TEHRAN – Iranian literati will come together in a session on Tuesday at the Book City Institute in Tehran to attend a review of “Wilhelm Meister’s Apprenticeship”, a book by world-renowned German poet and novelist Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

A Persian translation by Amir Madanipur has recently been published by Ketab-e Fanus in Tehran.

The review session will be attended by the book’s translator and critics Ali-Asghar Hadad and Masoud Tochahi.

“Wilhelm Meister’s Apprenticeship” was originally published in 1795.

The book consists of eight volumes. The hero of the story embarks on a transformative journey of self-discovery. Wilhelm's endeavor in the story is to break free from the monotonous existence of a bourgeois entrepreneur. Wilhelm, disheartened by an unsuccessful romance in the theater, dedicates his life to the enigmatic Tower Society.

Goethe's work on the novel began in the 1770s. The first draft of the piece, which was not made public while Goethe was alive, was unearthed in the 20th century and eventually released as "Wilhelm Meister's Theatrical Mission" (Wilhelm Meisters theatralische Sendung). The culmination of the Apprenticeship in the mid-1790s was largely due to the support and feedback of Goethe's intimate companion and co-worker Friedrich Schiller.The sequel to the Apprenticeship, Wilhelm Meister's Wanderjahre ("Wilhelm Meister's Journeyman Years" or Wilhelm Meister's Travels), had already been conceived in the 1790s. However, it was only published in its first edition in 1821 and did not reach its ultimate form until 1829.

According to Andrew Crumey, "while Wilhelm Meister’s Apprenticeship is billed as the classic coming-of-age tale, or Bildungsroman, it’s really far more than that: a story of education and disillusionment, a novel of ideas ranging across literature, philosophy and politics, a masterpiece that resists all pigeonholing."

The novel could also be described as an example of what Graham Wolfe has called "theatre-fiction".

The novel has had a significant impact on European literature and philosophy.

Photo: A poster for a review of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s book “Wilhelm Meister’s Apprenticeship”.

ABU/