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This book is a collection of Goethe's remarks and activities compiled by Goethe's assistant Eckermann. Many people naturally read it as Goethe's biography; but I think it more directly and prominently reveals Goethe's thoughts on literature, art, aesthetics, philosophy, natural science, etc., So it can also be called "Goethe's Conversations" - just like "On "Yu" embodies the broad thoughts of Confucius. In the form of "talk", it embodies the thoughts of the "author" (here, the real author should be Goethe) more flexibly and multi-faceted. It is not limited by time and space, and is not bound by logical thinking. It is a direct presentation of the author's spiritual outlook, and it is also the closest window for us to read and understand Goethe.

In 1823, the 31-year-old German youth Eckermann met Goethe, the literary giant he admired. At this time, Goethe was 74 years old and entering the final journey of his life. The following nine years were a period of mutual achievement for the two of them: the master imparted his life experience to the young man and guided the young man to improve his literary accomplishment and spiritual realm; the young man fully assisted the master in his work, while observing the details and silently recording the master's last life deeds and thoughts and words that shone with wisdom. It is with the help of Ekman's records that we can see another Goethe, three-dimensional and vivid, profound and interesting. This book is a fully translated version, which contains 325 texts in three volumes of the original work, as well as two prefaces to the first edition and Ekman's long preface.