The Blue Flower
The Blue Flower by Penelope Fitzgerald, published by Houghton Mifflin in 2014, is an illustrated edition comprising 225 pages. This novel centers on the 18th-century German poet and philosopher Novalis, exploring his profound love for a simple girl named Sophie. Set against the backdrop of Goethe’s era, the narrative follows Friedrich von Hardenberg, a passionate philosophy student who seeks his father’s approval to marry the twelve-year-old Sophie, a choice that astonishes those around him.
Readers will find a rich exploration of themes such as the rationality of love and the transformation of the ordinary, presented with a blend of wit and grace. The story delves into the complexities of familial expectations and personal desires, offering insight into the life of a young romantic poet. This edition invites readers to engage with the historical and literary aspects of Fitzgerald’s work, making it a notable addition to the genres of fiction and historical literature.
Official synopsis Publisher
A NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD WINNER in Fiction. Booker Prize-winning novelist Fitzgerald’s crowning literary work centers on the 18th-century German poet and philosopher Novalis and his love for the simple Sophie.
The Blue Flower is set in the age of Goethe among the small towns and great universities of 18th-century Germany. It tells the true story of Friedrich von Hardenberg, a passionate, impetuous student of philosophy who will later gain fame as the romantic poet Novalis. Fritz seeks his father’s permission to wed his “heart’s heart,” his “spirit’s guide”–a plain, simple child named Sophievon Kühn. It is an attachment that shocks his family and friends. Their brilliant young Fritz, betrothed to a twelve-year-old dullard? How can this be?
Their rationality of love, the transfiguration of the commonplace, the clarity of purpose that comes with knowing one’s own fate– these are the themes of this beguiling novel, themes treated with a mix of wit, grace, and mischievous humor.
“An extraordinary imagining . . . an original masterpiece.”–Financial Times
“An astonishing book…Fitzgerald’s greatest triumph.”–New York Times Book Review
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