<i>Green Henry</i> is a vivid and absorbing representation of Gottfried Keller's ideals and philosophy, written in poetic language and a realistic style that documents the emergence of an artist and the development of a man. Partly autobiographical, the narrative recounts the experiences of the title character ("green" after the color of clothing he always wears) through confinement and ostracism at boarding school, apprenticeship with a painter in Munich, his divided affection for two women, and the acceptance of his duty toward his country and fellow citizens. <br><br> Admired by Nietzsche (who called Keller "the only living German writer") and included by Harold Bloom in <i>The Western Canon</i>, <i>Green Henry</i> is one of the undisputed masterpieces of world literature.