Lotte in Weimar: The Beloved Returns

This is a very special book. If you are an admirer of both Thomas Mann and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, arguably the greatest literary giant in German history, you will capture rare insight of both men.The only problem with the book is that as a prerequisite, one certainly must be familiar with Goethe's "The Sorrows of Young Werther" for this book to really be appreciated. Mann's conception and writing is first rate as always. One could probably enjoy reading this without knowledge of Werther, but much will be missed. And anyway, "The Sorrows of Young Werther" is a short book that can be read in a day or two and will add so much enjoyment to "Lotte in Weimer".

Arrived in a timely manner and in the expected condition. Book was exactly as I remembered it.

All translations into Spanish from German are tedious to read, but from German to English almost nothing is lost and it's a pleasure voyage to read!

I can't believe I actually finished reading this. Lotte in Weimar is probably one of the most boring books I've ever read, mostly because I managed to finish it where similar books would have been back on the shelf weeks before. My reason: I don't do well with dialogue, and the novel is pretty much all dialogue, for all four hundred fifty pages. Dear Thomas Mann: It's not you, it's me. So sorry I didn't like your book that much.It wasn't all bad and boring, though. Thomas Mann is a great writer and did a really nice job with telling the tale of Lotte's later life and dealings with Goethe, it's just that my teenage mind kept zoning out of the interminable discussions. I'm sure a seventy-page view of Goethe's inner mind is fascinating, but I can't focus on his ramblings for that long. I was able to identify some with Lotte, though she's several decades older than myself. The feeling of love with another person being avoided by a few twists of everyday fate, the wondering of the what-could-have-been, the longing to see and talk to the other person some, even if just within your own mind, can be universal across ages. I also caught the reflection upon the sacrifices other people make to the "genius" of an author, which reminded me of Sofia Tolstoy's diary. Mann's Goethe bore similarities in temperament and "genius" to Sofia Tolstoy's images of her famous husband, which makes me glad that Lotte did not further engage herself with Goethe and end up in a position similar to that of Sofia. The novel also re-emphasized my dislike of the whiny, selfish Werther of Goethe's novel and how, whatever his immediate desires, Werther's want to be with Lotte could never have ended up well in the long run. So, Thomas Mann, I will happily revisit your novel later when I feel more up to the task of dealing with all that talking.