Spotlight on an Author: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Spotlight on an Author

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Short Biography

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe is probably one of Germany's greatest authors. He was the first person to mold the concept of "Weltliteratur" or world literature. He was a German poet, novelist, playwright, statesman, and scientist. He was born August 28, 1749 in Frankfurt, Germany. In 1773 Goethe provided the Sturm und Drang movement with its first major drama, Götz von Berlichingen, and in 1774 with its first novel, The Sorrows of Young Werther, an extraordinarily popular work in its time, in which he created the prototype of the Romantic hero. In 1775 he arrived at Weimar, where he accepted an appointment to the ducal court; he would remain there for the rest of his life, and his presence helped to establish Weimar as a literary and intellectual centre. His poetry includes lyrics in praise of natural beauty and ballads that echo folk themes. His contact with ancient Classical culture during an Italian sojourn (1786 – 88) deeply influenced his later work. From 1794 Friedrich Schiller became his most important and influential friend. Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship (1795 – 96) is often called the first bildungsroman, or a coming-of-age novel; it was followed many years later by The Wanderings of Wilhelm Meister (1821; 2nd ed. 1829). Many works were inspired by a series of passionate loves for women. His chief masterpiece, the drama Faust (Part One, 1808; Part Two, 1832), represents Faust tragically, as a singularly modern figure who is condemned to remain unsatisfied by life. Goethe also wrote extensively on botany, colour theory, and other scientific topics. In his late years he was celebrated as a sage and visited by world luminaries. He died in March 22, 1832.

Books on the Net: A List of Interesting Links

Here is a list of interesting links concerning books:


-If you think "A Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens is boring, look at
this.
-The US has their own version of National Bookstore. It's called Barnes and Nobles & I think it's older than National Bookstore.
-Zombie lovers & men rejoice! If you want to know about the plot of Jane Austen's most celebrated work, Pride & Prejudice, without the girly, girly stuff, and the boring dialogue, here is the
book for you!

More of this coming soon!

Spotlight on a Famous Author: Franz Kafka

Here is a new segment in my blog. :

Spotlight on a Famous Author

Franz Kafka

Short Biography

Franz Kafka was born on July 3, 1883 to a Jewish middle-class family in Prague (presently, the capital of the Czech Republic), Austria-Hungary. He is best known for his surreal, often disturbing, symbolic fiction. His father was a merchant, but he often neglects his son most of the time. Kafka lived most of his life with his family, was engaged twice but never married & had an uneasy relationship with a German woman named Felice Bauer. Kafka studied law in the University of Prague. He then took a civil service post, but he wrote in his spare time. Later on, in 1917, Kafka contracted tuberculosis. A depressed and lonely man, he died in Austria in June 3, 1924.

His Works

The Metamorphosis

Probably Franz Kafka's most famous work, it's about a man who, after he has woken up in his bed, suddenly found out he was transformed into a gigantic insect (or cockroach, or beetle, or spider). As the story progresses, his family slowly neglects him since that he is unable to provide them because he is now a bug.

The Trial

Another one of Franz Kafka's famous works, its about what will happened if a man was arrested & the nature of his crime being unknown. It has lots of unreliable characters & it ends with, well, the novel wasn't completed & we'll never know what actually happened to the man.

The Castle

Yet another famous Kafka work, it is about a man, mysteriously named K, who travels to a village governed by "the Castle", an extremely bureaucratic organization where complaints are sent through forms. It's a satire on bureaucracy & the abuse of power.

There will be more like this coming soon, so please chack my blog for more updates!

A Very Sad Tragedy This Week

Sorry if I wasn't able to post last time. We haven't had internet for days because of the floods. I would like to give my condolences to the families who are still homeless in the floods. I would also give my condolences to those people who have lost their lives in the flood. Let us pray that God may send more rescuers to these people who have lost their lives.

Random Stuff

Ok. So that more of my classmates can pay attention to my blog, here is what I think the funniest commercial in the world.
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Uy mga kaklase ko! so funny! lol!

Super busy

I know this isn't related to books but, I'm pressured at my many homeworks!!! Just telling it to me classmates. Ok. This post is very short.

Second Order of Business

Here is the 2nd part of my top 10 books list.

7. The Odyssey by Homer

Of the 2 books that Homer wrote, the one I love best is the Odyssey. Because it's full of adventure involving Odysseus & the trials he faced.

6. Horrible Science Series by Nick Arnold

(I'm sorry but there's no picture because I'm afraid that I might get copyright infrigment.) I love these seires as much as I love science. Thses books presents different fields of study in science in a fun, simple & understanding way. But not necessarily in that order.

5. Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift

The greatest work of satire in the history of satire, Gulliver's Travels is a satire of England & its neighbors. Swift pokes fun on petty differences between religions, English government & parliament, & the Age of Enlightenment. And for the most part, kids can read it!

4. The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

What do you do when you woke up one morning, and found out that you have turned into a giant cockroach? That's the question to most people's minds when they read "The Metamorphosis" by Franz Kafka. Kafka uses a cockroach as a device to ponder life in a deeper meaning. Or he just uses it to gross out kids.

3. All of William Shakespeare's Works

I love ALL of Shakespeare's beloved works. They reflect every aspect of humanity from love, to death, to anxiety in a very personal way never done before in English literature.

2. A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket (a.k.a. Daniel Handler)

I LOVE all the books in the series. I have read every book in the series except for 10 & 13. Even though some people view these books as humorous, for me, I don't find the series funny. The series is semi-informative because some parts have little trivia bits like meanings of words & historical events.

1. The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri

One of the greatest works of literature ever, The Divine Comedy is a book that will last for ages. It's a masterpiece that depicts the afterlife as it should be. A journey of a man, in the middle of his life, through Hell, Purgatory & Paradise, really shows that a person can learn more from his journey than his destination. That destination in this case, is the upper reaches of heaven. Throughout Dante's journey across the afterlife, he has seen how God punishes, atones, and rewards souls in the afterlife, and through these lessons, Dante, and the reader, learns the true nature of God. That God is love & that love is the force that move not only the world, but also the sun, the other stars & everything in the universe.

Well, those are my top 10 favorite books. You can comment about this post or you can make your own top 10 favorite books in the comments section.