Faust - A Tragedy in Two Parts and the Urfaust/Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

Goethe's Faust is a classic of European literature. Based on the fable of the man
who traded his soul for superhuman powers and knowledge, it became the life's work
of Germany's greatest poet. Beginning with an intriguing wager between God and Satan,
it charts the life of a deeply flawed individual, his struggle against the nihilism
of his diabolical companion Mephistopheles.

Part One presents Faust's pact with the Devil and the harrowing tragedy
of his love affair with the young Gretchen. Part Two shows Faust's experience in
the world of public affairs, including his encounter with Helen of Troy, the emblem
of classical beauty and culture. The whole is a symbolic and panoramic commentary
on the human condition and on modern European history and civilisation.
This new translation of both parts of Faust preserves the poetic character of the
original, its tragic pathos and hilarious comedy. In addition, John Williams has
translated the Urfaust, a fascinating glimpse into the young Goethe's imagination,
and a selection from the draft scenarios for the Walpurgis Night witches' sabbath
- material so ribald and blasphemous that Goethe did not dare publish it.