The story of the emotional torment and tragic death of a sensitive young man, suffering from love for another man's fiancée and the indifference of high society, captivated the European reading public to such an extent that it led to a wave of suicides – Werther's young peers, obsessed with the idea of ​​spiritual intimacy with their beloved literary hero, followed his example by dozens, perhaps even hundreds, taking their own lives. What other proof is needed of the sheer force of talent and psychological persuasiveness of this novel?
Besides 'The Sorrows of Young Werther,' the collection also includes the poem 'Hermann and Dorothea,' a lyrical masterpiece about the love of a simple German peasant boy for a young refugee from war-torn France, encountered by chance on the road.