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15th out of 23 books
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19 voters
My rating:
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A Village Romeo and Juliet
Inspired by the suicides of two real-life sweethearts, this impassioned novel evokes the overwhelming beauty of young love and nature but is ultimately pessimistic about the possibility of such beauty surviving in the real world. Although it attracted controversy when it was first published in 1856, this timeless story is a fine example of 19th-century poetic realism.
Paperback, 128 pages
Published
December 1st 2009
by Oneworld Classics
(first published September 1st 1953)
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This was a really sweet novella and although the ending was very sad, I did not feel it was depressing because it was the only possible ending for the 2 characters.
I loved the village and characters' detailed descriptions and all the feelings that were developed and conveyed during the story.
I am definitely going to read other Gottfried Keller novellas.
I loved the village and characters' detailed descriptions and all the feelings that were developed and conveyed during the story.
I am definitely going to read other Gottfried Keller novellas.
Michael
rated it
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review of another edition
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review of another edition
Recommends it for:
German Students, Romantics, Fans of German Romantic Literature
Recommended to Michael by:
Steven Fuller
This is a German book for fairly advanced students of the language, or of interest to those who study German literature. It is not a particularly "fun" read, although it does have some passages which are good examples of flowery and passionate prose, and the overall story of doomed love between innocent youngsters may appeal to some. It does not in any way parallel the Shakespeare tale from which it takes its name, except in terms of the premise of two people falling in love in spite o...more
Another school read I didn't enjoy. This time I'm not sure I would have rated it better if it hadn't been an obligatory read. Gottfried Keller just isn't my sort of author.
Pretty good novella on the standards of early European society and the affects that those standards have on the individual.
As genuinely tragic as the original, if a little didactic in banging home its message about class and social mores towards the end.
None
I'm a bit surprised by the ratings here at Goodreads; I didn't think it was that bad! I quite liked it, even if it was predictable (especially so because the title is a direct reference to Romeo & Juliet). Except for the weird names, that is. Sali und Vrenchen? Really, Vrenchen? Of all the names in the world you decide to go with that one? Baffles me.
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Ein gutes Beispiel dafür, dass man ein gutes klassisches Werk in die Moderne transportieren kann, es aber besser wäre, man hätte es gelassen.
Furchtbar. Eine Qual - sowohl für Schüler als auch für Shakespeare-Liebhaber.
Furchtbar. Eine Qual - sowohl für Schüler als auch für Shakespeare-Liebhaber.
I love this version of the Romeo and Juliet story: it has much more background and character development than Shakespeare's version. I need to read this again!
Another one of Keller's bad books. Can't say anything more than that I disliked it.
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“Wie tief im Menschen leben jede jener Fabeln: wurzelt, auf welche die großen alten Werke gebaut sind.”
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