A comprehensive exploration of Dr. Faust, the man who sold his soul to the devil, and those who dared to tell his tale. Volume I includes: New insights into the life and times of the historical Dr. Faustus, the notorious occultist and charlatan who reputedly declared the devil was his 'brother-in-law'. A detailed study of the first Faust books and the popular Faustian folk tales. Original discussion on Christopher Marlowe's famous drama and his 'atheistic' rendition of the Faustian myth, including a unique and controversial analysis of the A and B texts. The days of the Faust puppet plays. Gotthold Ephraim Lessing's unfinished Faust drama.
Volume II features: A unique, in-depth account Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and his masterpiece, Faust, Parts One and Two. An examination of the early sketches of his classic drama. Includes detailed revealations of Goethe's hidden symbolism in the text, his interest in history and science, the occult, alchemy, Freemasonry and his warnings to future generations.
"As a compendium of useful facts, there's not likely to be a replacement any time soon. Bucchianeri pursues every avenue of Faustian analogue with a dogged persistence that would win accolades from Ahab. ... Bucchianeri's unceasing search for source materials brings together in one place the many texts that build the Faust legend from the late Middle Ages onward, ..." - Dr. K.A. Laity, College of Saint Rose, Journal of Folklore Research
"... two large-format volumes is sure to provide enterprising readers with a lavish diet of documentary matter, commentary, and conjecture on the Faust tradition from its medieval origins to the 'almost unapproachable zenith' which it attained in the year of Goethe's demise. ... Bucchianeri investigates each controversial incident in turn, drawing parallels with historical figures, Dante's Divine Comedy, Arthurian and other late medieval legends, and citing sources which range from the Bible to Copernican astronomy. ... The distinctive quality of Bucchianeri's commentary lies in tireless contextualization, with each incident in Faust's career related to specific historical events, cultural phenomena, or to background circumstances; ... In Volume II, key stages of Goethe's career are graphically recounted with the help of over two thousand footnotes ... there is no denying the near-boundless enthusiasm with which Bucchianeri approaches even the most recondite passages of Faust II." - Dr. Osman Durrani, University of Kent, Modern Language Review