Description
Book SynopsisLewes' 1855 biography (reissued here in the second, 1858 edition) paints a balanced picture of this great German intellectual. Drawing on personal letters and recollections provided by Goethe's colleagues, friends and family, Lewes probes the connections between Goethe's life and work, and highlights the continuing relevance of his thought.
Table of ContentsPreface; Book I. The Child is Father to the Man. 1749–1765: 1. Parentage; 2. The precocious child; 3. Early experiences; 4. Various studies; 5. The child is father to the man; Book II. Student Days. 1765–1771: 1. The Leipzig student; 2. Mental characteristics; 3. Art studies; 4. Return home; 5. Strasburg; 6. Herder and Frederika; Book III. Sturm und Drang. 1771–1775: 1. Dr. Goethe's return; 2. Götz van Berlichingen; 3. Wetzlar; 4. Preparations of Werther; 5. Werther; 6. Survey of German literature; 7. Clavigo; 8. The literary lion; 9. Lili; Book IV. The Genialisch Period in Weimar. 1775–1779: 1. Weimar in the eighteenth century; 2. The notabilities of Weimar; 3. The first wild weeks at Weimar; 4. The Frau von Stein; 5. The Gartenhaus; 6. Private theatricals; 7. Many-coloured threads; 8. The real philanthropist.
