Faust: Book Review Essay, Research Paper

Faust: Book Review

Chris Davidson

This novel written originally by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and

translated by Walter Kaufmann. There are 201 pages in this novel.. This book

is a poem divided into two parts and has many adventures in it. The point of

view is from the writer of the play, 3rd person narration. The theme of this

novel is Don’t always take the easy way out of things because in the end you

will pay for them.

This novel starts off with Mephisto the Devil asking God to be able to

tempt a scholar named Faust. Mephisto talks with angels and God. Mephisto tells

God that Faust is loyal to him but will no be for long. Mephisto is going to

take Faust from him. Faust is sitting in his study most of the poem. He looks up

information to gain more knowledge. When he is looking one day through his study

he notices a book that he has never seen before. Faust takes it out and examines

it and finds out it is a book of spells, With this spell book he calls on

Mephisto. Faust finds out that Mephisto never wants to say his name just

describe his great power and plans that he can give Faust. Mephisto fails the

first time to get Faust to give in. He comes back the next day and tries again

but doesn’t gain his hand in this deed. After Faust calls on Mephisto they

make a deal. Mephisto would serve Faust in this life and when Faust would die he

would come to hell and help Mephisto in return for giving Faust all this power.

Faust agrees and this is the start of the deed. Mephisto would do anything in

his power for Faust. These things that Mephisto did was to try to get Lady

Gretchen (that Faust liked dearly) to notice him. Mephisto would give Gretchen

diamonds and other assortment of jewelry to tempt her. This did not work. Over

the years of Mephisto doing all these deeds for Faust, He gained a lot of

knowledge. Faust started to get real old and very ill. He started to see ghosts

and other kinds of unnatural things in front of his eyes that he never saw

before. Over more time Faust becomes blind and can no longer do anything. When

Faust is dying Mephisto gets ready to take him to hell to serve him in eternity.

When Faust dies God comes into the picture again. He gets angels to distract

Mephisto and take Faust into Heaven. God forgives Faust for all he has done. He

was doing it only for the good of the people. He wanted to learn more

information and only good came out of his ideas. Faust’s soul is reprimanded and

he is in heaven. He finally gets to stay with his love Gretchen.

This novel which is a poem divided into two parts is very good. You are

always thinking about many different things during the poem like why Faust would

do this and not this. The way this poem is setup keeps you wanting to read more

and more. I didn’t want to put the book down. I usually don’t do that when I am

reading. This novel is very good I give this novel a rating of an A. Some

people might think it is not good cause of the Devil in it. This is a good novel

no matter what people say you should take a look at it.