Encyclopedia of German Literature - Hardcover

Matthias Piccolruaz Konzett

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1579581382 ISBN 13: 9781579581381

Publisher: Routledge, 2000

Synopsis

First Published in 2000. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

About this title

From Booklist:

German writers over the centuries have made important contributions to world literature, many of which have been translated into English. "While publication of encyclopedias of German literature is fairly common in German-speaking countries, this cannot be said for English-speaking countries." Encyclopedia of German Lit erature represents a fine start at correcting this situation as "there has been until now no extensive English encyclopedia that informs readers about German literature, its authors, and its various contexts by means of extended essays and topical discussions."Authors make up the majority of the more than 500 entries, and important writers in the history of German literature from Goethe to Hesse are treated. Inclusion has been extended to contemporary writers such as Aysel Ozakin and Yoko Tawada. (Ozakin spent some time in exile in Germany, and many of her works, translated into German, depict the experiences of Turks living in Germany. Tawada, born in Japan, lives in Germany and writes in her adopted language.) Author entries conclude with bibliographies of works by the author, including English translations, as well as secondary scholarship. One or more additional articles follow many author entries, treating specific literary works by that author. For example, the article on Gunter Grass is followed by one on his novel Die Blechtrommel (The Tin Drum ).In addition to authors, literary movements and periods (Sturm und Drang, Baroque ) and types of literature (Fairy tales , Travel literature ) are included. The intersection of German literature with such topics as fascism, film, homosexuality, and religion is explored. Entries for important cities (Berlin , Vienna ) and historical developments (National Socialism ) provide the background of persons, places, issues, and events. Additional nonliterary entries include the philosophers Hans-Georg Gadamer and Martin Heidegger as well as critical theorist Jurgen Habermas. These particular entries, along with articles on Hermeneutics and Historiography , are disappointing. Although nicely sketching important intellectual concerns of the twentieth century, they fail to establish their relevance to or impact upon German literature.This new encyclopedia is a first-of-its-kind reference work in English. The third edition of The Oxford Companion to German Literature (1997) is very useful, but the discussion of authors, periods, and so on is not as lengthy. The Feminist Encyclopedia of German Literature (Greenwood, 1997) is also helpful but treats only women authors. Some will be disappointed that Thomas Mann's Doktor Faustus , for example, receives treatment in Encyclopedia of German Literature in an individual essay while Buddenbrooks does not. Others may be concerned that much of the secondary scholarship cited in supplemental bibliographies is in German. These are minor concerns. On the whole, the encyclopedia is highly recommended for all academic and large public libraries serving interest in German literature. REVWR
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

From Library Journal:

It must be a daunting challenge to compile an encyclopedia of a literature so deeply rooted in the multitude of political ideologies that have emerged in response to Germany's chaotic history. German literature has always pushed people's buttons to intolerable degrees, nationwide and worldwide, and has caused controversy that doesn't easily turn into "old news." Hence Konzett's (German, Yale) assertion that scholars of different ideological backgrounds have written and evaluated the entries in order to impart an objective perspective with a "transnational" value. This mission has been accomplished to an admirable degree. Refreshingly long and elaborate, the essay-like entries cover three main categories: authors, works (novels, books of poetry, and essays), and topics, the last encompassing everything from literary terms and movements, artistic forums, cities, and historical eras to the key legacy of the Frankfurt School and its members. Rather lengthy lists for further reading are provided with each essay. Inevitably, one can quibble with the coverage; it certainly seems odd that Erich Maria Remarque's celebrated antiwar novel, All Quiet on the Western Front, does not get a separate entry even if it is acknowledged in the surprisingly brief blurb on Remarque. Still, this is a minor flaw that does not diminish the quality of a wide-ranging reference tool with a useful interdisciplinary approach to its subject. A necessary and rare addition to all serious literature collections.DMirela Roncevic, "Library Journal"
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Routledge
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 1579581382
• ISBN 13: 9781579581381
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 1136