Books: Man on a Winged Horse

GOETHE: THE STORY OF A MAN (929 pp.) — Edifed by Ludwig Lewlsohn —Farrar, Straus ($10).

GOETHE'S WORLD (422 pp.)—Edited by Berthold Biermann—New Directions ($5).

GOETHE'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY: POETRY AND TRUTH FROM MY OWN LIFE (700 pp.)—Translated by R. O. Moon—Public Affairs Press ($5).

"Little woman, give me your little paw," said the dying Goethe to his daughter-in-law. Had these been his last words, the great Johann Wolfgang might today seem more human and approachable than generations of followers have made him out to be. Unfortunately he said later: "Open the blind of the other...