Novalis's 'Heinrich Von Ofterdingen': A New Translation and Critical Study

By Novalis and Friedrich Von Schlegel

Book Overview

Consumed by thoughts of a mysterious flower, Heinrich leaves his cold homeland and travels south until he meets Mathilde, who opens his eyes to the world's mysteries. Then a tragic event reveals the secret power of poetry... Heinrich von Ofterdingen, left unfinished at the time of the author's death, is a masterpiece of philosophical fiction and a classic of German literature. This highly detailed and original interpretation is the most detailed, comprehensive, and systematic study of the novel ever written. Developing fresh insights into the philosophical ideas of the novel while also attending to its symbolic, literary, and creative qualities, Owen Ware explores how Novalis probes the core problem of modern life - fragmentation and our sense of alienation from the world. Ultimately, he shows us, this novel is a timeless expression of the Romantics' idea that only the imagination, guided by love, can bring us back to our spiritual home.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1009363042
• ISBN13: 9781009363044
• Release Date: July 2026
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Length: 426 Pages
• Weight: 1.57 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.4" x 9.3"

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.