The book by Lou Andreas-Salomé about Rainer Maria Rilke is a unique document of its kind. The perhaps most brilliant woman in the history of German thought portrays her close friend and beloved, one of the most significant lyrical poets of the 20th century.

“One might think that the work and life of Rainer Maria Rilke could be represented in three ways: through an effort to assess his art, through an effort of psychological research, and finally through an effort to gather memories associated with him.” In her book about Rilke, Lou Andreas-Salomé opts for a synthesis of the three possibilities she mentions in the Epilogue. The connecting role in this case is played by the letters from her friend. It is one of the achievements of this short biography that the three perspectives never conflict but continuously and fruitfully complement each other.

Andreas-Salomé knew Rilke better than very few. Therefore, it is interesting that the reader never gets the impression of being a mere spectator—even when the author is not at all sparing in her descriptions of Rilke's weaknesses. This book is a tribute to the figure of Rilke. Because Andreas-Salomé tells the story of the man Rilke. She is interested in the character behind the work. And this makes this beautifully written book so fascinating.

Anyone who admires the poet Rilke or is in any way interested in his work will find rich material here.

Friday Sidera-Lytra, Educator and Philologist, initially studied at the Rallio Pedagogical Academy and continued her studies at the Universities of Athens and Göttingen. Aggis Sideras, Doctor of Philosophy, studied German Philology, Philosophy, and Classical Philology at the Universities of Göttingen and Heidelberg. His doctoral thesis deals with the poetry of Gottfried Benn and Paul Celan.