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The novel (1809) by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. The marriage of Edward and Charlotte gets worse with the arrival at the castle Young Ottilia, grandson of Carlotta, and Brass. Edward is attracted to Ottilia, Carlotta by Otto. The action is moved from Germany to Tuscany San Miniato and Poggio a Caiano and moved chronologically Napoleonic era (but the finishing touches are several).
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Early in the 19th century, Edward and Carlotta, in love 20 years ago, find each other and marry. After a year's bliss at his Tuscan villa, Edward begs to invite Otto, an architect and friend, to join them. She has forebodings of disaster, but relents. Otto arrives, and to balance the dynamics, Carlotta invites her teenage godchild Ottilia to join them. Ottilia stirs Edward, Otto and Carlotta are attracted to each other, and these longings produce in Edward and Carlotta a night of passion that results in pregnancy. Otto leaves for Venice, Edward leaves for war, and a baby looking like Otto and Ottilia is born. Can anything be put right? Can the four return to their initial happiness?
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