NORTH YORK, Ontario, May 1, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- In 1774, Goethe published a revolutionary novella about a sulking young romantic named Werther that lit the literary world on fire. Its stance on love and its affects was revolutionary for its time, but also the observations on art, beauty, nature and religion by Goethe ran over with depth and revelation, even to this day, making the book a classic. Now, Frank Kutas reinvents the spirit of Goethe and the disposition of Werther in his new novel, The Sorrows of a Modern Day Werther (now available through 1stBooks Library).
Kutas gives the world his story about George, a Hungarian refugee suffering from deep scars inflicted by war and love. During the Soviet reign of terror over Hungary, George endures the 1956 revolution. His marriage to his first great love ending in failure, George finds a blossoming new romance. It is thwarted by Soviet arms, however, in an encounter that almost costs him his life. He has to run, leaving his homeland as an exile.
Arriving in Canada in 1958 after a year in Switzerland, George settles in Toronto. Searching for an English tutor, George stumbles across Louise, a young, stunning Canadian woman. She becomes fascinated by his war stories and the inner workings of the Soviet system, calling him her "living witness to history." George is happy to comply, and Louise pries into his past love life while openly offering up her own.
As the tutoring sessions continue, George finds himself falling madly in love with her and she seems to return the feelings. Soon, however, unforeseen circumstances begin to unravel things and George begins to visualize the parallels between himself and Goethe's Werther. Soon, George resolves to follow in the footsteps of the classic character of sorrow.
Stunning and historical, The Sorrows of a Modern Day Werther takes a deep and profound look at the rawest emotions of human nature.
Kutas is a retired economist. His life is similar to that of his character, George, in his book. Kutas fled Hungary after the communist revolution in 1956 and spent a year in Switzerland before settling in Canada. He currently lives in the Toronto area. He has published numerous essays over the years. The Sorrows of a Modern Day Werther is his first book.
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