Uh..really? There's a moment in this little book where Lotte (the female love interest) looks squarely at Werther and says "Be a man." That pretty much sums up my feelings about this book. The great thing about being a grown up is not being controlled by one's emotions. Plus I'm always bothered by romances that end that way- it makes light of real mental illness, I feel. I found out, interestingly enough, that Goethe later distanced himself from the work, saying it was horrible. Which it is. ( )

Kærlighedhistorie om den unge Werther der begår selvmord, fordi hans elskede er gift med en anden. Vildt skræmmende at bogen som udkom i 1774, igangsatte en regulær selmordsbølge blandt unge i europa. Så stor effekt kan ord have... Bogen er, fuldt forståeligt, stadig en klassiker i verdenslitteraturen. ( )

I find it hard to properly review a book that says ‘classics’ on the cover so I’ll only add that I liked reading about the destructive nature of passionate, one-sided love. It’s a perfect remedy to love can conquer all writing when you can see the pain and violence that often goes hand in hand with love. ( )

According the FT, the most popular book of the 17th centur.

Blurp: "Es ist interessant zu sehen, mit welchem glücklichen Instinkt alles was den sentimentalistischen Charakter Nährung gibt, im Werther zusammengedrängt ist; schwärmeriche unglückliche Liebe, Empfindsamkeit für Natur, Religionsgefühle, philosophischer Kontemplationsgeist, endlich, um nichts zu vergessen, die düstre, gestaltlose, schwermütige Ossianische Welt." Schiller.