Few works of Western literature are truly sui generis, one of a kind—Faust is one of them and probably the greatest in many respects. It is a genre unto itself, encompassing virtually all of Western myth, literature, history, and philosophical speculation. It is a work of deep thought and subtle ironies, highly critical of modern capitalism and imperialism as manifested in early 19th-century Europe, and it epitomizes, in the titular hero, modern European man as he is still relevant today. Seeker, entrepreneur, and lover—he is searching for the ultimate, be it the core of the physical universe or true love or control over the environment. He will pursue his goals—as such searing geniuses often do—at great expense to others and himself.
The work also raises profound questions about the significance of language, what constitutes reality, and the possible uses of religion and literature and their icons in the modern era. And all of that in a bewildering array of verse forms, magnificently sustained.