Mephisto“It chimes eerily with the times we are living through now.” ―Margaret Atwood, The New York Times Book Review Hendrik Hofgen is a man obsessed with becoming a famous actor. When the Nazis come to power in Germany, he willingly renounces his Communist past and deserts his wife and mistress in order to keep on performing. His diabolical performance as Mephistopheles in Faust proves to be the stepping-stone he yearned for: attracting the attention of Hermann Göring, it wins Hofgen an appointment as head of the State Theatre. The rewards – the respect of the public, a castle-like villa, a place in Berlin's highest circles – are beyond his wildest dreams. But the moral consequences of his betrayals begin to haunt him, turning his dreamworld into a nightmare. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators. |
Contents
Section 1 | 3 |
Section 2 | 19 |
Section 3 | 41 |
Section 4 | 57 |
Section 5 | 77 |
Section 6 | 99 |
Section 7 | 127 |
Section 8 | 155 |
Section 9 | 181 |
Section 10 | 201 |
Section 11 | 225 |
Section 12 | |
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Common terms and phrases
actress air force Angelika appeared arms Arts Theater asked audience Barbara beautiful Berlin black Venus blond Böck Bonetti Bruckner Caesar von Muck called cast chin dark dear declared director Dora Martin Efeu everything eyes face fascism father forehead Frau Bella Frau von Herzfeld Fräulein Führer gave gaze German gesture girl glance going Hamburg Hamlet hands head heart Hedda Hendrik Höfgen Herr Höfgen Ihrig Jewish Johannes Lehmann Josy Juliette Klaus Mann knew Knorke Knurr Kroge Kurfürstendamm lady laugh lips looked lorgnette Lotte Lindenthal Mephisto Mephistopheles Miklas Mohrenwitz monocle Motz mouth National Socialist Nazis never Nicoletta once Otto Ulrichs pale Perhaps Petersen Pierre Larue play political prime minister Princess Tebab privy councillor Professor propaganda minister Rahel rehearsal Revolutionary Theater Rhineland role Schmitz seemed smile softly spoke stood suddenly talk Theophilus Marder things thought turned voice wanted whispered wife woman young