Aus dem Leben eines Taugenichts (From the Life of a Good-for-Nothing), published in 1826, is one of the most charming works of German Romanticism. Written in German by Joseph von Eichendorff, it follows a miller’s son who, dubbed a layabout by his father, sets off into the world with nothing but his fiddle, drifting through romantic Italian landscapes and aristocratic intrigue with cheerful optimism.
Eichendorff’s novella celebrates nature, wandering, music, and providence — the quintessential Romantic temperament rendered in lucid, lyrical prose. Download this free public-domain EPUB to read the original German text of this enduring classic.