In this collected handbook-type volume on Goethe’s famous “Wahlverwandschaften” [Elective Affinities] renowned scholars and Goethe-experts not only take stock of the present state of research, but also develop new questions and perspectives for the interpretation of this complex work. The volume is interdisciplinary in its orientation. The novel and its narrative art are examined and opened up both from within specific disciplines and across disciplines. Indexes of names and keywords, together with a research bibliography with partial commentary assist the reader navigating the book.