Henry Von Ofterdingen: A Romance

By Novalis

Book Overview

A gem of German Romanticism, this literary landmark continues to enchant readers with its combination of poetic and fairy tale elements. The young hero of this unfinished experimental novel envisions a blue flower that represents desire, love, and the metaphysical longing for the infinite. He travels the world in pursuit of his dream, discovering that poetry is everywhere for those who can perceive it.
Author Friedrich von Hardenberg ― better known as Novalis (1772-1801) ― was a poet and philosopher who worked closely with Friedrich Schlegel and Ludwig Tieck. Novalis's influence extended to Hermann Hesse and Jorge Luis Borges, and the "blue flower" motif that he originated in Henry von Ofterdingen has appeared in the works of C. S. Lewis and George R. R. Martin. This edition features a Life of the Author and an Afterword by Ludwig Tieck.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0486795772
• ISBN13: 9780486795775
• Release Date: May 2015
• Publisher: Dover Publications
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 0.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.2" x 5.0" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Fantastic!

This is one of my favorite Romantic novels. It is filled with amazing imagery, fairy tales and myths mutated into new forms, and a powerful dialectic. Sadly, the novel was never finished by Novalis, but it is definitely worth the read anyway. Much of this book is based on Novalis' (Friedrich von Hardenberg) own life. If you would like to read another great novel that deals with Novalis' life, look at Penelope Fitzgerald's The Blue Flower.

A Great Treasure

I had been looking for this book for awhile and I finally found it here. It is full of amazing imagery. This copy is in English in case the discription is unclear.