Der Verschwender

Ferdinand RaimundProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

4.1

Word count: 144K words
Chapters: 15

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 Verschwender by Ferdinand RaimundAuthor: Raimund, Ferdinand, 1790-1836,Language: German, Class: PT: Language and Literatures: Germanic, Scandinavian, and Icelandic literatures, Release Date: Oct 1, 2004

Editor's review

Der Verschwender is a German-language play by the Austrian dramatist Ferdinand Raimund and one of the representative works of the nineteenth-century Viennese popular theatre tradition. The work is presented in the original German, and the Project Gutenberg edition gives readers free access to the German literary original. Raimund's plays hold a place in the history of German-language drama, and his works often blend elements of folk theatre with moral allegory. Reading this work, readers can experience the linguistic character and stage conventions of nineteenth-century German-language drama. For readers learning German, studying German literature, or interested in the history of European theatre, this work offers a light and engaging point of entry. As a public-domain ebook, the text has not been prepared with modern annotations or an introduction, so readers need a certain level of German reading ability or supporting tools. Overall, this is a work suited to supplementary reading in German literature and to theatre research rather than a popular bestseller.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Language learners with intermediate to advanced German reading ability who wish to engage with original German dramatic texts
Literature students researching nineteenth-century German literature or Viennese folk theatre
Theatre enthusiasts interested in European public-domain dramatic texts who are willing to explore lesser-known works

Not a good fit for

General readers with no German who need a Chinese translation to read the work
Advanced researchers expecting a modern annotated, introduced, or scholarly edition
Readers who prefer contemporary fiction or popular narrative and have limited interest in the dramatic genre

Reading tips

Familiarize yourself with the Viennese popular theatre tradition in which Raimund worked before entering the text; this helps in grasping its linguistic style and stage characteristics.
Readers with limited German can consult an English translation or literary-historical materials to lower the reading barrier.
Read act by act, reviewing the characters' relationships and the progression of conflict after each act, so that dense dramatic dialogue does not cause you to lose the thread.
Read alongside the social context of nineteenth-century Austria, noting the work's moral allegory and folk-theatre elements.

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 to read this book?

The work is in the original German and uses nineteenth-century dramatic language, so intermediate to advanced German reading ability is recommended. Beginners may read with a dictionary or a parallel translation; otherwise, dramatic dialogue and period vocabulary are likely to be obstacles.

Does this edition include annotations or an introduction?

This edition comes from Project Gutenberg and is a public-domain ebook, so it generally contains no modern editorial annotations or introduction. Readers who need scholarly interpretation should consult literary-historical materials or research editions separately.

What is Raimund's place in the history of German-language drama?

Ferdinand Raimund was a nineteenth-century Austrian dramatist whose works are associated with the Viennese popular theatre tradition and often blend folk theatre with moral allegory. He is not an internationally bestselling author, but he holds a certain place in the study of German-language drama history.

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About the author

Ferdinand Raimund Author · Austrian · 1790–1836

Ferdinand Raimund (1790–1836) was an Austrian actor and playwright born in Vienna, and a master of the Viennese popular comedy (Posse). He combined folk-comedy traditions with fairy-tale, allegorical and magical elements; his plays often use fantastic plots to mirror ordinary people's desires and weaknesses, with lively language and a strong sense of the stage. His representative works include Der Verschwender, Der Alpenkönig und der Menschenfeind, and Das Mädchen aus der Feenwelt oder, Der Bauer als Millionär, which are still performed in German and Austrian theatres today. The Raimund Theater in Vienna is named after him, showing his influence on German-language theatre history. Public information on his early life and education is limited.