Effi Briest

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Telling the tragic tale of a socially advantageous but emotionally ruinous match, this novel follows the unworldly Effi Briest, who is married to the austere and ambitious Baron von Innstetten, a man twice her age with little time for her. Isolated and bored, Effi seeks comfort in a brief affair with the married Major Crampas, who has a dangerous reputation. Years later, when Effi has almost forgotten her indiscretion, the secret resurfaces, leading to fatal consequences. Through taut, ironic prose, the narrative explores a world where sexuality and the desire for enjoyment are suppressed by societal pretenses and obligations. This work offers a humane, unsentimental portrait of a young woman torn between her roles as a wife and mother and her own instincts. The modern translation is accompanied by an introduction that draws comparisons between Effi and other literary heroines like Emma Bovary and Anna Karenina. The author, a notable German novelist and political reporter, is also recognized for his critique of middle-class hypocrisy in another work. If you appreciated this novel, you might also enjoy Tolstoy's Anna Karenina.