To say that Goethe leaves behind the conventions of a time less understood to stride into the realms of inspired creativity
is a shaky yet reliable statement. Herein this
novel we discover for ourselves the delving depths of human despair at the hands of it's cruelest administrator, love. It is written as a microscope upon the human soul, capturing in detail all the imperfections, the brilliance and irrepressible desires of the human spirit. As the exceptionally well thought out dialogue forms the centre of the masterpiece, it is in the main character himself (Young Werther) that the maelstrom of personal conflict and deepened emotions come together to form the heart of the story. It is fair to say that in establishing his Character this way, Goethe has written a story that does away with the need for a setting, a location or even a time as the events themselves in all their immaculate brilliance may well have occurred any time from Charlemagne to Charles Dickens! That we lose ourselves and centre our focus on the emotional trials of Young Werther is a
testament to the well thought out genius of a brilliant author, that we enjoy it and can read the novel again and again, is a testament to the work of a human being who understands how to translate the scope of human existence into print!