At the dawn of German Romanticism, Jean Paul (Johann Paul Friedrich Richter) published his most popular novel
Siebenkäsunder the lengthy title
Blumen-, Frucht- und Dornenstücke oder Ehestand, Tod und Hochzeit des Armenadvokaten F. St. Siebenkäs im Reichsmarktflecken Kuhschnappel[
Flower, Fruit and Thorn Pieces Or the Married Life, Death and Wedding of the Advocate of the Poor, Firmian Stanislas Siebenkas] in three volumes (1796-97, 2nd. ed. 1818, reworked). As the bizarre title suggests, this is a humorous work with serious implications: The “thorny pieces” refer to the realistic depiction of married life in a small town, and the inversion of “death” and “wedding” to Siebenkäs' ingenious way of getting out of a deteriorating relationship through faking his death. This…
1514 words
Citation: Hoffmeister, Gerhart. "Siebenkäs". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 20 January 2007 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=21602, accessed 23 November 2024.]