Maxims and Reflections
Maxims and Reflections gathers the prose aphorisms Goethe scattered through Wilhelm Meister's Travels, his periodical Art and Antiquity and his posthumous papers, in the translation of T. Bailey Saunders, first published in 1893. Saunders arranges several hundred of them under four heads: life and character, literature and art, science, and nature. They range from a line to a paragraph and cover conduct, error, the uses of age, the nature of genius, the limits of criticism, color, geology and the relation of hypothesis to observation, with a preface by the translator. Many sayings familiar in English, on the difference between knowing and doing or on the way we see only what we know, come from this collection. The full text is available to read online in your browser on Vinteuil, and the first chapter is free.
Start reading right away, without signing up. The complete text is included in Vinteuil Reading, or yours forever with a one-time purchase.
Frequently asked questions about Maxims and Reflections
Maxims and Reflections by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe can be read online on Vinteuil, directly in your browser. The first chapter is free for everyone; the complete book is included in Vinteuil Reading ($4.99/month or $39.99/year) or yours forever for $2.99.
Can I read Maxims and Reflections online?
Yes. Maxims and Reflections opens right on this page, in a reader designed for long reading: adjustable text size, light, sepia and dark themes, a clickable table of contents and your place saved when you are signed in. No download or app is needed.
Is Maxims and Reflections free to read on Vinteuil?
The first chapter of Maxims and Reflections is free, without an account. To read the whole book, either buy its online reading for $2.99 (£2.99 in the UK) and keep it forever, or subscribe to Vinteuil Reading for $4.99/month (£4.99/month in the UK) or $39.99/year, with 1 month free for new subscribers. The subscription opens every book in the library and can be cancelled at any time.
Is Maxims and Reflections in the public domain?
Yes. Maxims and Reflections by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe is a public-domain work, here in the translation by T. Bailey Saunders. Vinteuil offers a carefully prepared digital edition made for comfortable reading on screen.
How long does it take to read Maxims and Reflections?
About 2 h 11 min of reading, at an average reading pace. Your place is saved automatically when you are signed in, so you can read in several sittings and on several devices.
What kind of book is Maxims and Reflections?
Maxims and Reflections by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe is filed under "Classics" in the Vinteuil library.
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