Product Description

This translation of Goethe's poetry remains both true in form and spirit to the original, yet is at the same time readable and engaging.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #924601 in Books
• Published on: 2000-07-06
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 128 pages

Customer Reviews

A surprising read.
I purchased this book for an essay on Goethe's journey in Italy. I chose this translation after comparing it to the other one available, as I felt the style was closer to Goethe's intentions. Admittedly I expected it to be somewhat boring and the first few pages were a slow read. However once Goethe reaches Rome, his excitement of being on "classic soil" is so well conveyed, that I really got into it. The book is based on letters that he wrote home to Weimar and his reflections some time later when he compiled it. They provide an interesting perspective of Italy and Europe at the time and the lifestyles of the upper-class intellectuals. The most surprising part for me however, was that Goethe actually has a sense of humour which his quirky little observations of life as a humanitarian show. I recommend finding a copy of the Roman Elegies and some of his other works of the time, to complement 'Italian Journey'.

Following Goethe in Italy
This book was the first selection by the Round the World Book Group in Edinburgh. I first read it in about 1998 when on holiday in Italy, visiting the Italian lake region and staying in Malcesine. Goethe visited Malcesine during his journey and stayed there for some time. I found his description of the town and the surrounding area very colourful, and I could follow some of his travels myself. The one thing we did in Malcesine which he didn't, was to be caught in a mountain thunderstorm, a temporale, and get thoroughly soaked.