The Sorrows of Young Werther

The story of the soul's torment and the tragic fate of a sensitive young man suffering from love for another man's fiancée and the indifference of high society captivated the minds of the reading European public so much that it led to a wave of suicides – young peers of Werther, obsessed with the thought of spiritual closeness to their beloved literary hero, in dozens, and perhaps even hundreds, followed his example and took their own lives. Are other arguments needed to demonstrate the strength of talent and psychological persuasion that this novel possesses? In addition to "The Sorrows of Young Werther," the collection also includes the poem "Gottfried and Dorothea," – a lyrical masterpiece about the love of a simple German peasant youth for a young refugee from war-torn France whom he encounters by chance on the road.