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A masterful translation of Goethe's amazingly complex master opus.

Goethe updates the traditional Faust legend for the modern world: Faust is still striving, but toward modern ends. He exhausts knowledge and then makes a pact with Mephistopheles. He seeks after love, and after obtaining it, sees its cruel consequences for his beloved. He then seeks after Classical beauty as expressed in Helena. After somewhat achieving his purpose he then seeks to master nature and build a city from land reclaimed from the sea. Yet even then he is never satisfied-- at death he still seeks more. In a twist on the traditional Faust legend, Faust is "saved" and not handed over to the evil one, so that he can strive in the afterlife toward the eternal feminine.

The Norton critical edition presents Arndt's translation which attempts maintain a poetic feel. Goethe's poetic meter changes by the circumstances, and is itself a wonder, let alone the profound depth of philosophy and other issues addressed. The interpretive notes are most helpful for the person untrained in Goethe and Faust, and the contextual information greatly benefits understanding. The essays provided are beneficial for deeper analysis of not just Goethe's intentions with Faust, but also how Goethe's Faust has been understood and used in the intervening two centuries. ( )

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