Elective Affinities in The Roundtable

Jun 18, 2017 Genia Lukin rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, 1001-books

You really have to be partial to horrible overblown, overdramatic, overemotional gothica and romanticism to feel affection for this book, but if you do it's really a gem. I'm afraid it didn't achieve, for me, the effect that the author was gunning for; rather, it produced, let us say... a somewhat humorous reception. But what can you do with a bonk in which, in order to make an apple pie, the characters first feel they must create the universe.

I refer specifically to the part where, in order to ...more

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Mar 27, 2017 Pamela rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: boxall-1001-read

The 'Elective Affinities' relate to a scientific principle, used by Goethe to suggest that certain characters are meant to be together, through a natural 'chemistry' that is stronger than social conventions or religious systems. This could have been intriguing, if followed through. However, this idea fades away, and is replaced by a series of increasingly improbable and hysterical events, that are strangely at odds with the formal and mannered language of the novel.

Eduard and his wife Charlotte The 'Elective Affinities' relate to a scientific principle, used by Goethe to suggest that certain characters are meant to be together, through a natural 'chemistry' that is stronger than social conventions or religious systems. This could have been intriguing, if followed through. However, this idea fades away, and is replaced by a series of increasingly improbable and hysterical events, that are strangely at odds with the formal and mannered language of the novel.

Eduard and his wife Charlotte live a quiet life, mainly spent renovating and remodelling their extensive estate. Eduard insists on inviting his friend the Count to join them, despite Charlotte's misgivings. The Count is soon followed by Charlotte's niece Ottilie, and predictably the hosts begin to feel attraction for the new arrivals.

I found Eduard and Ottilie to be two of the most irritating characters I've ever encountered. Eduard is weak-willed, selfish, manipulative and self-indulgent. He flounces in and out, forbidding this and insisting on that, and convincing himself that it's all reasonable, because of his Passion. Ottilie is initially quite naive, accepting Eduard's version of reality because she loves him, but she is also self-absorbed and as the book develops acts equally irrationally without any real consideration for anyone. This is Romantic individuality taken to the extreme - yet Goethe seems to rather approve of these hysterical spoilt children.

The translation (by H M Waidson) succeeds on the whole in conveying the feel of the early 19th Century aristocratic society, polite and polished, but often bored and capricious. There was the occasional jarring moment (like calling Ottilie a 'greenhorn' - too North American and too informal in my view) but on the whole it read smoothly with an authentic voice. The fact I always felt 'at arms length' was more down to the author.

Ultimately rather disappointing - muddled ideas, an excess of melodrama and unsympathetic characters are not a good combination for me. ...more

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