Immensee

Written by Theodor Storm

Narrated by Cathy Dobson

Theodor Storm (1817 - 1888) was a North German writer, widely recognized as one of the most important authors of 19th-century German Literary realism. His semi-autobiographical novella, Immensee, is the work that made him famous and remains to this day one of his most widely read. Its rich and multi-layered symbolism along with its deep sentimentality make it an intriguing and touching tale.

On the surface, Immensee is a simple love story, of an old man, Reinhardt Werner, remembering Elisabeth, the lost sweetheart of his youth, who married his best friend, Erich. Reinhardt had neglected their relationship when he had gone away to university, and after two years when he failed to write to Elisabeth, she gave up waiting and accepted a marriage proposal from Erich, a wealthy young farmer with a fine house on the shores of the Immensee. There are hints that Reinhadt may have had other affairs as a student, but much in the story is implicit rather than explicit, leaving the listener to speculate and ponder on what was or might have been.

On visiting Erich and Elisabeth years later, Reinhardt discovers that their doomed love still beats in both breasts, but now it is a passion which can only cause them pain and suffering. One night he sees a white water lily out on the lake and tries to swim out to it. But when he gets there, the roots threaten to entangle him and he extricates himself with difficulty and swims away. But how can he extricate himself from his love for Elisabeth?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Red Door Consulting
• Release date: Jun 30, 2014
• ISBN: 9781467682152

Reviews for Immensee

[ffortsa · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is the first novella in an audio compendium of 15 Great Novellas that I've had around for a while. I wasn't interested in starting another huge history tome just now, and novellas are a good size for walking. This was an interesting example of traditional 19th century German fiction, initially charming and then quite sad, dealing with life choices and mistakes.

[stbalbach_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This short and wistful German novella from 1849 was Theodor Storm's most popular work during his lifetime, it made him world famous. On the surface it's a love story but heavy with symbolism allowing for a multitude of interpretations. Critics often interpret the tone of resignation and missed opportunity as part of the Zeitgeist in the aftermath of the failed Revolutions of 1848.Some of the symbolism is difficult for a non-specialist. For example in the 19th century, water lilies had a reputation as symbolizing female sexual power. Thus when Reinhardt swims in the lake at night and becomes entangled in the vines of a water lily, we know what was likely happening. Likewise when Reinhardt tosses a gold coin into the lap of a dark Gypsy girl, this symbolizes more than an act of charity. The mother carries keys representing power and control; the titular bees of the lake? I'm not sure. Overall I'd say this is worth reading for the story alone, and if you enjoy teasing out symbolism in 19th century German novellas. It can be read in a single sitting with a beautifully illustrated edition freely available online.