Goethes Faust is a classic of European literature. Based on the fable of the man who traded his soul for superhuman powers and knowledge, it became the lifes work of Germanys greatest poet. Beginning with an intriguing wager between God and Satan, it charts the life of a deeply flawed individual, his struggle against the nihilism of his diabolical companion Mephistopheles. Part One presents Fausts pact with the Devil and the harrowing tragedy of his love affair with the young Gretchen. Part Two shows Fausts experience in the world of public affairs, including his encounter with Helen of Troy, the emblem of classical beauty and culture. The whole is a symbolic and panoramic commentary on the human condition and on modern European history and civilisation.

This new translation of both parts of Faust preserves the poetic character of the original, its tragic pathos and hilarious comedy. In addition, John Williams has translated the Urfaust, a fascinating glimpse into the young Goethes imagination, and a selection from the draft scenarios for the Walpurgis Night witches sabbath - material so ribald and blasphemous that Goethe did not dare publish it.