In eighteenth-century Germany, the impetuous student of philosophy who will later gain fame as the Romantic poet Novalis seeks his father's permiss...
read full description
reviews
Dec 12, 2010
Alexandra
rated it: 
A gorgeous, elliptical book, which I was drawn to by its subject (eighteenth century German philosopher and poet becomes obsessed with unattractive twelve year old girl). I fell in love with The Blue Flower just like Fritz - later known as Novalis - did with Sophie, only the book's positive qualities are slightly more obvious. It's beautifully written, understated, and perhaps more touching than you would expect. Fitzgerald never demands that you like her characters, and there's no sentimentalit
More...
2 comments
like
(11 people liked it)
Mar 12, 2009
Paul
rated it: 
In its first chapters this novel sprays a fine tangy mist over your face, like coming across the sea after many months inland. Hoopla! We're in for some fun. But - after a while this novel becomes the so-amusing toy whose batteries keep it chirping and beeping long after it should have glided behind the chest of drawers of oblivion. Our smile has faded. And finally this novel is like your elderly female relative who has a superstitious horror of naming anything directly, and will use every last
More...
3 comments
like
(3 people liked it)
May 03, 2011
Natalie
rated it:
How dare I refuse to give this book that was named Book of the Year by nineteen British newspapers in 1995 and won the National Book Critics Circle Award in 1997 anything less than a five?
NYT reviewer Michael Hofmann wrote of The Blue Flower: It is an interrogation of life, love, purpose, experience and horizons, which has found its perfect vehicle in a few years from the pitifully short life of a German youth about to become a great poet -- one living in a period of intellectual an More...
NYT reviewer Michael Hofmann wrote of The Blue Flower: It is an interrogation of life, love, purpose, experience and horizons, which has found its perfect vehicle in a few years from the pitifully short life of a German youth about to become a great poet -- one living in a period of intellectual an More...
0 comments
like
(3 people liked it)
Jan 25, 2012
Troy
rated it:
**As usual, spoilers abound**
Toward the end of 'The Blue Flower' Friedrich (Fritz) von Hardenberg, the man who would become the recognised Romantic novelist and poet Novalis, considers the precious few moments in which "[he] felt the certainty of immortality, like the touch of a hand." These include his first entrance into the Justs' house, the sight of a boy with head bowed in meditation in the Weissenfels churchyard, and his first sighting of the 12 year old More...
2 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Mar 01, 2008
Libby
rated it:
This is a strange and beautiful short novel, which revolves around the young poet Friedrich Von Hardenberg's (the 18th century German poet Novalis) inexplicable love for the somewhat slow, not particularly lovely 12-year-old Sophie Von Kuhn, who would become his fiancee. The novel's genius lies in its complete lack of interest in explaining/examining the WHY of Hardenberg's love. This is not a love story or a romance. It is an observation of the sort of ineffable human forces that produce not on
More...
3 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Oct 20, 2007
Susan
rated it:
I enjoyed Fitzgerald's economy of prose, as I had when reading her novel "The Bookshop." The historical setting (late 1700's Germany) and the influence on the plot of German Romanticism made for a densely rich reading experience. I plan to read more by this author.
(As for the occasional comparisons between Jane Austen and Penelope Fitzgerald, I would say that I find Fitzgerald more psychological and Austen more social. That is to say, it seems to me that there is somewh More...
(As for the occasional comparisons between Jane Austen and Penelope Fitzgerald, I would say that I find Fitzgerald more psychological and Austen more social. That is to say, it seems to me that there is somewh More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Dec 02, 2008
Why is this a strange and magical book?
One would expect a long novel because it involves history, like a period film. The sentences are not decorative but not too plain, not Hemingway plain.
So how does she do it. Some times the sentences seem modern. I do get a sense of another time and place too.
One would expect a long novel because it involves history, like a period film. The sentences are not decorative but not too plain, not Hemingway plain.
So how does she do it. Some times the sentences seem modern. I do get a sense of another time and place too.
0 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Jan 11, 2012
Kim
rated it: 
In short, cheeky, pithy, and splendidly torturous. I was drawn in by the tone and language of Fitzgerald. The subject matter came second. This is my first reading of hers, so I'll see if it holds true across other novels.
Favorite quotes:
"'A word of advice. If, as a young man, a student, you are tormented by a desire for women, it is best to get out into the fresh air as much as possible.'" (6)
"How heavy a child is when it gives up responsibility." More...
Favorite quotes:
"'A word of advice. If, as a young man, a student, you are tormented by a desire for women, it is best to get out into the fresh air as much as possible.'" (6)
"How heavy a child is when it gives up responsibility." More...
Dec 04, 2009
Patricia
rated it:
I just finished The Blue Flower this morning. It was a slower read than I anticipated....due to the many German words and the the use of more than one name for a single person. The story was wonderful...wonderful sad. But the times they lived in.....the beginning of a more modern world...,he was a poet, a philosopher and a civil engineer...This is the story of Friedrich von Hardenberg--Fritz,a young man of the late 18th century who was to become one of Germany's great romantic poets. The book
More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
May 01, 2009
John
rated it:
A weird, elliptical, hilarious book. Has a lot of fun with the idea that historical fiction often attempts to fill in details that its subjects would have been at a loss to describe. I will stop now, before I start gushing and embarrass myself. Here is an excerpt, one of my favorite parts of any book I've read (in 18th century Germany, the painter, Hoffman is explaining to 20-something Fritz why he couldn't paint his unremarkable 13-year old love interest):
"Hardenberg, in eve More...
"Hardenberg, in eve More...
Oct 06, 2009
Kirsten
rated it:
It is fitting that this book ends with the image of a ring actually owned by the real main character of the novel, inscribed to his beloved. The Blue Flower itself is a tiny object--perfectly made--and contains multitudes in its perfection.
The tale of the Romantic poet Friedrich von Hardenberg's (Novalis) love for a fairly ordinary girl of twelve is perhaps one of the most moving historical novels I have ever read. Fitzgerald does more than recreate a bygone era, she conjures it ef More...
The tale of the Romantic poet Friedrich von Hardenberg's (Novalis) love for a fairly ordinary girl of twelve is perhaps one of the most moving historical novels I have ever read. Fitzgerald does more than recreate a bygone era, she conjures it ef More...
May 03, 2011
Luckngrace
rated it:
This Booker Prize winner is a fascinating study of life in late 17th-century Germany. One hilarious anecdote concerned washing clothes. Most of the upper-class families did the washing every 3 months. One man on the household owned 69 shirts. Our protagonist, Fridrich's family did the wash only once a year. There were 14 children in the family and numerous servants. This was before washers and dryers were invented. It blows my mind--and that isn't even what the book is about.
The book More...
The book More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
May 02, 2011
Julia
rated it:
Ich habe Die blaue Blume aus der Reihe der Süddeutsche Bibliothek bei meinem Bruder aus dem Bücherregal gezogen und war mir nicht sicher ob meiner Erwartungshaltungen gegenüber dem schmalen Bändchen.
Penelope Fitzgerald schreibt ähnlich wie Antonia S.Byatt einen Stil, der an eine Tuschezeichnung erinnert, fein, zierlich, detailgenau - doch nicht wie in The Children's Book, das ein wenig blutleer bleibt, ist die Blaue Blume voll von den Gerüchen, Farben und Atmosphären der Epoche Novalis', More...
Penelope Fitzgerald schreibt ähnlich wie Antonia S.Byatt einen Stil, der an eine Tuschezeichnung erinnert, fein, zierlich, detailgenau - doch nicht wie in The Children's Book, das ein wenig blutleer bleibt, ist die Blaue Blume voll von den Gerüchen, Farben und Atmosphären der Epoche Novalis', More...
Jan 01, 2012
Kathleen
rated it:
I did not find this novel quite as beguiling as the book jacket promised it was. I found the narrative was uneven, written at times in a rather academic/biographical tone, and was not able to really connect emotionally with the characters. Having studied Novalis in grad school, I was fascinated with his fascination with Sophie von Kuhn. Fitzgerald's interpretation was, I believe, too much mired in following historical documents and quoting letters. Every now and again there is a well-written
More...
Jan 20, 2010
Patrice
rated it: 
What would Novalis do? If you like German romanticism, historical fiction, and ill fated tales of love this might be the book for you.
This novel came highly recommended to me from by a co-worker who really loved it. It was at times a humorous read and an interesting look at German aristocracy and middle class during the 18th Century.
Novalis falls in love with a young ordinary sickly girl and the novel follows their courtship and correspondance to one another.
More...
This novel came highly recommended to me from by a co-worker who really loved it. It was at times a humorous read and an interesting look at German aristocracy and middle class during the 18th Century.
Novalis falls in love with a young ordinary sickly girl and the novel follows their courtship and correspondance to one another.
More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Oct 14, 2009
Wahida
rated it:
My rating is based on my personal enjoyment of the book, rather than its literary merits. I wish I could give it 2 1/2 stars, something between "It was ok" and "I liked it," because that's where it actually falls for me.
There are things I really like about it, but ultimately I'm a character person, and character is where this book falls a bit flat. The minor characters are great, the themes/ideas explored here are stimulating, there's quite a bit of humor (plenty More...
There are things I really like about it, but ultimately I'm a character person, and character is where this book falls a bit flat. The minor characters are great, the themes/ideas explored here are stimulating, there's quite a bit of humor (plenty More...
Apr 04, 2009
Rebecca
rated it:
True story. 18th Century poet falls for plain gal.
Tis about inexplicable love. Such as directed at this novel. ;)
Romanticism turned to tedium. *gahs*
Tis about inexplicable love. Such as directed at this novel. ;)
Romanticism turned to tedium. *gahs*
3 comments
like
(4 people liked it)
Jan 08, 2012
Kate
rated it:
This novel tells the story of the strange love affair that flowered between the 18th century German poet, Novalis, and a twelve year old girl named Sophie. He fell in love with her at first sight, and managed to persuade his and her parents to allow them to be engaged when she was fourteen. A year later, she was dead, and in his grief, he wrote some of the most beautiful and astonishing works in the German Romantic tradition. Four years later, he too was dead. The book is really more like a seri
More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Jul 03, 2011
This is my favourite of Fitzgerald's novels.
'Come, we're Saxons. We can make a good dinner, even if our hearts are breaking'. Our reasons for liking a novel are often subjective and unreasonable. In my case the place and time of the setting and the intellectual firmament of the characters overlap with things that make me happy. But it's a bleak novel. Romanicism and romance run up against day to day life ("'Here among the table-linen, I am disturbed by Fritz Hardenburg's young More...
'Come, we're Saxons. We can make a good dinner, even if our hearts are breaking'. Our reasons for liking a novel are often subjective and unreasonable. In my case the place and time of the setting and the intellectual firmament of the characters overlap with things that make me happy. But it's a bleak novel. Romanicism and romance run up against day to day life ("'Here among the table-linen, I am disturbed by Fritz Hardenburg's young More...
Sep 17, 2010
Therese
rated it:
Somewhere in here is a really good story, but the tone of this book felt flat to me. The writing is very sparse, too much so. A lot is left unsaid and uncaptured, and that was probably the intent--in a scene in which an artist tries to paint Sophie he cannot because she cannot be captured, all he manages are a few bare sketches that suggest an idea that he cannot quite approach. But I don't think the author succeeds in capturing this "can't be captured" quality; instead it comes off as
More...
Oct 14, 2010
Karen
rated it:
I am pretty sure I started this book once before and abandoned it, as the first chapter seemed really, really familiar. I got through it this time, and thought it was just okay. I have a feeling this is one of those books I'm supposed to analyze and work for, and I'm just not into that. I want the author to flesh out the characters and fill in the holes in the plot, or at least create a world which is accessible and engaging enough for me to not care that those elements aren't there. (The voi
More...
Apr 03, 2009
Sharlene
rated it:
I was suggest this book by my library system's "Next Read" program because I have read and enjoyed a couple of Tracy Chevalier's books. The Blue Flower reconstructs the life of German romantic poet Novalis, whose real name was Fredrich von Hardenberg. It brings to life his life and surroundings in 18th-century Germany, particularly his relationship with young Sophie von Kühn, a mere child when they met. The attraction of historical fiction is being able to experience a taste of life
More...
Jun 30, 2010
Melita
rated it:
Fitzgerald's imagining of Novalis's, a German Romantic poet, love for adolescent Sophie in 17th century Germany and German Romanticism. Narrated in vignettes, Fitzgerald melds German Romanticism and philosophy with sketches of unique characters and the mundane of daily life. This is a book if one wants to strain mentally. Does Novalis project the ideal on his Sophie, or Sophie the ideal, the blue flower, that he seeks? I do believe that she is the blue flower, but only if she stays a child o
More...
Jun 13, 2009
Michele
rated it:
I read this book because, at a panel discussion, I heard Richard Ford (one of my favorite contemporary writers) recommend it . The novel's hub is an 18th century poet named Novalis. The story delves into poetry and religion, intellectual freedom and dogma, spiritual yearnings and physical deprivation. It also paints a vivid portrait of the daily lives and times of people in 18th century Germany. It is a brilliant book and deserves five stars, even though I personally did not enjoy reading it. Fo
More...
Jan 26, 2009
chambejd / Joy
rated it:
This was an interesting historical story. I liked that is was based on a real poet but I don't do well with remembering names of people, homes and towns when they are based on a different language. I was constantly stopping to try to remember who was who. I loved the short chapters; they certainly helped me read the book quicker. For me, the story wasn't super though it did hold my interest. There must be something about "great literature" that I just don't get since most of the award
More...
Jan 20, 2010
Tim
rated it:
Do not expect a typical novel and plot. I almost gave up on this book at first, due to my own episodic reading, but when I finally sat down and read through it, I was engaged. Its episodic nature does not create one story, but many little stories, where the many characters interact. By the end, those characters charmed me. I also love the witty asides from the narrator, the small tastes of romantic philosophy and poetry, and Fitzgerald's ability to get so much across with so few words. A fa
More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Jun 18, 2011
Danica
rated it:
I strained so hard to "get" this book I nearly popped a joint. No, not that kind, although at times this book felt so stupefyingly plodding that reading it may have approximated the same effect. Why, wondered I, did it land the plum spot on 19 separate end-of-the-year book lists in 1995, as its back cover so modestly relates? After pondering the issue for a bit, I have come to the conclusion that I am either braindead or a ninny or, possibly, that it just isn't that good. (BUT HOW COUL
More...
Jul 10, 2011
Kris
rated it:
Penelope Fitzgerald's The Blue Flower has been called her masterpiece by some critics (others have been less kind), but was a book I’d only know by reputation before picking it up. Of course, if I had have known that it was set in and around Jena during the turbulent events at the end of the eighteenth century, and featured glimpses of Goethe, Fichte, Schiller et. al., I would have read it far earlier! As long term readers should know by now, if there are German idealist philosophers around, I’m
More...
May 21, 2011
Angie
rated it:
I loved this book a great deal. It is incredibly simply written but so cleverly put together that there are real moments where you cannot help but be in awe of Fitzgerald. Her touch with words, is simple but oh so subtle that one cannot help but feel emotions ranging from sadness, intense humour and curiosity.
Each chapter is short, almost vignette like in 3 or 4 pages, and although there is a narrative running throughout, each short story has a point to it which may or may not be rel More...
Each chapter is short, almost vignette like in 3 or 4 pages, and although there is a narrative running throughout, each short story has a point to it which may or may not be rel More...
Jan 21, 2011
M
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
