Florentine Nights: German Classics

by Heinrich Heine, Charles Godfrey Leland (Translator), Hans Breitmann (Translator)

During his stay in Italy, Heinrich Heine (1797-1856) visited Florence, with which he was delighted beyond measure. The literary outcome of this visit was the well-known fantastic and brilliant "Florentine Nights." It is a series of brilliant pictures united by a very slight thread of connection; it is charming in its vague and uneventful wandering, with its strong suggestion of the great original, the Arabian Nights, and its still stronger contrast. In addition, in this love-tale occur some of the best examples of Heine's biting vein.

Genres: German Literature, Fiction, Classics, Novella, Romanticism, Audiobook

104 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1836

About the author

Christian Johann Heinrich Heine was one of the most significant German poets of the 19th century. He was also a journalist, essayist, and literary critic. He is best known outside Germany for his early lyric poetry, which was set to music in the form of Lieder (art songs) by composers such as Robert Schumann and Franz Schubert. Heine's later verse and prose is distinguished by its satirical wit and irony. His radical political views led to many of his works being banned by German authorities. Heine spent the last 25 years of his life as an expatriate in Paris.

Reviews

[Patrick Steinmüller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing. It is about the conversation between a man and a sick woman spanning two nights. The man tells the story of his life in vivid and imaginary prose. I really recommend it. It is somewhat autobiographical on Heines own life.

Ich finde dieses Buch hervorragend. Das Buch handelt über die Unterhaltung zwischen einem Mann und einer kranken Frau in Florenz. Der Mann erzählt der Frau Geschichten aus seinem Leben und schmückt diese mit einer wundarbar lebendigen Sprache aus. Ich finde, dass es sich hier um einen Höhepunkt seines Schreibens handelt. Es scheint eine Art episodische Biographie seines Lebens zu sein.

[Bruno Greggio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poderia escrever muito sobre este livro de Heine, desde suas opções narrativas, sua quase completa ausência de enredo, sua ironia formidável.

Mas vou apenas reproduzir o seguinte trecho, que nem integra a novela, mas foi recuperado no posfácio, e, acredito, dará ao seu futuro leitor uma ideia do que esperar desse autor. De minha parte, elegi-a uma de minhas frases (períodos) favoritas:

"Eu tenho uma mentalidade pacífica. Meus desejos são: uma cabana modesta, telhado de palha, uma boa cama, boa comida, leite e manteiga; em frente à janela, flores; em frente à porta, algumas belas árvores. E, se o bom Deus quiser me fazer completamente feliz, me permitirá a alegria de ver seis ou sete de meus inimigos nelas pendurados. De coração comovido eu haverei, antes de suas mortes, de perdoar todas as iniquidades que em vida me infligiram – sim, temos de perdoar nossos inimigos, jamais antes, porém, de eles serem enforcados."

[Genndy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a Serbian thin compilation of just 3 of Heine's short stories. The translation sucks, and you can feel it even if you don't have a clue about how it is in the original language as me. Out of 3 selected stories, only the first one made a deep impression on me. It is the story Florentine Nights, and that really is the best what romantic prose has to offer - it is very retrospective, gloomy, passionate, impressionistic I guess, mystical and all that. Really a good story. But the other 2 were not interesting to me, they seemd just like unorganized notes of random impressions. Maybe the translation managed to ruin them. I don't know.

[Mariana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lúgubre ao mesmo tempo que bem-humorado, essa narrativa de Heine oferece uma ótima leitura graças a seu narrador, Maximilian.

As historietas que Maximilian conta a Maria, essa dama em leito de morte, são curiosas e imagéticas. O ponto alto está nas descrições e comentários do narrador sobre os ingleses, alemães, franceses e italianos. É um prato cheio para uma ironia sagaz.

Dou 4 estrelas porque achei que a história termina de forma um tanto abrupta. Mesmo assim, foi uma leitura prazerosa que me instigou a vasculhar mais a obra de Heine.

[Cristian Castañeda · Rating 4 out of 5]

En esa obsesión del protagonista por las estatuas me parece que se prefigura un poco del decadentismo que imperará a finales del siglo XIX. El romanticismo de Heine es el útlimo canto del cisne de este movimiento, y con ello vemos como el movimiento va cayendo en un desencanto que se refleja muy bien por el protagonista de esta historia.

[Sergio · Rating 3 out of 5]

As imagens oníricas, a perversa atração por damas de mármore e jovens no além-mundo dão o fio condutor das aventuras e excentricidades do personagem. O texto é prazeroso, um típico representante do romantismo com algum humor e irreverência.

[PBM · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ein so hervorragendes Werk liest man selten!

[N. · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow, k nghĩ Heine viết truyện ngắn hay thế
tưởng đang đọc Hesse 😅

[Timo · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,41

[Maria Papantuono · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5
I had to change my rating, this is brilliant.