Die Leiden Des Jungen Werthers & Blakeathon Wrap-up

Read Die Leiden Des Jungen Werthers. Better late than never. Writing drips with romantic pathos -- to the point where Werther can even say "Mein Gott, mein Gott, warum has dust mich verlassen?" and "o Schicksal! o Menschheit!" in a mostly non-ironic way. Interesting read just to see the changes in taste since the 1780s. Although it's actually rather modern come to think of it -- Werther's obsessive, unbalanced personality is very 20th century. Haven't decided how ironically I want to read it, yet. Goethe evidently despised the book later in life (and, predictably, it was his most popular work during his lifetime) becuase of it's romantic/sentimental nature, which suggests that Goethe would have it read unironically. The writing itself is as flawless as one would expect.

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Rounding off my Blakeathon by reading Frye's Fearful Symmetry. Has yet to disappoint. Frye's usual erudition and wit.