Actor Eric Braeden came to Cal State Long Beach on Monday to take part in a reading of the works of Heinrich von Kleist, the famed 18th century German writer who is considered one of the earliest modern short story writers, as part of a worldwide reading event.
Braeden won an Emmy in 1997 for playing Victor Newman in “The Young and the Restless.” He was also cast in the blockbuster movie “Titanic” as John Jacob Astor.
He brought his theatrical talents to a reading of “The Beggarwoman of Locarno” from a podium set up on the edge of the bookstore lawn.
After a reading of an English translation, he re-read the story in its original German with a full repertoire of the language’s verbal embellishments.
Afterwards, the actor lauded the contributions of German-Americans and called German a beautiful language.
He urged the audience to study foreign languages and bade them to “stay cool” on the chilly November evening in which dozens of excerpts were read by students and faculty as the sun set.
The event commemorated the 200th anniversary of the author’s suicide, which some audience members marked with commemorative T-shirts and pins.
Several said they felt compelled by the biography of Kleist, who agreed to a suicide pact with an actress who was dying of cancer.
On Nov. 21, 1811 — exactly two hundred years ago — Kleist and the girl traveled together to an inn near Potsdam.
There, Kleist shot the terminally ill girl and then himself, fulfilling his longtime desire to commit suicide and ending his brilliant, if unrecognized, literary career.
“All these things showed how he thought and lead up to his suicide,” said Christine Rivera, senior comparative literature and German studies double major. “It was kind of dark and a lot of times overly funny.”
The writings of Kleist are praised today for their psychological insight and sexuality. Kleist was deeply influenced by Immanuel Kant and troubled by the uncertainties of life to a point that almost seems nihilistic.
“He is probably the first author to capture the sense of literary modernity,” said Jeff High, professor of German studies at CSULB. “There are no easy solutions in the world of Heinrich von Kleist. No secure knowledge, no religion, no political solutions, just subjective helplessness. Modern people relate to it.”
“He has a way to create jaw dropping horror at the human condition,” High added.
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