Summary of The Blue Flower
“The Blue Flower” is a historical novel by Penelope Fitzgerald that fictionalises the life of the German Romantic poet Novalis (Friedrich von Hardenberg) in the late 18th century. It centres on his infatuation with, and engagement to, the very young Sophie von Kühn.
Reasons to read The Blue Flower
Set in the age of German Romanticism, “The Blue Flower” explores themes of yearning and irrational love, as seen through the life of one of Germany’s most prominent poets. This historical novel received international acclaim, winning the National Book Critics Circle Award for fiction in 1997. Other notable works by British author Penelope Fitzgerald include “Offshore” (winner of the 1979 Booker Prize), “The Bookshop”, and “The Beginning of Spring”. In 1999, Fitzgerald was awarded the Golden PEN Award for her lifetime contribution to literature.
Setting: Thuringia, Saxony (Germany)
Book set in Germany: various locations in Germany, mainly in Thuringia and Saxony, including Jena, Leipzig, Wittenberg, Bad Tennstedt, and GrĂĽningen Castle.
Original title: The Blue Flower
Year of publication: 1995
Nr of pages: 244
