Theodor Fontane Livres

Telling the tragic tale of a socially advantageous but emotionally ruinous match, Theodor Fontane's Effi Briest is translated from the German by Hugh Rorrison with an introduction by Helen Chambers in Penguin Classics. Unworldly young Effi Briest is married off to Baron von Innstetten, an austere and ambitious civil servant twice her age, who has little time for his new wife. Isolated and bored, Effi finds comfort and distraction in a brief liaison with Major Crampas, a married man with a dangerous reputation. But years later, when Effi has almost forgotten her affair, the secret returns to haunt her - with fatal consequences. In taut, ironic prose Fontane depicts a world where sexuality and the will to enjoy life are stifled by vain pretences of civilization, and the obligations of circumstance. Considered to be his greatest novel, this is a humane, unsentimental portrait of a young woman torn between her duties as a wife and mother and the instincts of her heart. Hugh Rorrison's clear, modern translation is accompanied by an introduction by Helen Chambers, which compares Effi with other literary heroines such as Emma Bovary and Anna Karenina. Theodor Fontane (1819-98) was a German novelist and potitical reporter. Along with Effi Briest, Fontane is remembered for Frau Jenny Treibel (1892), an ironic criticism of middle-class hypocrisy and small-mindedness. If you enjoyed Effi Briest you may like Leo Tolstoy's Anna Karenina, also available in Penguin Classics. 'I have been haunted by it ... as I am by those novels that seem to do more than they say, to induce strong emotions that can't quite be accounted for' Hermione Lee, Sunday Times

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.

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.

The novel introduces a complex heroine navigating the intricacies of gender roles and marriage, reflecting themes that remain relevant in contemporary society. This first English translation of Fontane's late work offers insight into societal expectations and personal struggles, making it a significant addition to discussions around gender dynamics.

"In 1870s Berlin, an aristocratic officer in a glamorous cavalry regiment and a seamstress supporting herself and her invalid foster-mother with piecework defy convention by falling seriously in love."--P. [4] of cover.

Theodor Fontane's "Effi Briest" is now available in simple language, adhering to the ISO 24495-1:2023 standard, making it accessible for readers with limited reading skills. The novel explores themes of love and freedom through the struggles of a young woman caught between societal expectations and her desires in 19th century Germany.

This is the first (and only) unabridged translation of Theodor Fontane's Der deutsche Krieg von 1866 (The German War of 1866) Volume 2, Books 1, 2 & 3, Bohemia and Moravia, and as such represents a significant contribution to the literature of the period. Cited as source material in every major history of the Austro Prussian War, it is now available for the first time in English. Fontane's celebrated study covers all the major and minor battles that took place between the Prussians, the Austrians and their Saxon allies, in Bohemia, Moravia and Galicia. It ranges from the political origins of the war, to detailed accounts of the actual fighting, to lyrical descriptions of the land, customs and traditions of the Bohemians and Moravians themselves. The text is accompanied by Ludwig Berger's superb, specially commissioned illustrations, all of which have been included. This work has been painstakingly translated by Frederick Steinhardt and edited by Gerard Henry. Their exceptional knowledge of the period and meticulous attention to detail is evident throughout, particularly in the provision of extensive footnotes which provide the reader with an abundance of background material indispensable to a fuller understanding of the text and indeed of the war. This work is an essential addition to the library of any serious student of the period.