August Lafontaine

Lafontaine was born and brought up in Brunswick, the son of the court painter Ludolph Lafontaine and his fifth wife, the court maid-in-waiting Sophie Elisabeth Thorbrügge. He was educated in Helmstedt, where he studied theology, but took no degree.^[1] He then acted as a private tutor until 1789. In 1792, he served as a field chaplain in the Prussian army, and in 1800 settled in Halle. He became canon of the Magdeburg Cathedral as a reward for the dedication of one of his books to Friedrich Wilhelm III and Luise.^[2][3]

The popularity of his novels, which are sentimental and didactic tales of domestic life, was remarkable.^[2] In his lifetime, he was the most popular German novelist, his works surpassing by far the popularity of his contemporary Goethe's.^[1] He wrote over 150 volumes, using the pseudonyms Gustav Freier, Miltenberg or Selchow.^[3] His novels' tone of conservative moralizing sentimentality was regarded with high favor at the court of Prussia.^[4] Far less impressed was August Wilhelm Schlegel, writing in Athenaeum in May 1798: "He has indeed become a favourite writer. Lafontaine can never be more than that.... [for his work] lacks poetry, spirit, and romantic verve."^[1] Among his more popular works are:^[2]

• Der Naturmensch (1791)
• Gemälde des menschlichen Herzen (Paintings of the Human Heart; 1792 and later, 15 vols.)
• Der Sonderling (1793)
• Familiengeschichten (Family Stories; 1797-1804, 12 vols.)
• Saint Julien (1798)
• Fedor und Marie (1805)
• Descriptions of the Life of Man (1811)
• Die Pfarre an der See (The Parsonage on the Lake Side; 1816, 3 vols.)
• Le Confessioni al Sepolcro traduzione dal tedesco, con note e tavole incise in rame; stampato a Roma (1822, 3 vol.)