A half-century after its translation into English, Erich Auerbach's Mimesis still stands as a monumental achievement in literary criticism. A brilliant display of erudition, wit, and wisdom, his exploration of how great European writers from Homer to Virginia Woolf depicted reality has taught generations how to read Western literature. This new expanded edition includes a substantial essay in introduction by Edward Said as well as an essay, never before translated into English, in which Auerbach responds to his critics.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
the two streams of narrative . . .:
Do you read to be entertained or enlightened? While most of us would answer "both", we each exhibit a preference. From the celebrated first chapter, "Odysseus' Scar", of what is widely regarded as one of the definitive critical studies of comparative literature, Auerbach attempts to trace the evolution of the representation of reality in narrative in the West. The two streams, with their sources emanating from Athens and Jerusalem, converge finally in post-Napoleonic France during the first half of the 19th... more info
Productive Time Spent While in Exile:
History often proves that good can come out of bad situations. The apostle Paul's imprisonment forcefully slowed him down and gave mankind priceless letters. Erich Auerbach's flight and exile gave him leisure to write this masterpiece of which the West is in his debt. Every chapter is very rewarding and rich. I would like to selectively comment on my three favourites: Odysseus Scar - Compares the truth in Old Testament biblical stories whose events force us to think of their meaning in our lives... more info
Truth *is* in the Whole:
Written in non-self-imposed exile in Istanbul, *Mimesis* is not only a fantastically influential piece of literary scholarship, but also an interesting response to the political calamities of the 20th century. Erich Auerbach, a student of Romance literatures, covers the entire history of Western literature from Homer to Proust: his goal is uncovering the literary devices that made the achievement of literary realism possible. His analytic techniques are manifold and his technical mastery of philological... more info
defining work of western literary criticism:
this book is excellent and one of its kind, erich auerbach commanded a veritably deep understanding of philology and languages which he used to cunning effect in analysing various works, e.g. gregory of tours' "history of the franks." there he informed us that bishop gregory's latin was something midway between roman latin and early vernacular french, somewhat crude and grammatically obfuscated. auerbach was a lot more alert to the dynamics of cultural and language change than was his contemporary ernst... more info
