist, auch wenn es bei diesem Roman besonders weh tut.
Thomas Mann in Höchstform, ein Leckerbissen für Goetheaner und Kenner der Epoche. Der eigentliche Bonus ist die Befreiung des Dichterfürsten aus der Vereinnahmung oder Notzüchtigung durch die Nazis. Das Zentrum des Hofstaats am Frauenplan bleibt lange in Deckung, lange genug, dass den den Routinekritikern und vielen späteren Generationen entgangen sein dürfte, wie hart Goethe in der Morgenstunde mit den Deutschen ins Gericht geht. Für mich ist diese Partie treffender als der gesamte Doktor Faustus, bei dem ich mich schon sehr anstrengen musste, um was Gutes an diesem Roman zu finden. Und ich war damals Musikwissenschaftler.
Wem der ganze Goethe-Wirbel vorher schon nichts gesagt hat, wird das Buch möglicherweise fade finden. Ich habe mich über weite Strecken glänzend amüsiert, dass Thomas Mann ein brillantes Anfangstempo nicht bis zu letzten Zeile durchhält, dürfte niemand enttäuschen, der sonst mit seinem Werk vertraut ist, auch wenn es bei diesem Roman besonders weh tut.
September 4, 2024
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 Las desventuras del joven Werther.
Después de muchos años vuelve a Weimar, donde vive el Maestro (Goethe), 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 haber sido interesante.
Después de muchos años vuelve a Weimar, donde vive el Maestro (Goethe), 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 haber sido interesante.
August 8, 2025
Ich lese Bücher von Thomas Mann einfach gerne. Auch wenn ich bei "Lotte in Weimar" den Eindruck hatte, längst nicht alles verstanden zu haben, weil ich mit der Person und dem Werk Goethes nicht gut genug auskenne.
March 29, 2023
Tomo Mano "Lota Veimare" yra J. V. Getės "Jaunojo Verterio kančių" spin-off'as arba fan fiction: tai Lotos istorija praėjus 44 metams po Getės knygos pasirodymo.
Kadangi dažniausiai skaitau važiuodama traukiniu, tai labiausiai mėgstu knygas su lengvai įsivaizduojamu siužetu: kai kažkas vyksta arba vaizdžiai aprašoma. Tuomet ir laikas traukinyje greitai prabėga, ir knyga greitai persiskaito. O šioje viskas yra visiškai atvirkščiai. Atvyksta (Šar)Lota į Veimarą ir įsiregistruoja į viešbutį. Šiek tiek nusnūdusi ketina keliauti pas gimines, kur jau anksčiau nusiuntė savo dukrą ir tarnaitę. Na ir prasideda... Tai vienas, tai kitas, tai trečias nori su Lota susitikti, pasikalbėti, nes ji šitokia garsenybė, jie visi skaitė "Verterio kančias" ir tiesiog dievina Lotą. Taip praeina šeši skyriai, daugiau nei pusė knygos. Jau rimtai ėmiau abejoti, ar Lotai lemta tuos savo giminaičius aplankyti.
Tada staiga septintame skyriuje pasakotojas pasikeičia. Pasirodo, tai pats Getė. Pagiežingas, arogantiškas, filosofuojantis, tad skaityti nei kiek ne lengviau.
Šiek tiek geresni buvo paskutiniai du skyriai - aštuntas ir devintas. Vyksta priėmimas pas Getę ir galima daugiau sužinoti apie Lotos jausmus.
Jei jums patinka Getės kūryba, o dėl "Jaunojo Verterio kančių" ėjote iš proto, ši knyga turbūt irgi patiks. Man labai nepatiko "Verteris", tad ir ši knyga nesudomino.
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2023-ųjų skaitymo iššūkis
Pagrindinis iššūkis
5. Knyga, kurios pavadinimas prasideda antra raide abėcėlės seka nuo mano pavardės pirmosios raidės
Antra raidė abėcėlės seka nuo mano pavardės pirmos raidės yra L, o knyga vadinasi "Lota Veimare".
Kadangi dažniausiai skaitau važiuodama traukiniu, tai labiausiai mėgstu knygas su lengvai įsivaizduojamu siužetu: kai kažkas vyksta arba vaizdžiai aprašoma. Tuomet ir laikas traukinyje greitai prabėga, ir knyga greitai persiskaito. O šioje viskas yra visiškai atvirkščiai. Atvyksta (Šar)Lota į Veimarą ir įsiregistruoja į viešbutį. Šiek tiek nusnūdusi ketina keliauti pas gimines, kur jau anksčiau nusiuntė savo dukrą ir tarnaitę. Na ir prasideda... Tai vienas, tai kitas, tai trečias nori su Lota susitikti, pasikalbėti, nes ji šitokia garsenybė, jie visi skaitė "Verterio kančias" ir tiesiog dievina Lotą. Taip praeina šeši skyriai, daugiau nei pusė knygos. Jau rimtai ėmiau abejoti, ar Lotai lemta tuos savo giminaičius aplankyti.
Tada staiga septintame skyriuje pasakotojas pasikeičia. Pasirodo, tai pats Getė. Pagiežingas, arogantiškas, filosofuojantis, tad skaityti nei kiek ne lengviau.
Šiek tiek geresni buvo paskutiniai du skyriai - aštuntas ir devintas. Vyksta priėmimas pas Getę ir galima daugiau sužinoti apie Lotos jausmus.
Jei jums patinka Getės kūryba, o dėl "Jaunojo Verterio kančių" ėjote iš proto, ši knyga turbūt irgi patiks. Man labai nepatiko "Verteris", tad ir ši knyga nesudomino.
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2023-ųjų skaitymo iššūkis
Pagrindinis iššūkis
5. Knyga, kurios pavadinimas prasideda antra raide abėcėlės seka nuo mano pavardės pirmosios raidės
Antra raidė abėcėlės seka nuo mano pavardės pirmos raidės yra L, o knyga vadinasi "Lota Veimare".
October 28, 2018
social philosophy disguised as literary criticism disguised as a modernist novel disguised as historical fiction. do you want to read 100 pp of platonic dialogue on the nature of genius between Friedrich Wilhelm Riemer and Charlotte Buff? do you want to read 100 pp of florid melodrama narrated by a young Adele Schopenhauer? how about 100 pp of alternatingly hilarious, infuriating, and breathtaking stream-of-consciousness from the mind of the genius himself, JW von Goethe?
and beyond all these intensely revivified personae, Mann still allows some time for himself, easing us into the book with some delightful character sketches. he’s at his most nuclear here, the most focused in his themes and the most refined in his prose. truly perfect!!
and beyond all these intensely revivified personae, Mann still allows some time for himself, easing us into the book with some delightful character sketches. he’s at his most nuclear here, the most focused in his themes and the most refined in his prose. truly perfect!!
November 8, 2025
Thomas Mann schreibt seinen eigenen Goethe, oder besser seine Goethes.
Das Geniale am Roman ist, wie er aus einem Novellenstoff (die gealterte Charlotte Kestner kommt nach Weimar und trifft den gealterten Goethe) eine quasi psychoanalytische Dekonstruktion aus mehreren Perspektiven macht.
Das Problem ist, dass diese Multiperspektivität sich auch wirklich zieht.
Kapitel 7 ist ein Highlight, ein innerer Monolog Goethes.
Also, aus struktureller Perspektive wahnsinnig gut. Aber wer sich nicht wirklich für Goethe und die Goethe Rezeption in den 1930ern interessiert, wird sich auch langweilen.
In den 1930ern war das Buch bestimmt sehr spannend.
Das Geniale am Roman ist, wie er aus einem Novellenstoff (die gealterte Charlotte Kestner kommt nach Weimar und trifft den gealterten Goethe) eine quasi psychoanalytische Dekonstruktion aus mehreren Perspektiven macht.
Das Problem ist, dass diese Multiperspektivität sich auch wirklich zieht.
Kapitel 7 ist ein Highlight, ein innerer Monolog Goethes.
Also, aus struktureller Perspektive wahnsinnig gut. Aber wer sich nicht wirklich für Goethe und die Goethe Rezeption in den 1930ern interessiert, wird sich auch langweilen.
In den 1930ern war das Buch bestimmt sehr spannend.
May 2, 2012
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 how it must have been! It had to have been...!" Mann would have us believe it was the poet's final fated retribution.
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 how it must have been! It had to have been...!" Mann would have us believe it was the poet's final fated retribution.
October 15, 2016
„Realitatea e o operă a renunțării.”
Read
March 2, 2024Story of the 'Hofrätin' Charlotte Kestner, born Buff, who returns to Weimar in old age. By the butler Mager of the hotel where she is staying, she is recognized as Lotte from the "Werther" of Goethe. What follows is a procession of people who want to see her and come to her with their adoration and complaints about Goethe. Didn't resonate, perhaps because I read this just after the fenomenal The Magic Mountain? I think this is rather for Goethe fans.
December 8, 2018
Zur gewinnbringenden, erkenntnissichernden Lektüre dieses Buches benötigte ich alle vorhandenen Lesemuskeln. Und die vielen untrainierten waren nach hundert Seiten gehörig aufgepumpt. Ein Buch so toll wie eigenartig, ein Text so klug wie fordernd. Thomas Mann hat sich Zeit seines Lebens sehr intensiv mit Goethe beschäftigt und ein tatsächliches Ereignis (Der Besuch von Lotte Kestner, ehemalige Lotte Buff, 40 Jahre nach Erscheinen des Werther, in Weimar) dazu benutzt, über Vieles (Künstlerschaft, Wein, Sammeln, usw.) auf sehr diffiziele, austarierte Weise und in "alter" Sprache zu erzählen. Das geschieht mehr als weniger (fast ausschließlich) in langen Monologen der auftretenden Protagonisten. Vermeintlich handlungsarm steckt das Feuer dieses Buches in den Monologen - und da brennt es hochofenheiß. Selten noch habe ich so aufmerksam lesend so wenige Seiten am Tag "geschafft". Aber das Vergnügen war immer groß. Stefan Zweig (Begegnungen mit Büchern) stellt diesen Roman noch über die Buddenbrooks, den Zauberberg und Josef und seine Brüder. Zum Beispiel schreibt Zweig: "Das Kleinliche, das jedem Irdischen anhaftet, ist beobachtet und bewahrt, aber allmächlich verdämmert es im immer voller sich ergießendem Licht hinter dem Gewaltigen der Erscheinung. Mit einer Art Tiefenplastik ohnegleichen..."
Später noch sehr aufschlussreich war für mich die Textinterpretation von Volkmar Hansen aus dem Band "Interpretationen Thomas Mann Romane und Erzählungen", Reclam Verlag,
Später noch sehr aufschlussreich war für mich die Textinterpretation von Volkmar Hansen aus dem Band "Interpretationen Thomas Mann Romane und Erzählungen", Reclam Verlag,
May 31, 2013
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 bleiben ihren historischen Vorbildern treu, sind aber zugleich auch eigenständige Romanfiguren.
Sehr interessant für Literaturfans und wenn man fast wie nebenbei etwas über die Zeit erfahren möchte. Streckenweise anstrengend zu lesen, da Mann die Personen in der Sprache der Goethe-Zeit reden lässt und das an manchen Stellen sehr geschraubt wird und die Grammatik von der heute Üblichen etwas abweicht.
Sehr interessant für Literaturfans und wenn man fast wie nebenbei etwas über die Zeit erfahren möchte. Streckenweise anstrengend zu lesen, da Mann die Personen in der Sprache der Goethe-Zeit reden lässt und das an manchen Stellen sehr geschraubt wird und die Grammatik von der heute Üblichen etwas abweicht.
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