Kleist: Selected Writings
Key writings from a revolutionary literary figure
Heinrich von Kleist author David Constantine editor
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Hackett Publishing Co, Inc
Published:15th Sep '04
Should be back in stock very soon
This paperback is available in another edition too:
- Hardback£47.99(9780872207448)
This collection brings together the key writings of Heinrich von Kleist, showcasing his unique literary style and themes of human experience.
A reprint of the J M Dent edition from 1997, this collection showcases the works of Heinrich von Kleist, a prominent figure of the Enlightenment. Born into a time of great intellectual upheaval, Kleist's life was tragically cut short in a suicide pact at the age of thirty-four in 1811. Despite his brief existence, he left behind a literary legacy that is both disturbing and amusing, reflecting the complexities of the revolutionary and romantic periods in which he lived.
In Kleist: Selected Writings, translator David Constantine endeavors to capture the haunting and peculiar essence of Kleist's original texts. This collection is notable for its ambition, presenting a wealth of Kleist's key writings that delve into the human experience, exploring themes of love, despair, and the absurdity of life. Constantine's translation aims to resonate with English-speaking readers, offering them a glimpse into the strangeness that characterizes Kleist's work.
This volume not only serves as an introduction to Kleist's literary contributions but also as a testament to the enduring relevance of his ideas. Readers can expect to encounter a range of emotions and thoughts that challenge conventional narratives, making Kleist: Selected Writings a significant addition to any literary collection.
If ever a literary work was a sleep of reason, bruised by menacing shapes, it is Kleist's. He was one of the first of a line of German writers whose inwardness is so intense it seems to dissolve the weak bonds of his society. . . . Even as order and paternalism struggled to assert themselves in the private and public life of the nineteenth century, Kleist was introducing scenes of mob violence, cannibalism, and less than benevolent fathers. . . . David Constantine, a distinguished poet and Germanist, and a translator of Hölderlin, has taken pains to give us a literary Kleist, 'a writer we cannot do without.' . . . This book, containing all the stories and three key plays, provides a compelling view of a misfit genius who, in one of his last notes, remarked 'the world is a strange set-up.' --Iain Bamforth, The Times Literary Supplement
ISBN: 9780872207431
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: 539g
480 pages