Faust (Part II)

Name: Faust (Part II)
ISBN: 9787540469085

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe / 杨武能Hunan Literature and Art Publishing House · ChinaApr 2026

Rating 4.2

Word count: 110K words
Chapters: 37
ISBN: 9787540469085

Summary

One of the four great classics of Western literature, the crystallization of Goethe's lifelong effort, and a hymn to the unyielding human spirit. Faust is Goethe's masterpiece exploring the truth of human existence and has been called an encyclopedia of the evolution of the human spirit. Based on a sixteenth-century folk legend, it tells of Dr. Faust, who, in search of life's meaning, signs a contract with the devil Mephistopheles, pledging his soul in exchange for the devil's help. He passes through stages of desire, joy, pain, and mystical journeying, and at the final moment of his life, in his struggle with nature, he comes to understand the true meaning of life: ceaseless self-improvement.

Editor's review

Faust (Part Two) is the pinnacle of the verse drama to which Goethe devoted sixty years of his life, and this Hunan Literature and Art Publishing House edition offers a reliable translation with essential notes. Whereas Part One centers on personal emotion and the pursuit of knowledge, Part Two expands its vision to the broad social, political, and historical spheres: Faust's stage moves from the study to the imperial court, the ancient world, and even the grand enterprise of reclaiming land from the sea. Here Goethe displays astonishing intellectual depth and artistic boldness, weaving in profound reflections on Enlightenment ideals, the contradictions of modernity, and humanity's ultimate strivings. The classical aesthetics, imperial governance, artificial engineering, and final redemption themes form a vast and complex symbolic system. Part Two demands more patience and background knowledge, but the reward is immense—it is not merely literary reading but an intellectual and spiritual adventure. This translation strikes a good balance between poetic rhythm and intellectual conveyance, suited to readers who wish to understand the whole of this monumental work in depth.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who have read Faust (Part One) and wish to explore the complete themes and ending
Students and scholars with a strong interest in European classical literature, intellectual history, and the verse drama form
Literature lovers eager to appreciate the culminating artistic and intellectual vision of Goethe's late years
Deep readers able to accept and contemplate complex symbols and philosophical propositions

Not a good fit for

Casual readers seeking light entertainment or simple plots
Readers entirely unfamiliar with European historical and cultural background and the verse drama form who are unwilling to consult introductory guides

Reading tips

It is advisable to review the plot of Part One first, or at least its synopsis, to ensure narrative continuity
Consult background materials on classical mythology, history, and Goethe's life as needed to aid understanding of the symbolism
Do not strive to grasp every detail at first; focus on the main plot and core dialogues of each act, then delve deeper gradually

About the publisher

Hunan Literature and Art Publishing House China · Founded in 1985

Hunan Literature and Art Publishing House is a publisher known for its literary titles, with a catalogue spanning foreign literature, world classics, classical Chinese literature, essays and miscellaneous writings, and mystery and detective fiction. Judging from the more than 1,100 books in the database, the press publishes foreign classics such as Crime and Punishment, Snow Country, The Complete Sherlock Holmes and Letter from an Unknown Woman, as well as Chinese classical and modern literary works including Lu Xun's Wandering and A Madman's Diary and Wu Jingzi's The Scholars. In terms of translators and authors, translations by Cao Guowei and Tan Jinghua appear in its foreign literature titles, and the authors involved include Dostoevsky, Kawabata Yasunari, Conan Doyle and Zweig. Its publishing character lies in introducing Chinese and foreign literary classics side by side, balancing popular and serious works and attending to both readability and literary value. Public information is limited; the above is a brief overview based solely on the books in the database.

版权信息
悲剧第二部
第一幕
风景优美的野外
皇城
宽阔的大厅
御苑
阴暗的走廊
一排灯火辉煌的厅堂
骑士厅
第二幕
高拱顶的哥特式房间
实验室
古典的瓦普几斯之夜
珀涅俄斯河上游（一）
珀涅俄斯河下游
珀涅俄斯河上游（二）
爱琴海的岩湾
第三幕
斯巴达，墨涅拉斯的王宫前
城堡内院
阿尔卡狄亚
第四幕
连绵的群山
前山顶上
伪帝营帐
第五幕
旷野
宫殿
深夜
子夜
宫中宽广的前院
埋葬
高山深谷
附录
宇宙和人生预言和寓言——试析《浮士德》的哲学内涵（上）
“浮士德精神”与西方近现代文明——试析《浮士德》的哲学内涵（下）

FAQ

What are the main differences between Faust (Part Two) and Part One?

Part One focuses on personal knowledge, the tragedy of love, and the individual's bewildered strivings; Part Two has a grander scope, involving politics, art, historical transformation, and ultimate redemption, with a more complex symbolic system and stronger intellectual content.

Can I read Part Two without having read Part One?

Not recommended. The plots and characters of the two parts are continuous, and the themes progress from one to the other. Reading Part Two directly would lose much background and character motivation, making the overall thread hard to follow.

What are the features of this edition?

This Hunan Literature and Art Publishing House edition typically uses a classic translation (such as those by Lü Yuan or Qian Chunqi), emphasizes the rhythm of the verse language, and includes essential notes and interpretations to help readers understand cultural allusions and intellectual content.

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Author · Germany · 1749–1832

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) was a German thinker, writer and scientist, and the most celebrated representative of Weimar Classicism. Born in Frankfurt am Main, he rose to fame in 1774 with The Sorrows of Young Werther, an epistolary novel whose heartfelt emotional portrayal moved many readers of the time. Over the following decades he continued to write; his masterpiece, the verse drama Faust, took many years to complete and explores striving, temptation and redemption, exerting a profound influence. The library holds 40 of his works, including several versions of Faust, Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship and the four-volume Collected Translations of Feng Zhi, spanning literature, foreign literature, classics, world masterpieces, essays and modern poetry. His writing combines philosophical reflection with lyricism across many genres, and holds an important place in German and world literature.

杨武能 Author

Yang Wuneng is a Chinese translator known for his long-term work in introducing German-language literature into Chinese. Public information about him is limited, and his dates of birth and death, nationality, and educational background remain unclear. Judging from the twenty-four works held in the collection, his translating centers on classics of German and German-language literature, including Goethe's Faust and Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship, Hesse's Narcissus and Goldmund and Siddhartha: An Indian Poem, Thomas Mann's The Magic Mountain, and Schiller's Intrigue and Love, as well as Selected Lyric Poems of Heine and the Complete Grimm's Fairy Tales: The First Edition of 1857. These translations are mostly classified under foreign literature, world classics, and folk literature, indicating that his work spans both retranslating classics and conveying poetry and fairy tales. As far as the visible works suggest, his translations seek to preserve the intellectual depth and linguistic rhythm of the originals while remaining readable, offering Chinese readers a relatively reliable access to German literature.