Welcome to the finest German novel of the 19th Century. In 1919 Thomas Mann said that if one had to reduce one’s library to six novels, Effi Briest would have to be one of them. 

This was my fourth reading. It is, in fact, the only novel I have read during my teens, my twenties, my thirties and now my forties. I will, no doubt, read it again, because as simple as the plot may seem, and, as discretely as the author may tell it, this is a tale with layer upon layer of hidden meaning. There is no doubt that I share Thomas Mann’s regard of this novel.

It is a tale in the tradition of 19^th century adulteresses – a German Madame Bovary or Anna Karenina, if you will.  Yet, it is from a completely different mould.  Effi is a 17-year old girl, sacrificed on the altar of German, specifically Prussian, convention and proprietry.  Innstetten, the husband, is a flawed, yet sympathetic character. Effi’s adultery isn’t brazen – in fact, unless you read closely you may miss it altogether. 

The real strength of this novel lies in the control Fontane has on his material.  The structure is tight.  The opening scenes between Effi and her parents are mirrored with great poignancy at the finale.  There is never any sentimentality or melodrama.  Effi’s downfall is reflected in the symbolism of the natural world.

I was so struck with this that I've included some detail in the following paragraph.   Don’t read it, however, if you mind spoilers.