Obermann

Obermann is a novel by French author É tienne Pivert de Senancour, first published in 1804. The work describes the struggles of a sensitive and tormented hero, a recluse in the Swiss mountains, who is plagued by melancholy and a sense of ineffectuality.1

The novel was initially overlooked but gained significant attention when it was reissued in 1833 with an introduction by critic Charles Augustin Sainte-Beuve, who praised its authentic portrayal of unfulfilled genius and frustrated sensibility. Obermann reflects the influence of philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau, who believed that civilization corrupted human nature. The themes of psychological analysis and moral ambiguity in Obermann connect it to other works of the period, such as Benjamin Constant's Adolphe.12