Clayton Koelb Livres

Exploring the intriguing connection between inanimate objects and living beings, this work delves into the role of reading in Romantic fiction and thought. It examines how literature reveals the interplay between materiality and vitality, highlighting the philosophical and emotional dimensions of this relationship. Through a critical lens, it uncovers the ways in which Romantic writers engage with themes of life, death, and the essence of existence, making a significant contribution to our understanding of the era's literary landscape.

This volume offers an overview of major movements, genres, and authors in nineteenth-century German literature, spanning from Goethe's death in 1832 to Freud's *Interpretation of Dreams* in 1899. While primarily focusing on imaginative literature, it also addresses related topics such as music-drama, philosophy, and the social sciences. The discussion situates literature within a broader European context, emphasizing its cultural and socio-political background. The introduction includes essays on Romanticism's influence on later literary movements, the impact of non-German writers on German literature, and the relationship between politics and cultural changes. The second section reviews key movements of the era, including Junges Deutschland, Vormarz, Biedermeier, Poetic Realism, Naturalism, Symbolism, and Impressionism. The third section delves into major genres such as lyric poetry, prose fiction, drama, and music-drama. Notable writers featured include Heinrich Heine, Georg Büchner, Adalbert Stifter, Franz Grillparzer, Annette von Droste-Hülshoff, Gottfried Keller, Richard Wagner, Karl Marx, Friedrich Nietzsche, Gerhart Hauptmann, Theodor Fontane, and Frank Wedekind. The final section offers bibliographical resources, including a critical bibliography and lists of primary and selected secondary sources, contributed by distinguished scholars from North America and Europe.