Lunchtime read: The Sorrows of Young Werther

Just as you suspected they would, things start to go bad for poor Werther. He had been warned all along that Lotte was betrothed and her fiancé returns and turns out to be a very good man – clever and thoughtful. Werther evens gets on with him and discusses with Albert thoughts of suicide.

What drives him to that point is the realisation that all of his hopes and dreams have hit a rock and Albert and Lotte are going to be a couple. He cherishes the moments they had together and his growing involvement with her siblings but has to accept that it is over.

His mood turns dark incredibly quickly and he vows to leave Lotte and Albert and never return. You sense that this is the crucial moment because if he continues to remain close by then he will be driven to despair. But does he have the strength of resolve to escape?

More tomorrow…