The Sufferings of Young Werther

A New Translation

By: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Stanley Corngold - translator

Narrated by: Daniel May

A masterpiece of European imagination, The Sufferings of Young Werther is the classic Sturm und Drang tale of youthful angst and tragedy. The acclaimed translator Stanley Corngold brings new passion and precision to Goethe's timeless novel of obsessive love and madness in this magnificent new translation.

Goethe's themes of unrequited love, the pain of rejection, deepening despair, and their tragic consequences are as relevant today as when the novel was first published in 1774. His hugely influential novel informed the writing of, among others, Franz Kafka and Thomas Mann. In translating The Sufferings of Young Werther, Corngold follows the German text closely, never knowingly using a word that was not current in English at the time the novel was written and yet maintaining a modern grace and flair. The result is an eagerly awaited translation that speaks to our time through the astonishing liveliness of Goethe's language—as well through the translator's own.

©2012 Stanley Corngold (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

“Stanley Corngold’s translation is a triumph. This is a glorious achievement, a Werther for the ages.” (Christopher Prendergast)

A classic worth a read- Goethe changed the way Germans looked at their language

Fantastic translation. Really captures how Goethe was able to dramatize and make flowery the German language. A lovable and despicable charcuterie and the OG PSA on suicide awareness.

Worth a listen.

Well-narrated classic

I haven't read the older translations of this classic, so I can't compare, but I really liked this one. The narration was excellent and made the whole story more contemporary and relatable.

Masterful narration!!

Absolutely beautiful!!
The narration truly gives life to the story which is lovely and tragic. Incredible haunting.

Why robotic narration of "acclaimed translation"?

I was relatively excited to happen upon this "acclaimed new translation" of Goethe by Stanley Corngold. While I'm not a big fan of Goethe or the espistolary overwrought outpourings of the suicidal Young Werther and am not familiar with the work of Stanley Corngold, the publisher and others I respect seem to believe this is a worthy translation to render the Goethe novel more accessible to the unfamiliar.

So, why is it that the publisher hires an audible director and narrator/actor who make Werther sound like a computer program in the initial stages of conquering Earth?

Just awful. A near-travesty for Corngold and for audible listeners.