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For about 120 of this approximately 160 page book Prof. Damm presents us with her selection of perhaps 85 letters written by Goethe and Vulpius to each other, from over 600 that survived. Since Christiane Vulpius was his lover, playmate, house keeper, and later wife the letters give us a close-up glances of the domestic side of the Goethe household as well as their relationship over eighteen years of cohabitation plus ten years of married life. Christiane comes off strong, lively, and steady. The poetic Titan is forever running off seeking inspiration and dalliance while comforting her with tender letters of love and longing.

Professor Damm follows her collection with 40 pages of context and insight, without revealing her criteria for selecting these particular letters. Some of the letters she finds significant in her epilogue, such as the last letter of Goethe to his dying wife, are not included in the selection.