Effi Briest
Theodor Fontane

Set in Bismarck's Germany, this tale of a socially suitable but emotionally disastrous match between the enchanting seventeen-year-old Effi and an austere, workaholic civil servant twice her age, is at once touching and unsettling. Considered by many to be the pinnacle of the nineteenth-century German novel, Effi Briest is a tale of adultery that ranks with Madame Bovary and Anna Karenina. This book will be discussed over two meetings. Please read chapters 1 -19 for the September 28th session.