author
Theodor Fontane
1819–1898
Best known for sharp, humane novels like Effi Briest, this German writer helped define literary realism in the 19th century. He came to fiction after years as a journalist, and his stories are still admired for their psychological insight and clear-eyed view of society.
10 Audiobooks
Frau Jenny Treibel: Roman aus der Berliner Gesellschaft
by Theodor Fontane
Unterm Birnbaum
by Theodor Fontane
Wanderungen durch die Mark Brandenburg, Dritter Teil Havelland
by Theodor Fontane
Der Stechlin: Roman
by Theodor Fontane
Effi Briest
by Theodor Fontane
German Fiction
by Theodor Fontane, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Gottfried Keller, Theodor Storm
Schach von Wuthenow Erzählung aus der Zeit des Regiments Gensdarmes
by Theodor Fontane
Nuoren naisen kohtalo
by Theodor Fontane
L'Adultera: Roman
by Theodor Fontane
Kriegsgefangen : Erlebtes 1870.
by Theodor Fontane
About the author
Born in Neuruppin on December 30, 1819, and later active in Berlin, he became one of the key voices of German realism. Before gaining fame as a novelist, he trained as an apothecary and worked for many years as a journalist and theater critic.
His best-known novels include Effi Briest, Irrungen, Wirrungen, Frau Jenny Treibel, and Der Stechlin. He published his first novel relatively late in life, and that late turn to fiction is part of what makes his career so striking.
His writing is often praised for its calm, precise style and for the way it explores social pressure, marriage, class, and personal compromise without losing sympathy for its characters. He died in Berlin on September 20, 1898, but remains a central figure in German literature.