—Martin Jay, University of California, Berkeley
Copyright © 2012 by Stanley Corngold
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von, 1749–1832.
[Werther. English]
The sufferings of young Werther / Johann Wolfgang von Goethe ;
a new translation by Stanley Corngold. — 1st ed.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-0-393-07938-8 (hardcover)
1. Young men—Psychology—Fiction. 2. Unrequited love—Fiction.
3. Despair—Fiction. 4. Loss (Psychology)—Fiction.
I. Corngold, Stanley. II. Title.
PT2027.W3C67 2012
833'.6—dc23
2011029508
ISBN 978-0-393-34357-1
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† The reader need not go to the trouble of locating the village named above; it was considered necessary to change the real names found in the original. (Note by Goethe’s “Editor.”)
† We feel obliged to suppress this passage in the letter to avoid giving anyone grounds for complaint. Although at bottom it can little matter to any author what one young woman and a fickle young man think of his work. (Note by Goethe’s “Editor.”)
‡ Here too we have omitted the names of several German authors. Whoever shares Lotte’s approval will surely feel in his heart who they are if he should read this passage, and no one else really needs to know. (Note by Goethe’s “Editor.”)
† We now have an excellent sermon on this topic from Lavater, one among those on the Book of Jonah. (Note by Goethe’s “Editor.”)
† Out of respect for this excellent gentleman, this letter and another one mentioned below have been removed from this collection, because we do not feel that such an impropriety could be excused even by the warmest gratitude of the public. (Note by Goethe’s “Editor.”)
The Sufferings of Young Werther: A New Translation Page 14