Review by Choice Review
Arguing convincingly from a profound knowledge of Goethe's writings, the author postulates a number of points that serve as the basis for his careful reading of Faust II. Gearey sees Faust, a product of some 60 years of labor, as an evolving work whose theme became evolution. He maintains that Faust II takes up and seeks to resolve in the world of mind and of history the themes and problems that had evolved in the limited world of Faust I. He believes the antecedents of the new mode of thought in Faust II can be traced to the developments of science which are related to the literary and artistic movements of our own century, and that the major distinctions in perceiving reality and representing it in art occurred between the 18th and 19th century, not at the beginning of the present one. Moreover, he maintains that in Faust II Goethe evolves an artistic form to express this new understanding; that Faust II represents a triumph of content over form and as such is the triumph of evolution; and, finally, that Faust as a whole is a drama of experience to quote Goethe, "The deed is everything." Gearey's careful and persuasive interpretation not only offers a number of insights into the text of a great work of literature, but also places that work in the poetic and artistic evolution of the last three centuries. A well-written and carefully edited volume accessible at advanced undergraduate level and above. J. K. Fugate; Kalamazoo College
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
