The Sorrows of Young Werther

By: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Narrated by: Leighton Pugh

Length: 4 hrs and 31 mins

Publisher's summary

Werther, a sensitive young artist, finds himself in Wahlheim, a quiet, attractive village in Germany where he seeks solace from the turmoils of love. It is a young spring, and he hopes that arcadian solitude will prove a genial balm to his mind. But his romantic tendency rules otherwise, and he falls in love with Charlotte - Lotte - even though he knows she is affianced to another.

In a series of letters to his friend, Wilhelm, he charts the course of his love, which rises to passion and obsession and, ultimately, tragedy.

The Sorrows of Young Werther is the iconic love story which helped to usher in the Romantic age. Partially autobiographical, von Goethe, aged just 24, wrote it in just six weeks, and when it appeared in 1774 it immediately established his reputation. Told through the protagonist's eyes, it is the gradual rise of Werther's strong feelings checked by attempts at restraint and complicated by a friendship with Lotte's husband that keeps the listener on edge - especially when read with sympathy, as here, by Leighton Pugh.

Translated by R. D. Boylan; revised by Leighton Pugh.

Public Domain (P)2016 Ukemi Productions Ltd

A tragic story well told

This translation of WERTHER is close the the early 19th century translation but altered slightly to be more modern and readable.

The audio book narrator was perfect.

A fantastic book

A wonderful book that I found to be developmental and maturative for a young man coming of age such as myself. I found this book to be worthwhile and generally entertaining. I further highly recommend this book.

A MUST

Illustration is 100% better than the other choices of audio books. Definitely pick this one

Loving Someone Too Much Can Be Fatal

This is one of the greatest and saddest books I’ve ever heard. I can relate to loving people too much so I understand what Werther is going through, but as the saying goes, “there’s plenty of fish in the sea”. I highly recommend it only as a cautionary tale. On a lighter note, Leighton Pugh (the narrator) did a wonderful job. I definitely plan to look for more books he narrated. His voice is fantastic. And great literature from Goethe. I’m looking forward to listening to Faust and other books he wrote.

Great performance for a classical story.

The vocals in this audible are far better than the other options for this book. I would recommend people listen to this one.

A German classic and deservedly so.

A young Romantic with an all-consuming love for a woman betrothed to another man-- and the dire consequences of that relationship.
Excellent reading by Leighton Pugh.

Too classical for my taste

I did not think I’d give Goethe less than 5 stars, but while the writing has impeccable technique, the language is rich and captivating, the story itself is focused on the narrator in a way that I can’t fully appreciate the overall read. The performance is really beautiful, although a bit more dramatic than necessary at times.
So, if you’re in the mood for a classic romantic story, with masterful writing, then this is it. But be careful of Goethe’s romanticism. It can be more than a modern reader can bear.

Goethe; sensitive, vivid, emotional

The world can dull a person at times, Goethe’s work will revitalize you; evoke nostalgia and an appreciation of beauty will be evident after you listen to the last page. Enjoy Goethe.

Goethe

Good narration.

I didn't enjoy this, and it wasn't because it was depressing, but because it had no plot, and the main character was simply self absorbed and unlikeable. The writing was poetic. That was about it.

Totally Depressing

Don’t listen to this book if you are prone to depression. It is unrelentingly merciless.