A literary-historical look at the scholarly criticism of Goethe's great
first novel.
When Goethe's first novel, Die Leiden des jungen Werther (The Sorrows of
Young Werther) appeared in 1774, it caused a sensation that is hard to
exaggerate. "Werther fever" gripped not just Germany, but Europe and
North America. The many pirated versions make sales figures difficult to
establish, but it was probably the most popular book of its century.
Napoleon claimed to have read it seven times. In the intervening years,
this interest has persisted, and the book has inspired hundreds of
imitations and sequels in every conceivable genre. Numerous editions are
still in print in many languages, and in English-speaking lands the
novel is regularly read on campuses in comparative literature and "great
book" courses. Literary critics, too, have maintained their interest,
following on the lively debate that ensued upon the book's publication
concerning its aesthetic and moral implications. In the 19th andearly
20th centuries, critics increasingly explored its narrative strategies,
its relation to various literary movements, its autobiographical
elements, its depiction of an individual subjectivity, its social
criticism, and its role in constructing a German national consciousness.
Hundreds of subsequent critics have continued these discussions and
added topics that reflect such developments as semiotics and gender
studies. In fact, the history of Werther's critical reception largely
mirrors the history of literary criticism in the last 230 years. The
present study traces this development, demonstrating how changing
notions of both aesthetics and the role of literary criticism have
influenced perceptions of this great work.
Bruce Duncan is Professor of German Studies at Dartmouth College.
