Memoirs of a Good-for-Nothing
| First edition, 1826 | |
| Author | Joseph von Eichendorff | 
|---|---|
| Language | German | 
| Genre | novella | 
| Publisher | Vereinsbuchhandlung, Berlin | 
| Publication date | 1826 | 
| Original text | Memoirs of a Good-for-Nothing at German Wikisource | 
Memoirs of a Good-for-Nothing (German: Aus dem Leben eines Taugenichts, lit. 'From the life of a good-for-nothing') is a novella by Joseph von Eichendorff. Completed in 1823, it was first printed in 1826. The work is regarded as a pinnacle of musical prose. Eichendorff created an open form with epic and lyrical elements, incorporating several poems and songs in the text. It was first published in English in 1866.