The Sorrows of Young Werther

I apologize for being a few days late. This last weekend has been busy in our household- weddings, birthdays, and taking a three day sabbatical from doing keto; but I am back in the saddle, enjoying what is left of vacation before I get back into the retail saddle.

I hop from one classic to another, a newly read author to another first experience; this one being much much shorter than the The Castle, The Sorrows of Young Werther goes, may I say with all the gusto that I am capable of, very deep into the mental health rabbit hole. I am slapping a huge trigger warning on this book for those going through the throes of mental health. Werther is a young man living in a countryside town, at first as a vacation from the stresses of being in the city. It is written in a letter form, all from Werther to a really good friend of his back home. Werther has a “love at first sight” experience with a young woman who is already engaged to a successful and great man, which escalates to a very unhealthy obsession. As I look back on it, there is no leading on from Charlotte that gives Werther any indication that she is remotely romantically interested. She cares for him as a dear friend. It gets to a point where Werther knows he must leave, to try to start over somewhere else. His friend and family back home are worried about Werther and his well being. Werther is about to find work in his new destination, but Charlotte still stays on his mind, the longing in the absence growing until again it is an unhealthy obsession to a point where he up and moves back to be by her. Time drags on where he loves her with no reciprocation; and eventually he kills himself. Spoiler.

In the discussions that I have read on The Sorrows of Young Werther, with today’s knowledge of mental health, Werther is believed to be bi polar, or manic depressive. It is known as you read that Werther taking a vacation from the beginning is him trying to come back from being in an already depressive low. His friend asks about his state, is worried about his well being throughout, mentions Werther’s mother and other friends that ask about him and his well being. Honestly, it is incredible how far we have come in mental care. You have his social circle back home who are aware and watchful, and you have this new group of friends that Werther has befriended who are oblivious who his actions and deep feelings. When Werther is suicidal, to the reader it is blatant, but him asking Arthur and Charlotte for two pistols because, air quotes, he is going for an adventure in the woods and no one bats an eye… I’m floored. Yes, yes, I know, different time different culture; does not make me less tilted. I can turn around, though, and say that it still happens and we are all still guilty of it. I do not need to expand on it.

I will say that you can tell that this was written during Goethe’s own experience of being Werther, which thankfully writing was an outlet of those feelings. As someone who has been through the throes of the mental health, I was glad to be able to experience reading this book for all of its goodness, highs and lows. I was able to relate to those deep feelings, like diving through deep waters. I am thankful that I can recognize that there was a point where I felt those same things, and was able to also recognize in that time that I have to come up for air at some point, or I would drown. It is incredibly hard, so so hard, but to have a physical reminder that a person can reread of what not recognizing and not stopping results in is relieving. It is refreshing. It is releasing. It is a great story of a person going to a new place- where you anticipate that you will get better then something happens and you nosedive, where you go with no wellness plan to keep getting better, where you go and you are not even aware of yourself and where you are inwardly going. Take note, be aware of yourself- your mind and body.

I do not know if I would read this again, it was just so much. It is a quick read, you could easily finish in half a day. I also cannot say if I would recommend The Sorrows of Young Werther without the pre knowledge of its content. If you feel sound for it, then do it. Grow from it. You will find it here.

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