Åtrå

by Hermann Sudermann, Knut Barr (contributor), Edvin Björk (Translator)

Volume: pt. 2640 General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1906 Original Publisher: J. Lane Subjects: German fiction Fiction / General Fiction / Classics Fiction / Literary Literary Criticism / European / German Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. Excerpt: Ill THE river flowed on its way in the last rays of the setting sun. Its smooth surface was still steeped in purple, and a wide-meshed network of silver ribbons, at one place melting into each other, at another clearly denned and intermingled with fantastic shapes, reeds, flowers, and sedges, spread itself over the darkly glowing water. But the willows, which kept watch like sentinels on the bank in vague shadowy rows, were already casting broad bands of darkness across the edge of the shining mirror, and these were slowly encroaching on its centre. The distance lay veiled in a blue haze. Here and there a damp mist mounted from the meadows and clung in silvery wisps about the tops of solitary clumps of poplars which rose above the level, wide- spreading fields, and stood outlined sharply against the rosy glow of the evening sky. Silence reigned far and wide. From time to time a dog in some invisible farmyard bayed sleepily. A broody reed- sparrow now and then gave an anxious twitter, as if in fear of an enemy, and high aloft the subdued cry of a kingfisher, returning late from the chase to its nest, sounded through the air. There was life on the water. A raft on its way into the valley revolved lazily in the circle of light, which grew gradually smaller, and being now cut in two, threatened to vanish soon altogether in darkness. Like a great snake with fiery jaws it drifted there. The flames beneath the supper-cauldron blazed, and bl...

Genres: Fiction

416 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1894

About the author

Educated at Koningsberg University and the University of Berlin, Sudermann had to give up his studies because of financial difficulties. He worked for a time as a tutor before becoming a journalist in Bern, Switzerland. He returned to Germany in 1881 and became the editor of the Deutsches Reichsblatt. Thereafter, he devoted himself to writing. In 1886, he published Zweilicht, his first novel, and followed in 1887 with Frau Sorge, which was critically acclaimed. His first drama, Die Ehre, or The Honour appeared in 1889 and was enormously successful. Sudermann also produced a number of short stories. His other works include Geschwister (1888), Der Katzensteg (1890), Sodoms Ende (1891), Die Heimat (1893), Morituri (1896), Es Lebe das Leben! (1902), Es War (1904) and Stein unter Steinen (1905).

Reviews

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story of a love triangle among three people who were friends since childhood. Lots of melodrama, lots of religious guilt. I didn't particularly like the main characters, except for Hertha. I could see why the story was made into the silent film, Flesh and the Devil. It's perfect for that more exaggerated style of acting. I thought the story went on too long, and could've benefitted from some editing - especially in the middle. The ending wasn't bad, and made me add another star to my review.

[Samantha Glasser]

Flesh and the Devil (1926) is an adaptation of this novel.

Read this book for free through Project Gutenberg: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/34156/...

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is probably one of the most melodramatic books I've ever read. But I'm not really surprised since it's the basis of The Flesh and the Devil movie from the 1920s. Overall though I liked some of the themes about repentance and guilt.

[Perry Whitford · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two aristocratic German friends are separated by their different kinds of love for the same woman.

Ulrich Kletzingk is an intelligent, kind landowner who marries Felicitas for her beauty, though she proves to be an unsuitable wife. Leo Sellenthin, his lifelong friend, is a virile, selfish man, returning to Germany after a four year absence necessitated by killing the first husband of Felicitas in a duel, with whom he had been having a secret affair.

The author simply couldn't wait to lay all the pieces of his plot down to be admired, so much so that in the first two chapters he resorted to the lame expedient of having the characters tell each other the backstory as though they had never discussed it before. The situation was one ripe for high drama, he's right to be proud of it, only save us the lazy exposition, let it reveal itself in time.

The two friends are so diametrically opposed in body and mind Sudermann may as well have written a diagram than a novel. Ulrich is simply too saintly to live. The author was much more interested in Leo, however, with his defiant motto, "Be courageous and repent nothing. That is the whole secret of life."

Personally I found Felicitas to be the more interesting character, a complex flirt who never seemed to understand her own motivation. She is certainly attracted to Leo's masculinity, but did she really love him? This passage provided the clearest insight:

'In her easily impressionable mind, which she could play with as one plays with a spoilt child, truth changed into lies and lies into truth as the emergency required. Now she had reached in her story the first meeting with Leo. She halted, for she had not had time to consider, in the excitement of the moment, which of the three motives she should make use of--that suggested by the world, that which made out it had been done for Ulrich's sake, or that which was really the true one.
"Be large-minded; be noble, and not petty," a voice said within her. And she told the truth. Of course it was not the truth by a long way, but only what she took for the truth.'

Turgenev or Chekov would have achieved much more from this in much less time. After meandering towards a climax the ending itself was a tepid letdown, although on reflection perhaps these ultimately mediocre characters deserved no better.

The book was adapted into a 1926 silent movie starring Greta Garbo retitled Flesh and the Devil, no doubt magnifying the novels more melodramatic moments.

[Tommie Haag · Rating 1 out of 5]

Existensialistiskt humbug som bara blir för mycket. Rusade igenom andra halvan, det var svårt att härda ut ända till slutet.