The Lehrstücke (or 'learning-plays') lie at the heart of Brechtian theatre. Written during 1929 and 1930, years of far-reaching political and economic upheaveal in Germany and the period of Brecht's most sharply Communist works, these short plays show an abrupt rejection of most of the trappings of conventional theatre. The Lehrstücke are spare and highly formalized pieces intended for performance by amateurs, on the principle that the moral and political lessons contained in them can best be taught by participation in an actual production. There is nothing in the drama of the twentieth century to match the precision of their language and the economy of their theatrical technique.

From Jonathan Franzen, bestselling author of The Corrections and Crossroads, comes his razor-sharp translation of Frank Wedekind's major modern play, Spring Awakening. Featuring an introduction by Franzen. First performed in Germany in 1906, Frank Wedekind's controversial play Spring Awakening closed after one night in New York in 1917 amid charges of obscenity and public outrage. For the better part of the twentieth century Wedekind's intense body of work was largely unpublished and rarely performed. Yet the play's subject matter—teenage desire, suicide, abortion, and homosexuality—is as explosive and important today as it was a century ago. Spring Awakening follows the lives of three teenagers, Melchior, Moritz, and Wendl, as they navigate their entry into sexual awareness. Unlike so many works that claim to tell the truth of adolescence, Spring Awakening offers no easy answers or redemption. Today, more than a hundred years after the play's first performance, a new musical version of this essential modern masterpiece is being hailed as the "best new musical . . . in a generation" (John Heilpern, The New York Observer). Franzen's rendition of the text—for so long poorly served in English—is unique in capturing the bizarre and inimitable comic spirit that animates almost every line of this unrelentingly tragic play. There couldn't be a better time for this thrilling, definitive new translation.

Faust, a once-godly scholar, is beginning to suspect that his efforts to learn the secrets of the universe will never be successful. Desperate, frustrated, and suicidal, he makes a deal with Mephistopheles, an agent of the devil. Signed in blood, the contract states that Mephistopheles will obey Faust on Earth, but in return, Faust must serve him in Hell. Faust is unaware that the pact is part of a wager that God and Mephistopheles have made over the fate of his immortal soul. Mephistopheles gives Faust anything and everything he wants, but is it worth the pain and suffering it causes Faust's loved ones? This is an unabridged version of German author Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's tragic play, first published in 1808, and translated by American poet Bayard Taylor in 1870.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's 'Faust' is a cornerstone of German literature, exploring the age-old battle between good and evil through the story of a scholar who makes a pact with the devil. This tragic play is rich in poetic language and philosophical depth, reflecting Goethe's own inner struggles and the cultural upheaval of the Romantic era. The complex characters, elaborate symbolism, and moral dilemmas make 'Faust' a thought-provoking and enduring work that continues to inspire readers and scholars alike. Goethe's lyrical style and innovative use of narrative structure make this play a timeless masterpiece of world literature. 'Faust' exemplifies Goethe's belief in the power of human reason and the importance of self-awareness in navigating life's challenges. It is a must-read for anyone interested in introspective and intellectually stimulating literature.

While preserving the line structure of the German original and verbal echoes that permeate the poem, Margaret Kirby's translation of Faust I attempts to capture in unrhymed modern English the distinctive voices, wide metrical range, quick shifts in tone, comic and tragic registers, and other key stylistic elements of Goethe’s greatest poetic and dramatic masterpiece.

Single-volume edition of the complete work in the Bayard Taylor translation. Part One covers Faust's pact with Mephistopheles and seduction of an innocent girl; Part Two relates his courtship of Helen of Troy and his salvation.

The Trial is the terrifying tale of Josef K., a respectable bank officer who is suddenly and inexplicably arrested and must defend himself against a charge about which he can get no information. Whether read as an existential tale, a parable, or a prophecy of the excesses of modern bureaucracy wedded to the madness of totalitarianism, The Trial has resonated with chilling truth for generations of readers.

Enduring legend of the old philosopher who sells his soul to the devil in exchange for knowledge and power, profoundly retold in poetic form by one of the giants of literature.

A brilliant psychological portrait of a troubled young man's quest for self-awareness, this coming-of-age novel achieved instant critical and popular acclaim upon its 1919 publication. A landmark in the history of 20th-century literature, it reflects the author's preoccupation with the duality of human nature and the pursuit of spiritual fullfillment.

This new Student Edition, featuring the classic John Willett translation of the play, includes an introduction by Katherine Hollander, which explores the following: * Contexts (Thirty Years War, 1618-1648; World War II and exile; sources; influential figures such as Brecht, Margarete Steffin, Helene Weigel and Karin Michaelis) * Themes (war; nature; capitalism) * Dramatic devices (epic theatre) * Production history and critical reception * Academic debate (Marxist, feminist and postmodernist) * Further study Widely regarded as Brecht's best work, Mother Courage and her Children was written in 1938-9 and received its premiere in Zurich in 1941. Mother Courage - a canteen woman serving with the Swedish Army during the Thirty Years War (1618-48) - follows the armies, selling provisions and liquor to the troops. Both her sons die in the war and her dumb daughter, Kattrin, is mortally wounded as she beats a drum to warn the town of Halle of an impending attack. Yet, all the while, Mother Courage continues her travels with her wagon, indomitably businesslike, calculating how she can make material profit from the war and turn conflict into capital.