Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Collections
Publication
Persephone Books Ltd (2017), 320 pages
Description
Classic Literature. Fiction. HTML: Effi Briest, the classic German realist novel, follows a young woman through her life and marriage. She is an innocent when she is married to the social climbing Instetten, and longs for wordly things. When she is left alone by her husband, who is pursuing his political career, she succumbs to the flattery of another man. Her adultery has wide and tragic consequences on the rest of her life..
User reviews
LibraryThing member Kristelh
This is the story of young girl, really still playing with girlfriends, who is married off to an old man. In fact the fellow used to date the girls mother. The young girl is full of life and loves to be outdoors and involved in adventurous activities. She soon is married off, moves far away to an
.
Show More
area where she doesn’t fit in and is lonely as she discovers herself to be married to a workaholic. Her only friends and companions is the Newfoundland dog Rollo and her servant who she found on a bench in the cemetery in a fit of melancholy. This is a story that is compared to Anna Karenina and Madame Bovary. I liked this one best. Anna is a good story but a little long and tedious at times. Emma (Madame Bovary) was not likeable. This story is enjoyable, reads quickly and you can’t help but like Effie. A sad story. .
Show Less
LibraryThing member ifjuly
as good as it's touted as being. i love that it doesn't have a harmonious or typical ending for an adultery novel at all, but it's not way out there either...what makes it strange is the ho-hum of it. i honestly prefer this over the much more beloved and famous other versions of this story. cough,
Show More
anna karenina, cough. yes, i must be an idiot... Show Less
LibraryThing member Shoean
I believe this book is the bane of existence for many, many students in Germany. (Didn't most of us have to read this at some point? Didn't most of us fall asleep at least five times with this book in our hands?)
Having read other works by Fontane I know that he wasn't a "bad author" and deserves
What some people seem to like about this book is exactly what stopped me from enjoying it - the painfully detailed descriptions of landscapes, houses, things in- and outside the houses, people ...., as well as the main character Effi herself. She goes from being naive and apathetic to scared and apathetic and finally settles for being nothing but apathetic. Of course opinions differ on that matter but to me Effi is a pretty unlikable character. Even considering the way she was brought up and the things that happen to her throughout the story, I still wasn't able to establish any kind of connection with or even feel sorry for her.
There are, however, a few interesting aspects in the story that made me read the whole book: Effi's husband Innstetten and the means that he goes to to make sure that Effi depends on him not only physically and in the eyes of society but also psychologically (the way he reacts to her fear of the "ghost"), as well as his views and decisions towards the end.
These are wonderful examples for typical traits of literary realism (as well as the above mentioned often painfully long, detailed descriptions).
All that is left to say after finishing the book is "... that is too big a subject."
Having read other works by Fontane I know that he wasn't a "bad author" and deserves
Show More
all the praise he gets; he was and still is definitely a key figure in German literature. What some people seem to like about this book is exactly what stopped me from enjoying it - the painfully detailed descriptions of landscapes, houses, things in- and outside the houses, people ...., as well as the main character Effi herself. She goes from being naive and apathetic to scared and apathetic and finally settles for being nothing but apathetic. Of course opinions differ on that matter but to me Effi is a pretty unlikable character. Even considering the way she was brought up and the things that happen to her throughout the story, I still wasn't able to establish any kind of connection with or even feel sorry for her.
There are, however, a few interesting aspects in the story that made me read the whole book: Effi's husband Innstetten and the means that he goes to to make sure that Effi depends on him not only physically and in the eyes of society but also psychologically (the way he reacts to her fear of the "ghost"), as well as his views and decisions towards the end.
These are wonderful examples for typical traits of literary realism (as well as the above mentioned often painfully long, detailed descriptions).
All that is left to say after finishing the book is "... that is too big a subject."
Show Less
LibraryThing member missizicks
I loved this book. I really liked the main character and thought she was drawn very well. In fact, all the characters were well realised, very human and believable. I liked Effi's youth and self assurance that was actually naivety, and thought the description of her change following the life
Show More
changing event, that is really only ever hinted at throughout the book, no need for passionate or salacious details, was very well executed. The whole book models the politesse of 19th century society, where nothing is discussed in the open, but everyone understands what is going on under the surface. Effi starts out a child, confident that her bizarre marriage to her mother's former beau is something she is in control of. The realities of separation from her family and childhood home change her outlook on life, and the lifestyle her much older husband follows does not sit well with her effervescent character. Small wonder that her head is turned. The events that follow are tragic, and all involved are aware of the tragedy but are bound by the inevitability of the actions society demands of them. Effi changes completely, resigned to her fate. She reminds me in some ways of Natasha Rostova in War and Peace. Of the two other 19th century 'adultery novels' I've read (Anna Karenina and Madame Bovary), this one was the most sympathetic. I felt for all of the characters in each of their situations. I think this is because none of them is self-centred or arrogant in the ways Anna Karenina and Emma Bovary are. All of them are flawed, but each cares about the effects their flaws have on those closest to them. Well worth reading. Show Less
LibraryThing member starbox
"One just has to keep one's life in order and have no reason to be afraid"
By sally tarbox on 30 May 2017
Format: Kindle Edition
Absolutely fabulous and atmospheric read. Effi Briest is the generally likeable seventeen-year old daughter of an upper class family. When her mother's one-time suitor calls
Living in a distant town, Effi's new home is comfortable but creepy, with a ghostly presence that sometimes manifests itself. And while her much older husband Geert is not unkind, he prioritizes his career in the civil service and is rather a dry old stick. And then Effi is thrown into the company of womanizing Major Crampas...
Unputdownable and unforgettable.
By sally tarbox on 30 May 2017
Format: Kindle Edition
Absolutely fabulous and atmospheric read. Effi Briest is the generally likeable seventeen-year old daughter of an upper class family. When her mother's one-time suitor calls
Show More
and seeks her hand in marriage, Effi is aware of his prospects and immediately assents - though the reader has a sense of foreboding as her playmates' voices echo into the room, calling 'Come back, Effi.'Living in a distant town, Effi's new home is comfortable but creepy, with a ghostly presence that sometimes manifests itself. And while her much older husband Geert is not unkind, he prioritizes his career in the civil service and is rather a dry old stick. And then Effi is thrown into the company of womanizing Major Crampas...
Unputdownable and unforgettable.
Show Less
LibraryThing member soylentgreen23
'Effi Briest' is a fascinating book, though not always enormously interesting or entertaining. But such things are, frankly, besides the point in these older novels, and while I understand the relatively low rating afforded Fontane's work on Amazon and its ilk, I think that when we read these black
If I have understood it well, this is a book about time, and about the human relationship with time and age. Effi Briest hurtles into a marriage of convenience, though still very much a child. Her husband is twice her age, and is something of a pedagogue - everything is to him a learning opportunity for his child-bride. This is not romantic love, and soon Effi compromises herself with another man. The years pass, and soon her secret is discovered, with the sort of tragic consequences one has come to expect in novels of this period.
The questions that Fontane asks are particularly thought-provoking. Aside from the obvious ones about love and marriage, there is also the concept of the passing of time and how it affects our relationships. Roswitha, the most down-to-earth character, thinks that since six years have passed between the affair and its discovery, it is old news and should more readily be forgiven; but Roswitha is also quick to remind her interlocutors that her father once charged at her with a red-hot poker, thus suggesting that time does not in fact heal all wounds. So what are we to make of it all? Are we to side with the cuckolded husband, or with the neglected wife? There is much here to mull over, and that is the value of this novel.
Show More
Penguins we should modify our expectations accordingly.If I have understood it well, this is a book about time, and about the human relationship with time and age. Effi Briest hurtles into a marriage of convenience, though still very much a child. Her husband is twice her age, and is something of a pedagogue - everything is to him a learning opportunity for his child-bride. This is not romantic love, and soon Effi compromises herself with another man. The years pass, and soon her secret is discovered, with the sort of tragic consequences one has come to expect in novels of this period.
The questions that Fontane asks are particularly thought-provoking. Aside from the obvious ones about love and marriage, there is also the concept of the passing of time and how it affects our relationships. Roswitha, the most down-to-earth character, thinks that since six years have passed between the affair and its discovery, it is old news and should more readily be forgiven; but Roswitha is also quick to remind her interlocutors that her father once charged at her with a red-hot poker, thus suggesting that time does not in fact heal all wounds. So what are we to make of it all? Are we to side with the cuckolded husband, or with the neglected wife? There is much here to mull over, and that is the value of this novel.
Show Less
LibraryThing member StantonK
I was not all that familiar with either this book or Fontane before reading it, but I had a general idea that it was something like Madame Bovary. And, indeed, it is; but only to a point. It's as if Fontane wanted to be Flaubert, but just couldn't bear to be as cruel as all that to his characters.
Also interesting was the structure of the novel itself. Although often referred to solely as a realist work, Fontane here takes a great deal of liberty with time and setting, often eliding supposedly essential details and placing gaps of years between scenes. By doing so, Fontane gives the work both a more episodic and elliptical form, which I enjoyed immensely, but I can see how this can bother other readers.
My main complaint had to do with the nature of the dialog, especially Effie's: I usually blamed the narrator, but after a while, I wasn't so sure. I was, it should be noted, reading the 1967 translation, so perhaps in the most recent one, this is no longer a problem, but it did lessen some enjoyment of the book. But, all in all, a recommended work.
Show More
With some minor exceptions (.e.g Sidonie), Fontane gives every character at least a modicum of decency or some slight redemptive quality. Also interesting was the structure of the novel itself. Although often referred to solely as a realist work, Fontane here takes a great deal of liberty with time and setting, often eliding supposedly essential details and placing gaps of years between scenes. By doing so, Fontane gives the work both a more episodic and elliptical form, which I enjoyed immensely, but I can see how this can bother other readers.
My main complaint had to do with the nature of the dialog, especially Effie's: I usually blamed the narrator, but after a while, I wasn't so sure. I was, it should be noted, reading the 1967 translation, so perhaps in the most recent one, this is no longer a problem, but it did lessen some enjoyment of the book. But, all in all, a recommended work.
Show Less
LibraryThing member annbury
Beautifully unfolded story of a young woman's confining marriage, ill-considered affair, and the consequences unleashed when the affair becomes known. Tragic, but in the tones of a comedy of manners.
LibraryThing member stillatim
Honestly, I read this because Thomas Mann said it was great. Not good, great. I hesitate to disagree with him, so I'm willing to consider translation issues as the problem. Maybe ejaculations like 'speaking of which' and 'by the way' and 'meanwhile' and so on are/were natural in late nineteenth
Certainly the endless jackbooting of 'society' would have made more sense at the time the book was written; but it's hard for me to feel much anger at 'society' today. We could probably do with a bit more moral straitjacketing, let's be honest, and a little less you-are-a-unique-and-special-snowflake. You're not. Fontane is obviously a smart enough man not to fall for it too hard, which makes the book worthwhile. But compared to Madame Bovary... well, it's a bit clumsy, and I'd rather re-read Flaubert than re-read this.
Show More
century German? Maybe the dialogue is less stilted in its native tongue? Maybe the symbolism is less heavy handed than the translation makes it appear? Certainly the endless jackbooting of 'society' would have made more sense at the time the book was written; but it's hard for me to feel much anger at 'society' today. We could probably do with a bit more moral straitjacketing, let's be honest, and a little less you-are-a-unique-and-special-snowflake. You're not. Fontane is obviously a smart enough man not to fall for it too hard, which makes the book worthwhile. But compared to Madame Bovary... well, it's a bit clumsy, and I'd rather re-read Flaubert than re-read this.
Show Less
LibraryThing member karinlib
The last chapter really sums of the story, and asks the question that I asked myself almost from the beginning. Yes, the book is reminiscent of Madam Bovary and Anna Karenina, but I found the story of Germany and it's society at the end of the Nineteenth Century interesting. This Oxford edition had
Show More
some very helpful footnotes. Show Less
LibraryThing member le.vert.galant
Fontane is a novelist of subtlety with a great understanding of the emotional nuances of married life.
LibraryThing member TheEllieMo
In late 19th century Germany, 17-year-old Effi Briest is married off to a man 21 years her senior, a former suitor of her mother. Her new husband, a civil servant based in Pomerania, is a quiet, serious man, who enjoys touring museums, and who's idea of a fun night in is retracing their entire
The apparent incompatibility between the couple, the husband Innsteten's long absences, and Effi's desire for excitement see her developing a relationship with a military officer. Knowing it to be wrong, she takes advantage of Innstetten's promotion and their resultant move to Berlin to move on and focus on her marriage. The past, however, catches up with her, and, though he professes that he loves her, Innstetten's feels compelled to follow the moral and social code of the day.
As a commentary on the strictness of that code,, and the problems that it could create, Fontane's novel is taut, subtle work, telling its tale simply and effortlessly, with no melodrama, and the novel is all the more powerful for it. The characters are well drawn and strongly defined, and as I reader, I found myself sympathising with both Effi and Instetten. Due to their respective desires to 'do the right thing', they both end up suffering.
Having said that, there is something about Effi that I found intensely annoying. She is childish, and selfish - Fontane himself describes her thus: 'Effi was not for reheated leftovers; fresh dishes were what she longed for, variety'. I did find myself losing patience, and sympathy, with her. Whether that was Fontane's intention, I do not know, though he does allow Innstetten to describe her as 'a spoilt young lass'. I feel that Fontane is trying to establish that neither one nor other party to this ultimately doomed marriage was responsible for its breakdown, but rather circumstances and social mores were to blame.
Show More
honeymoon from his notes. Effi, meanwhile, is young, vibrant and, prior to her marriage, carefree, and enjoys being outdoors, going for long walks.The apparent incompatibility between the couple, the husband Innsteten's long absences, and Effi's desire for excitement see her developing a relationship with a military officer. Knowing it to be wrong, she takes advantage of Innstetten's promotion and their resultant move to Berlin to move on and focus on her marriage. The past, however, catches up with her, and, though he professes that he loves her, Innstetten's feels compelled to follow the moral and social code of the day.
As a commentary on the strictness of that code,, and the problems that it could create, Fontane's novel is taut, subtle work, telling its tale simply and effortlessly, with no melodrama, and the novel is all the more powerful for it. The characters are well drawn and strongly defined, and as I reader, I found myself sympathising with both Effi and Instetten. Due to their respective desires to 'do the right thing', they both end up suffering.
Having said that, there is something about Effi that I found intensely annoying. She is childish, and selfish - Fontane himself describes her thus: 'Effi was not for reheated leftovers; fresh dishes were what she longed for, variety'. I did find myself losing patience, and sympathy, with her. Whether that was Fontane's intention, I do not know, though he does allow Innstetten to describe her as 'a spoilt young lass'. I feel that Fontane is trying to establish that neither one nor other party to this ultimately doomed marriage was responsible for its breakdown, but rather circumstances and social mores were to blame.
Show Less
LibraryThing member leslie.98
Not really my kind of story but well written and an interesting look at late 19th century German society.
LibraryThing member Eavans
This novel was... frustrating. At times brilliant, at times wanting, I have to concede that my appreciation of this story may have been stunted by my lack of knowledge of the greater timbre of literature during this time and place. As an English speaker raised in America, my experience with German
Effi Briest tells the story of our titular main character; 17 years old and immediately engaged to her mother's former beau, 22 years her senior. The bulk of the novel surprisingly follows Effi's first two years of marriage, which float on fairly innocuously beside the pesky affair, with the novel's famous "fallen woman" denouement only coming in at a staggering 3/4th of the way through.
Fontane's work has been noted for both its symbolism and realism, and Effi Briest absolutely delivers on these fronts. Many parts of this novel are breathtakingly alive and raw, and there are some other brilliant uses of play with the medium of the written word itself. For the former, I often think of Fontane's descriptions of youth in nature and the somber, quietly suffocating interior scenes. For the latter, I was shocked at the impact of the duel—written so sparsely, one cannot help holding their breath as they rake over and over on the words, lost as to why so little would be written.
My copy of the book is deeply marked up: Fontane's strength here is the potential of poetic richness and the aforementioned symbolism. One can spend ages at a passage, unearthing his intent and meditating on a time gone by that somehow feels like you can see it in the corner of your eye. So much could be said, from Rollo the dog's status as fido to the human-equivalent of Roswitha, from the ever-present and suffocating Prussian military presence around Effi in the form of places, people, and duties to the sacrificial runestones seen on her honeymoon. Sometimes it's a bit heavy-handed, but it made me stop and continually think as to what else I should be looking out for. I will have to similarly concede that the amount of Prussian military figures, place names, and social words were unfortunately impenetrable to me, but I don't doubt an entire book could fill analysis of their inclusion.
Tragically then, I found the root of this novel's weakness in its construction and forthrightness of message. Another reviewer noted how rushed the ending felt, and I am inclined to agree. Effi's... ending comes truly out of nowhere, and it begins and ends only 3 pages before the book's end. The novel suffers from the worst of pre-20th century stories' treatment of "moral ends," and as usual, lacks any gutsy reasoning for its decision. Despite my book's introduction noting that the message one should pull is the tragedy of strict social conditions, the ending felt... ambiguous. I could be a bit daft, I'm far from the strongest reader out there who reads heady lit like this, but the ambiguity in a novel this constructed felt tragically wasted. I don't know. I'm ready and willing to read others' interpretations though.
My Penguin Classics edition was a wonderful copy for anyone looking for an English-language translation, and their notes on translation were very agreeable. It's modern in that it's conservative, and I appreciated the lack of translation of proper nouns. Go Hugh and Helen!
Show More
literature (especially from the 19th century) has been small. I've always enjoyed 19th-century literature, so getting this off my wishlist this Christmas and tearing into it was exciting. It took a bit for how dense it can be, but I was happy to read it, and am a bit intimidated by writing a full review. Effi Briest tells the story of our titular main character; 17 years old and immediately engaged to her mother's former beau, 22 years her senior. The bulk of the novel surprisingly follows Effi's first two years of marriage, which float on fairly innocuously beside the pesky affair, with the novel's famous "fallen woman" denouement only coming in at a staggering 3/4th of the way through.
Fontane's work has been noted for both its symbolism and realism, and Effi Briest absolutely delivers on these fronts. Many parts of this novel are breathtakingly alive and raw, and there are some other brilliant uses of play with the medium of the written word itself. For the former, I often think of Fontane's descriptions of youth in nature and the somber, quietly suffocating interior scenes. For the latter, I was shocked at the impact of the duel—written so sparsely, one cannot help holding their breath as they rake over and over on the words, lost as to why so little would be written.
My copy of the book is deeply marked up: Fontane's strength here is the potential of poetic richness and the aforementioned symbolism. One can spend ages at a passage, unearthing his intent and meditating on a time gone by that somehow feels like you can see it in the corner of your eye. So much could be said, from Rollo the dog's status as fido to the human-equivalent of Roswitha, from the ever-present and suffocating Prussian military presence around Effi in the form of places, people, and duties to the sacrificial runestones seen on her honeymoon. Sometimes it's a bit heavy-handed, but it made me stop and continually think as to what else I should be looking out for. I will have to similarly concede that the amount of Prussian military figures, place names, and social words were unfortunately impenetrable to me, but I don't doubt an entire book could fill analysis of their inclusion.
Tragically then, I found the root of this novel's weakness in its construction and forthrightness of message. Another reviewer noted how rushed the ending felt, and I am inclined to agree. Effi's... ending comes truly out of nowhere, and it begins and ends only 3 pages before the book's end. The novel suffers from the worst of pre-20th century stories' treatment of "moral ends," and as usual, lacks any gutsy reasoning for its decision. Despite my book's introduction noting that the message one should pull is the tragedy of strict social conditions, the ending felt... ambiguous. I could be a bit daft, I'm far from the strongest reader out there who reads heady lit like this, but the ambiguity in a novel this constructed felt tragically wasted. I don't know. I'm ready and willing to read others' interpretations though.
My Penguin Classics edition was a wonderful copy for anyone looking for an English-language translation, and their notes on translation were very agreeable. It's modern in that it's conservative, and I appreciated the lack of translation of proper nouns. Go Hugh and Helen!
Show Less
Subjects
Awards
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1894
Physical description
320 p.; 7.64 inches
ISBN
1910263117 / 9781910263112
Similar in this library
DDC/MDS
| 833.7 |