The Sorrows of Young Werther

The Sorrows of Young Werther

Summary

You only find true love once.

When Werther dances with the beautiful Lotte, it seems as though he is in paradise. It is a joy, however, that can only ever be short-lived. Engaged to another man, she tolerates Werther's adoration and encourages his friendship. She can never return his love.

Broken-hearted, he leaves her home in the country, trying to escape his own desire. But when he receives a letter telling him that she is finally married, his passion soon turns to destructive obsession.

And as his life falls apart, Werther is haunted by one certainty:

He has lost his reason for living.

About the author

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Learn More

Sign up to the Penguin Newsletter

For the latest books, recommendations, author interviews and more