Titles; contents list; introduction by Nicholas Boyle; select bibliography & chronology to front. Integral grey silk bookmark. Though one of the towering figures of world literature, Goethe has long been neglected in the Anglo-Saxon world. This collection of his four major works, together with a selection of his finest letters and poems, should show that he is not only one of the very greatest European writers: he is also accessible, entertaining and contemporary. 'The Sorrows of Young Werther' is a story of self-destructive love which made the twenty-five year old author a celebrity overnight. Its exploration of the conflicts between ideas and feelings, circumstance and desire, continues in 'Elective Affinities'. The cosmic drama of 'Faust' goes far beyond the realism of the novels in a poetic exploration of good and evil, while the 'Italian Journey', written in the author's old age, recalls his youth in Italy and the impact of Mediterranean culture on a young Northerner. Four very different books which illustrate the extraordinary scope and brilliance of Germany's greatest writer. Translators include W. H. Auden, Louise Bogan, David Constantine, Barker Fairley and Elizabeth Mayer.