The Sorrows of Young Werther

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's first novel, written in 1774, The Sorrows of Young Werther, was the classic novel that Books and Beer Club selected to read this month. We weren't sure if we were going to attempt a Zoom book club meeting or miss another month. Mid-month, one of the members suggested this "short" book so that we could read it and be ready for our normal meeting date.

This is definitely a book that I never would have selected on my own. Written in German and translated into English, some of the language was a bit flowery and "old" for me. The story, however, is timeless. Werther is a young man who is resisting what society - and his mother - would have him to - go into diplomatic service - so he can pursue the arts. He's a passionate young man and believes that everyone should be so passionate. He meets a young woman, Lotte, who is responsible of the care of her younger siblings after the death of her mother. Werther falls in love with the children and falls in love with Lotte. Sadly, as is often the case, Lotte is promised to another. Werther meets her intended, Albert, and the three of them form their own sort of alliance.

The novel plays out in letters that Werther is writing to a dear friend back home with many messages to his mother. Sometimes these letters reference people and things that we're not familiar with as part of the story. At the end of the novel, it is implied that the dear friend becomes the narrator and finishes up the telling of Werther's story.

I'm not sure for whom I'd even recommend a book such as this. It was relatively short and quick to read and was a better read than many of the romance titles that the club has read in the past.