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Duncan, Bruce. Goethe's Werther and the Critics. New York: Camden House, 2005. 200 pp. £50/$75. ISBN 1–57113–284–8, Forum for Modern Language Studies, Volume 43, Issue 1, JANUARY 2007, Page 98, https://doi.org/10.1093/fmls/cql175
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Extract
Rather quaintly, this book features a bibliography which lists Werther criticism according to the year of publication. Browsing the list, the reader gets an idea of how the interest in Goethe's debut novel has never changed in intensity but often in terms of focus. This bibliography is, as a scholarly resource, probably of slightly lesser value as its organisation makes it difficult to find the items you are looking for. Accomplished Goethe scholars will not find much new in this volume, but to postgraduates and colleagues who are looking for an entry point to the ongoing debate, this book will prove extremely helpful as it manages to map out this ever-expanding area of research in a very concise way. Topics covered include the initial reception of Werther, which is shrouded in mystery and folklore; religious, psychological and political interpretations of the novel, and Lotte's and Werther's sexualised relationship.
