The Stechlin: A Novel

Theodor FontaneProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

4.5

Word count: 798K words
Chapters: 80

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Der Stechlin: Roman by Theodor FontaneAuthor: Fontane, Theodor, 1819-1898,Language: German, Class: PT: Language and Literatures: Germanic, Scandinavian, and Icelandic literatures, Release Date: Nov 28, 2016

Editor's review

Der Stechlin is the representative late novel of Fontane, centered on the old aristocratic von Stechlin by a Brandenburg lake and his son; through family and neighborly conversations, a wedding, and generational change, it sketches the spiritual landscape of Prussian aristocratic tradition giving way to the modern world. The work is dialogue-dense, calm and understated in tone, and slow-paced in narrative, yet in its fine rendering of everyday talk it reveals observation and irony toward the changes of the age. This is the German electronic edition provided by Project Gutenberg, a public-domain text convenient for reading alongside a print copy or for the study of German literature. It suits slow reading in quiet hours, with attention to the clashes of ideas in conversation and the meaning of the old man as a figure bearing the old order; read together with other works by Fontane and the background of nineteenth-century German social history, its structural restraint and depth become more apparent.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers studying German literature and interested in nineteenth-century German fiction
Readers interested in Prussian aristocratic life and the theme of historical transition
Learners with some German reading ability who wish to read a classic long novel slowly
Researchers needing a public-domain German text for teaching or textual analysis

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking fast-moving plot conflicts and strong drama
Beginners not yet proficient in German who find long dialogue-heavy texts difficult
General readers who prefer modern subjects or light reading

Reading tips

Read through the whole book first to grasp the relationships, then revisit key conversational passages and take notes.
While reading, pay attention to dialogues between the old man and the younger generation, and trace the clash of old and new ideas.
Supplement understanding with materials on Fontane's life and nineteenth-century German social background.
If German is difficult, read alongside a reliable translation, but give priority to the original.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

What level of German is needed for this book?

The original is a nineteenth-century German novel with long sentences and much dialogue, and vocabulary colored by its period; upper-intermediate to advanced German reading ability is generally required. Beginners should first use a translation to understand the content and then gradually move to the original, so as not to give up because of long sentences and conversational passages.

Why does the novel's narrative pace seem slow?

The work advances through a great deal of conversation and everyday scenes; plot conflicts are not concentrated, and the emphasis lies in revealing ideas and the atmosphere of the age through dialogue. This method asks readers to slow down and attend to implications and relationships rather than expect a continuous series of dramatic climaxes.

Is the Gutenberg edition suitable for academic citation?

Project Gutenberg provides public-domain electronic texts that can be used for general reading and teaching reference. For strict academic citation, it is advisable to check authoritative print or scholarly editions and note the source of the electronic text, so as to avoid problems caused by differences in typesetting or transcription.

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About the author

Theodor Fontane Author · German · 1819–1898

Theodor Fontane (1819–1898) was a German writer of critical realism and a poet, born in Neuruppin, Brandenburg. He worked early in life as a pharmacist and journalist, reported from England, and later served as drama critic for the Vossische Zeitung; these experiences gave him rich material for social observation. In his later years he turned to fiction, and his major works include Effi Briest, Schach von Wuthenow, Der Stechlin, and the four-volume Wanderungen durch die Mark Brandenburg. His writing often draws on Berlin bourgeois society and local Brandenburg life, with delicate psychological portrayal and attention to such real issues as marriage and honour; his restrained, ironic style earned him recognition as a founder of the modern German realist novel. The library holds seven of his works.