歌德年轻时狂热地爱上了美丽的少女绿蒂，两人情投意合，可是姑娘已名花有主，不能接受这份爱；他只得怅然离去。这段不寻常的经历促使歌德以绿蒂为原型写下了震撼几代青年人的不朽的名著——《少年维特的烦恼》。在同歌德阔别44年后，绿蒂携女儿来到魏玛，这座曾给她带来欢乐和痛苦的小城顿时沸腾起来，人们蜂拥而至，想一睹歌德昔日心上人的风采。可是上了年纪的歌德对绿蒂十分冷淡，不愿过多追忆往事，这使绿蒂非常不快，一连几周闭门不出。一天歌德邀她看戏，回家途中两人同坐一辆马车，此情此景似曾相识，不禁勾起他们对往事的回忆，都向对方倾诉了自己这些年来的情况，对往日的怀念之情溢于言表。小说再现了男女主人公当年缠绵悱恻的爱情和当时绚烂多姿的社会风貌；被认为是《少年维特的烦恼》的补充和接续。(Goethe was crazily in love with the pretty young girl Lotte, while the girl also had a good feeling toward him, however since Lotte had already been engaged to another man and could not accept his love, he could only turn and leave. This unusual experience prompted Goethe to write his immortal masterpiece that has moved generations of young people - The Sorrows of Young Werther. After 44 years separation with Goethe, Lotte came to Weimar with her daughter, and this small city, which had provided her with joy and pains suddenly got excited, people coming around to witness Goethe's former sweetheart. However Goethe, who was in his old age, was very indifferent to Lotte and very reluctant to recollect the past time, which made Lotte very unhappy. She kept at home for days. One day Goethe invited her to a play, and on their way back they shared a carriage. This similar scene brought memories to them, and they had talked to each other about their life over all those years, expressing their missing of the past. This novel had reproduced the love between the two people, and revealed the social appearance at that time; it is considered the complement and continuation of The Sorrows of Young Werther.)