The People of Seldwyla: Part I

Gottfried Keller

Newcomb Livraria Press

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The People of Seldwyla (Die Leute von Seldwyla) is a two-part novella cycle. The first five novellas, Part I, were written by Keller between 1853 and 1855 in Berlin, and they were published in 1856 by the Vieweg Verlag. The subsequent five novellas, Part II, were composed in several stages between 1860 and 1875, primarily during Keller's tenure as State Secretary in Zurich. It comprises ten "life portraits" (the working title during the Berlin phase), interconnected by a shared setting—the fictional Swiss town of Seldwyla. With the exception of "Romeo und Julia auf dem Dorfe," an adaptation of Shakespeare's tragedy, the Seldwyla stories are comedies in novella form, characterized by a strong satirical and grotesque element. Two of the novellas, "Romeo und Julia auf dem Dorfe" and "Kleider machen Leute," hold a place in world literature and are among the most widely read narratives in German-language literature. They have been adapted into films and operas multiple times, translated into numerous languages, and are available in an extensive array of editions. "The People of Seldwyla," is regarded as a masterpiece of 19th-century German narrative art and is representative of the poetic realism style. If one disregards Goethe's writings, the best German book there is: what actually remains of German prose literature that deserves to be read again and again? Lichtenberg's aphorisms, the first book of Jung-Stilling's Lebensgeschichte, Adalbert Stifter's Nachsommer and Gottfried Keller's The people of Seldwyla, - and that will be the end of it for the time being. Nietzsche, Human, All Too Human ("Menschliches, Allzumenschliches") Part I Pankraz, the Schmoller Pankraz, der Schmoller is the first story in Die Leute von Seldwyla, which was published in Braunschweig in 1856. The title character works his way up from a day thief in Seldwyla to a colonel in the French legion, but is unable to find happiness. Romeo and Juliet in the village In this tale, Keller adapted a true incident that he had taken from a newspaper report. Two neighboring farmers live together in harmony until they begin to quarrel over a small piece of land. Frau Regel Amrain and her youngest Frau Regel Amrain und ihr Jüngster is a story from the cycle of novellas Die Leute von Seldwyla, published in Braunschweig in 1856. It is about the education of a boy to become an upright man and citizen. Franz Duncker had the text printed in the Berlin Volks-Zeitung in 1855. Mr Amrain, a former button-maker, had mixed with the speculators of Seldwyl and bought a quarry on the outskirts of the small town. He never quarried any stone, however, but merely speculated on the new property. When a conservative financier saw through the liberal Mr Amrain, he withdrew his capital from the quarry. Mr Amrain then left his wife Regula and their three children in Seldwyla and left for North America. The Three Righteous Comb Makers (Die drei gerechten Kammacher) The story is about three German journeymen craftsmen who work for a master craftsman in Seldwyla, all three of them hardworking, thrifty, frugal, calculating, and conflict-averse. Despite this - or perhaps because of it - they become fierce rivals: each wants to buy the comb-making business, and each wants to marry the same wealthy maiden to do so. A decisive race ensues, which ends badly for two of the Mirror, the kitten (Spiegel das Kätzchen) An animal fable within the tradition of the classical-romantic art fairy tale. His tomcat "Spiegel" (Mirror in German), so called because of his shiny fur, is inclined to philosophical contemplation like Puss Murr and, like Reineke Fuchs (a famous fairy tale by Goethe), possesses the gift of saving his head through tall tales and cunningly contrived intrigues. This novella is one of Keller's best-known tales and has been adapted several times.

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One of Nietzsche's favorite living poets (the only real Swiss poet in his opinion, Keller was a major Swiss poet and writer, Keller is best known for his novel "Green Henry" (German: "Der grüne Heinrich"). His work is representative of the Realist movement, which sought to depict life and society as they were. Keller's stories often reflect the conflict between individual creative drives and the constraints of society. His novel "The People of Seldwyla" was one of Nietzsche's favorite.