Eighteenth-Century World Literature: A Select List
Explore the best of eighteenth-century world literature with this select reading list. From Goethe's iconic *The Sorrows of Young Werther* to essential classics, discover curated books that define the Enlightenment era. Perfect for scholars and book lovers seeking influential 1700s fiction and global literary masterpieces.
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The Sorrows of Young Werther
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"Be on your guard … and take care not to fall in love!" Visiting an idyllic German village, Werther, a sensitive and romantic young man, meets and falls in love with sweet-natured Lotte. Although he realizes that Lotte is to marry Albert, he is unable to subdue his passion for her and his infatuation torments him to the point of absolute despair. The first great ‘confessional’ novel, The Sorrows of Young Werther draws both on Goethe’s own unrequited love for Charlotte Buff and on the death of his friend Karl Wilhelm Jerusalem. The book was an immediate success and a cult rapidly grew up around it, resulting in numerous imitations as well as violent criticism and even suppression for its apparent recommendation of suicide. Goethe’s sensitive exploration of the mind of a young artist at odds with society and ill-equipped to cope with life is now considered the first great tragic novel of European literature. This edition includes notes and an introduction by Michael Hulse who explores the origins of the novel in the author’s life and examines its impact on European culture. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
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Prince Tandi of Cumba or The New Menoza by J.M.R. Lenz (Routledge Harwood Contemporary Theatre Studies)
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No summary available.
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The Misfortunes of Virtue and Other Early Tales (Oxford World's Classics)
by Sade, Marquis de
No summary available.
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Don Carlos and Mary Stuart (Oxford World's Classics)
by Schiller, Friedrich
No summary available.
