The English Faust Book: A Critical Edition Based on the Text of 1592

by Anonymous, John Henry Jones (Editor)

First published in 1994, this scholarly edition of a major Renaissance text is edited and introduced by John Henry Jones, a leading expert on the Faust legend. The English translation of the best-selling German Faust Book of 1587 has long been known as Marlowe's principal source for Dr Faustus. The earliest surviving edition of this translation, published in 1592, is here presented complete, in modern spelling and with a line register for reference, together with full details of all alterations and omissions from the German source. Textual comparisons with Doctor Faustus and with later editions of the English Faust Book provide crucial information in the development of the Faust theme in England and Germany. In an introduction making full use of hitherto unpublished research, Dr Jones offers new arguments both on the dating of Marlowe's play, and on the personal history and probable identity of the original translator of the German Faust Book, known only as 'P. F. Gent'.

Genres: Classics

295 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1592

About the author

Books can be attributed to "Anonymous" for several reasons:

* They are officially published under that name
* They are traditional stories not attributed to a specific author
* They are religious texts not generally attributed to a specific author

Books whose authorship is merely uncertain should be attributed to Unknown.

See also: Anonymous

Reviews

[mkfs · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is certainly the edition of the English Faust Book to read. A hundred or so pages of introduction, including the author's comparison of the English and German versions of the text, and his investigation of plausible author for the English version. The text is as complete as it gets, with non-canonical passages in bold, and at the end there are copious notes.

As for the rest, well, it's the core story of Faust, a translation of the Jack Chick-like tract published only a few years after Faustus' alleged death. Warnings to live the straight and narrow abound. Not a very flattering Faust: he vacillates, loses hope, bemoans his lot, falls for whatever lies the devil tells him instead of answering his questions honestly, and uses his diabolical power to play petty pranks on nobility and peasant alike. In modern times, Faust would be some annoying jackass with a youtube channel.

And, finally, a reminder that what got Faustus into this mess was his insatiable curiosity:

thou art one of the beloved children of my lord Lucifer, following and feeding thy mind in manner as he did his

[E.A. Bucchianeri · Rating 5 out of 5]

For years, scholars of the printed legacy of the Faust legend have been bereft of a complete edition featuring the various Faust books translated into English from the German original (the Spies edition from Frankfurt, printed in 1587). At last, John Henry Jones has compiled an excellent critical text from the famous Orwin Edition of the English Faust book (printed 1592) that incorporates all the various alterations that occurred with the numerous reprints.

Orwin's edition is the earliest surviving English translation, but several other reprints followed in 1608, 1610, 1618, 1622, 1636 and 1648. Using the Orwin edition as the text proper, Henry Jones indicates in extensive footnotes the original words of the German Spies edition and the changes included in the later reprints. Explanations about the historical nature of the text, such as locations named during Faustus' travels, etc. are included. Furthermore, he highlights throughout the text which sections were the unique additions inserted by P.F., the original English translator, whose identity has not yet been discovered.

Henry Jones also discusses in his lengthy introduction the little known Faust book text, the `Shrewsbury Fragment', the possible existence of a precursor edition of the English Faust book printed circa 1589, offers a new theory as to the identity of the mysterious Mr. P.F., and attempts to date the English Faust Book and Marlowe's play by comparing them with Greene's play `The Honourable History of Friar Bacon and Friar Bungay' based on an earlier prose romance. It is an excellent academic edition of the English Faust Book.

E.A. Bucchianeri, author of "Faust: My Soul be Damned for the World"

[Burcu]

The English Faust Book is one of the earliest known translations of the German Faust Book of Johann Spiess and is the known source for Christopher Marlowe's Doctor Faustus. This scholarly edition has a good introduction. It is very informative on all aspects of the text from translation to textual comparisons. The edition itself provides the English Faust Book as translation, comparing it with the German original on the same page. It would interest particularly those who do textual/manuscript research.

[ThymeOperator · Rating 3 out of 5]

Highly influential and therefore culturally significant.

Sometimes it's a slog to read, because there are virtually no paragraph breaks and no quotation marks of any kind. But the imagination is wild, and the conclusion is like something straight out of Hellraiser (albeit this, of course, came first by centuries).

[sologdin · Rating 3 out of 5]

prose adaption of the old german faust book, translated by one "P. F.," upon which Marlowe drew as his principal source text.

one of the great things about it is the representation of faust's katabasis, which is vaguely noted in Marlowe, but was unrepresented in the text (it may well have been unlawful to represent it). In chapter 20 of this text, therefore, faust is taken to hell bodily to meet with Lucifer et al. good times were had by all!

[Jared Zachary · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good critical edition, though more interesting because of its historical significance than its literary quality. Jones' contributions are priceless.

[Jonathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let's hope Marlow plays it better.