Reading schedule and background info

[Tracey]

Discussion to be lead by Rosemarie.

[Rosemarie]

I will post some information about the book and the author by the end of this week.

[Rosemarie]

Goethe was born in Frankfurt am Main in 1749 and died in Weimar in 1832. He was Germany's greatest man of letters. He was a poet, dramatist, novelist and essayist. He was interested in art, the natural sciences and also philosphy.
He was also something of a ladies man.
As a grand old man of letters, he had many young followers, many of them poets, who came to him for help and guidance. At times he remained aloof and unhelpful, causing emotional stress for some of them. His most faithful and respected friend was Friedrich Schiller, the great dramatist and poet, who died young.
His literary career began in the 1780's during the Sturm und Drang period, a time of literary and social upheaval. The two works which exemplify this period are The Robbers by Friedrich Schiller and The Sorrows of Young Werther by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.
As he grew older he developed a more mature, classic style. He became a respected civil servant with many admirers and took up residency in Weimar. Faust Part 1 was written in 1808.

I cannot recommend any particular translation since I will be reading it in German. The book is written in verse, so I hope that you find a version that reads well.

[Dianne]

Impressive Rosemarie! I have the Norton 2nd critical edition

[Rosemarie]

Thanks, over the course of the years I have read a lot of German literature. I was born in Germany and took a degree in German and French literature, so I enjoy sharing my love of literature with fellow readers.
An annotated version is a good idea. Faust was one of the works I studied way back when, but have reread it. It is going to be fun discussing it with a group.

[Dianne]

this is one of those books that is definitely better with a group, frankly I'd be hesitant to tackle it on my own. It really is an honor to have your experience in reading this and leading the discussion, thank you!

[Rosemarie]

You're welcome.

[Rosemarie]

Here is a suggested reading schedule. It can altered if we read the play quicker. It is not that long.
Week 1: The prologues to the end of the scenes in Faust's study
Week 2: Auerbach's Cellar to the Scene in the Neighbour's House as well as the street scene following it
Week 3: In the Garden to the scene in the Cathedral
Week 4: Walpurgisnacht to the conclusion, and general comments.

Does this schedule look reasonable?

[Rosemarie]

If any of you are interested in learning more about the Faust legend and various interpretations, you will find a plethora of information on the internet.
The two versions that I know about are by Christopher Marlowe, the Elizabethan playwright, and the novel Doktor Faustus by the German novelist Thomas Mann.

[Tracey]

Rosemarie wrote: "Here is a suggested reading schedule. It can altered if we read the play quicker. It is not that long.
Week 1: The prologues to the end of the scenes in Faust's study
Week 2: Auerbach's Cellar to t..."

That looks good. I have the Penguin Classic version translated by Philip Wayne

[Rosemarie]

I have made a minor adjustment to the schedule since I overlooked a very short scene.

[Tracey]

I have just received the book and will start reading again this weekend.