Anna’s Thinking Cap Reading Marathon Goethe's Sorrows of Young Werther
Anna’s Thinking Cap Reading Marathon 100 Days of Charming Rotten Scoundrels
Anna’s Thinking Cap Reading Marathon
100 Days of Charming Rotten Scoundrels
February 20 - May 31, 2024
February 19, 2024
Post 1 of 2
Almost 300 readers!!! Yay!!! Please invite both foes and friends alike to join our scoundrelous (yes, I made up this word JUST FOR US!!!) reading endeavor!!! And remember – the books we are reading this time are thoroughly immoral – the first one, Werther, was banned in several countries after publication… So if you are looking for positive role models – this is NOT your reading list!!!
AND do not read A SINLE PAGE till after I post my Wednesday historical-biographical note!!! A detailed reading plan with page numbers tomorrow!!! First reading section will be 2-3 pages only – to get used to reading in the 18th century diary-confessional style!!! You will be SHOCKED how distant yet contemporary it will sound!!!
Yes, I will be posting on two platforms – my brand new Substack page and the UNESCO City of Literature FB page!!! Both posts will be identical – same Anna, same reading list, same posts, same idiosyncratic usage of dashes, same befuddling usage of capitalization, same ubiquitous (!!!) which all of you learned to expect!!! AND the same introspective examination of weighty tomes at the intersection of literature, history, and culture!!! My Wednesday post will include information on Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) in the context of the Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648), history of the Holy Roman Empire and the political, cultural, and religious disunify of the German speaking states, middle-class non-aristocratic German speaking culture of the 18th century, and middle-class life in the imperial city of Frankfurt!!! Stay tuned!!!
Those of you who just joined us – welcome!!! Here are a few rules for the next 100 days – and beyond, if you decide to stay with our ambitions reading marathon!!!
NO SPOILERS EVER EVER EVER!!!
DO NOT read a single book introduction – all plot elements are given away!!! Reading the introductions AFTER we finish a book is an excellent idea!!!
Read ALL of my comments from the first day the tutorial page is created in the order of posting - click or tap on my photo and all of my posts will appear in chronological order!!! I develop my comments with expert dedication to the material and expect the readers to be familiar with all of my comments for optimal enjoyment of the literary works under consideration!!!
Please add your contributions as comments to my posts!!! I will try to answer to the best of my ability!!!
I will post a detailed reading schedule tomorrow!!! Please acquire the 4 short novels we are reading during this tutorial - but DO NOT get started till February 21!!! We need to read together and reach a deeper understanding of the novels through introspective guided reading!!!
Caspar David Friedrich (1774-1840), Moonrise by the Sea, 1822. Yes, that’s how I imagine all of you right now, sitting and waiting for my first official Goethe post!!! 😂😂😂
