Theodor Fontane was a preeminent German man of letters in the nineteenth century, celebrated for his novels, criticism, poetry, and travel writing. His early work included ballads and explorations of recent history, but he later achieved renown for his psychologically insightful novels depicting modern society. These later works are remarkable for their nuanced portrayal of social intricacies and human relationships. Fontane's distinctive style is characterized by subtle irony, keen observation, and a masterful grasp of realism.
Anlässlich der 200. Geburtstages von Theodor Fontane widmet sich Otto Lehmann der vielleicht bekanntesten Ballade des Dichters: John Maynard. Er illustriert die einzelnen Verse mit stimmungsvollen eigenen Fotografien und gibt dann auch die englische Übersetzung wieder, wie sie auf der Gedenktafel in Buffalo verewigt wurde. Der Autor gibt einige Erklärungen zum Zustandekommen der Ballade und erklärt die Bedeutung von Balladen im Allgemeinen. Auch wichtige Stationen des Lebenswegs von Theodor Fontane werden vom Autor dargestellt. Insgesamt ist das Büchlein eine stimmungsvolle Reminiszenz an den Dichter mit einer seiner bedeutendsten Ballade.
The book is a facsimile reprint of a scarce antiquarian work, preserving its cultural significance despite potential imperfections like marks and flawed pages. It aims to protect and promote classic literature by offering a modern edition that remains true to the original text, making it accessible to contemporary readers.
Set against the backdrop of post-Seven Years' War Germany, the story explores the turbulent relationships within a small village. Baltzer Bocholt, a forest ranger, becomes embroiled in a tragic love triangle with his son Martin and his ward Hilde, the illegitimate daughter of a local nobleman. Jealousy leads to a fatal confrontation at the cliffs of Ellernklipp, resulting in a dark secret that shapes their lives. As Bocholt marries Hilde and they face the challenges of parenthood, the narrative delves into themes of love, betrayal, and the consequences of choices.
The narrative explores the gentle melancholy of a young officer and a decent girl whose connection deepens despite an inevitable separation shaped by societal pressures. Their relationship, marked by mutual understanding and resignation, reflects the poignant reality that personal desires often clash with external circumstances. Fontane's focus on character over action captures the essence of human nature, portraying the subtle pathos of love constrained by social class without sensationalism. This story exemplifies his sincere and unpretentious artistic style.
After marrying a Baron twice her age and moving to a remote Baltic port, Effi Briest begins an affair that threatens to ruin her marriage and her life.
This was the first of Fontane's sixteen novels, most of which became classics of the realist genre. Set in Berlin, shortly before the Prussians rebelled against Napoleon, the novel resembles War and Peace. This World's Classics edition is the first and only available in Englishtranslation.
Opposites attract, and Helmut Holk and Christine Arne, the appealing married couple at the center of this engrossing book by one of Germany’s greatest novelists, could not be less alike. Christine is a serious soul from a devout background. She is brooding and beautiful and devoted to her husband and their two children. Helmut is lighthearted and pleasure-loving and largely content to defer to his wife’s deeper feelings and better wisdom. They live in a beautiful large house overlooking the sea, which they built themselves, and have been happily married for twenty-three years—only of late a certain tension has crept into their dealings with each other. Little jokes, casual endearments, long-meditated plans: they all hit a raw nerve. How a couple can slowly drift apart, until one day they find themselves in a situation which is nothing they ever wished for but from which they cannot go back, is at the heart of this timeless story of everyday life. Theodor Fontane’s great gift is to tell the story effectively in his characters’ own words, listening to how they talk and fail to talk to each other, watching them turn away from their own true feelings as much as from each other. Irretrievable is a nuanced, affectionate, enormously sophisticated, and profoundly humane reckoning with the blindness of love.
The story revolves around a young woman driven by hatred and disappointment, who sets fire to the town of Tangermünde, resulting in tragedy and destruction. Set in the early 17th century, it culminates in the devastating fire of 1617, based on true events that Fontane researched in 1878. The narrative reflects historical elements, including a real Grete Minde and a significant inheritance dispute. Fontane, a notable figure in German realism, intertwines personal and historical narratives to explore themes of vengeance and loss.
