Oldenbourg Textausgaben: Effi Briest

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Telling the tragic tale of a socially advantageous but emotionally ruinous match, this novel follows the unworldly young Effi Briest, who is married to the austere and ambitious Baron von Innstetten, a man twice her age with little time for her. Isolated and bored, Effi seeks comfort in a brief affair with the married Major Crampas, whose dangerous reputation adds to the thrill. Years later, as Effi tries to forget her past, the secret resurfaces, leading to devastating consequences. Through taut, ironic prose, the author depicts a world where sexuality and the desire for enjoyment are stifled by societal pretenses and obligations. This work is a humane, unsentimental portrait of a young woman torn between her responsibilities as a wife and mother and her own desires. The modern translation is complemented by an introduction that draws parallels between Effi and other literary heroines like Emma Bovary and Anna Karenina. The author, a notable German novelist and political reporter, is also remembered for his critique of middle-class hypocrisy in another work. Readers who appreciate this novel may also enjoy Tolstoy's exploration of similar themes.