Civil War. Translated with an Introduction and Notes by Susan H. Braund

Year 1999
Pages 208
Binding Paperback

Worth buying if: You read Goethe’s political dramas or poems and want a compact dramatic fragment.

Skip it if: You expect a full-length historical novel rather than a brief Goethe fragment.

Exact edition: Paperback · ISBN-13 9780192839398. The Amazon link uses this ISBN, so the product page should open to the edition shown here.

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Summary

Civil War collects Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s short dramatic fragments probing civic breakdown and moral conflict, presented in English translation with Braund’s introduction and explanatory notes for modern readers.

Why this book now

Oxford’s 1999 edition with Susan H. Braund’s scholarship reframes Goethe’s reflections on factional violence and governance for readers reconsidering political rupture.

30-second preview

Two quick cards, fifteen seconds each.

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1-sentence hook

A late Goethe fragment, Civil War examines political fracture and private conscience with translation and notes by Susan H. Braund.

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Best for readers who...

Good fit if you want...

  • You read Goethe’s political dramas or poems and want a compact dramatic fragment.
  • You study Braund’s translations or Oxford University Press commentary on German literature.

Maybe skip if...

  • You expect a full-length historical novel rather than a brief Goethe fragment.
  • You want exhaustive editorial apparatus beyond Braund’s introduction and notes.
  • You only want something with very current references and examples.

Mood / Vibe Tags

meditative tense philosophical Medium length Older edition

Decided it fits?

Exact edition: Paperback · ISBN-13 9780192839398

Worth buying if: You read Goethe’s political dramas or poems and want a compact dramatic fragment.

Skip it if: You expect a full-length historical novel rather than a brief Goethe fragment.

Buy Paperback on Amazon

Check Amazon for the current price and availability of this exact edition.

Reader guide

Cues to help you decide faster.

Reading commitment

Light Short sit-downs

About 208 pages: a focused, relatively quick read combining a short dramatic text with scholarly introduction and notes—suitable for one or two concentrated sittings.

What stands out here

This Oxford University Press 1999 edition highlights Susan H. Braund’s translation and introduction, prioritizing clarity and contextual notes for Goethe’s fragmentary drama.

Best way to approach it

Read the translated drama first for tone, then return to Braund’s introduction and notes to unpack historical references and Goethe’s philosophical allusions.

Paperback: ISBN-13 9780192839398

Check Amazon for the current price and availability of this exact edition.