Walter Benjamin: Selected Writings, Volume 2, part 2, 1931-1934 (Walter Benjamin)

In the frenzied final years of the Weimar Republic, amid economic collapse and mounting political catastrophe, Walter Benjamin emerged as the most original practicing literary critic and public intellectual in the German-speaking world. Volume 2 of the __Selected Writings__ is now available in paperback in two parts. In Part 1, Benjamin is represented by two of his greatest literary essays, "Surrealism" and "On the Image of Proust," as well as by a long article on Goethe and a generous selection of his wide-ranging commentary for Weimar Germany's newspapers. Part 2 contains, in addition to the important longer essays, "Franz Kafka," "Karl Kraus," and "The Author as Producer," the extended autobiographical meditation "A Berlin Chronicle," and extended discussions of the history of photography and the social situation of the French writer, previously untranslated shorter pieces on such subjects as language and memory, theological criticism and literary history, astrology and the newspaper, and on such influential figures as Paul Valery, Stefan George, Hitler, and Mickey Mouse. Contents 6 The Destructive Character, 1931 10 In Parallel with My Actual Diary 12 Criticism as the Fundamental Discipline of Literary History 14 Critique of the New Objectivity 16 We Ought to Reexamine the Link between Teaching and Research 18 Hofmannsthal and Aleco Dossena 20 Left-Wing Melancholy 22 Theological Criticism 27 Karl Kraus 32 Literary History and the Study of Literature 58 German Letters 65 May-June 1931 68 Unpacking My Library: A Talk about Collecting 85 Eanz Kafka: Beim Bau der Chinesischen Mauer 93 Diary from August 7, 1931, to the Day of My Death 100 Lttle History of Photography 106 Paul Valery: On His Sixtieth Birthday 130 The Lisbon Earthquake 135 The Destructive Character 140 Reflections on Radio 142 Mickey Mouse 144 In Almost Every Example We Have of Materialist Literary History 146 The Task of the Critic 147 Ibizan Sequence, 1932 150 Experience 152 On Ships, Mine Shafts, and Crucifixes in Bottles 153 On the Trail of Old Letters 154 A Family Drama in the Epic Theater 158 The Railway Disaster at the Firth of Tay 162 Privileged Thinking: On Theodor Haecker's Virgil 168 Excavation and Memory 175 Oedipus, or Rational Myth 176 On Proverbs 181 Theater and Radio: The Mutual Control of Their Educational Program 182 Ibizan Sequence: Ibiza, April-May 1932 186 Berlin Chronicle 194 Spain, 1932 237 Light from Obscurantists 252 The Handkerchief 257 In the Sun 261 The Rigorous Study of Art: On the First Volume of the Kunstwissenschaftliche Forschungen 265 Hashish in Marseilles 272 The Eve of Departure 279 On Astrology 283 "Try to Ensure That Everything in Life Has a Consequence" 285 Notes (IV) 286 Thought Figures, 1933 288 The Lamp 290 Doctrine of the Similar 293 Short Shadows (II) 298 Kierkegaard: The End of Philosophical Idealism 302 Stefan George in Retrospect: On a New Study of the Poet 305 Agesilaus Santander (First Version) 311 Agesilaus Santander (Second Version) 313 Antitheses Concerning Word and Name 316 On the Mimetic Faculty 319 Thought Figures 322 Little Tricks of the Trade 327 Experience and Poverty 330 The Author as Producer, 1934 336 Once Is as Good as Never 338 The Newspaper 340 Venal but Unusable 342 The Present Social Situation of the French Writer 343 The Author as Producer: Address at the Institute for the Study of Fascism, Paris, April 27, 1934 367 Notes from Svendborg, Summer 1934 382 Hitter's Diminished Masculinity 391 Franz Kafka: On the Tenth Anniversary of His Death 393 A Note on the Texts - Chronology, 1927-1934 - Index 418 A Note on the Texts 420 Chronology, 1927-1934 422 1927 422 1928 426 1929 430 1930 434 1931 439 1932 442 1933 445 1934 450 Notes 455 Index 456

in The Frenzied Final Years Of The Weimar Republic, Amid Economic Collapse And Mounting Political Catastrophe, Walter Benjamin Emerged As The Most Original Practicing Literary Critic And Public Intellectual In The German-speaking World. Volume 2 Of The selected Writings Is Now Available In Paperback In Two Parts.

in Part 1, Benjamin Is Represented By Two Of His Greatest Literary Essays, Surrealism And On The Image Of Proust, As Well As By A Long Article On Goethe And A Generous Selection Of His Wide-ranging Commentary For Weimar Germany's Newspapers.

part 2 Contains, In Addition To The Important Longer Essays, Franz Kafka, Karl Kraus, And The Author As Producer, The Extended Autobiographical Meditation A Berlin Chronicle, And Extended Discussions Of The History Of Photography And The Social Situation Of The French Writer, Previously Untranslated Shorter Pieces On Such Subjects As Language And Memory, Theological Criticism And Literary History, Astrology And The Newspaper, And On Such Influential Figures As Paul Valery, Stefan George, Hitler, And Mickey Mouse.

dennis Drabelle - Washington Post Book World

after The Lede Comes The Body Of The Essay, Where The Meat Is Served Up. When A Critic As Astute As German Man Of Letters Walter Benjamin (1892-1940) Writes About A Subject As Rich As His Fellow Journalist Karl Kraus (1874-1936), The Cut Can Be Rich, Marbled And Juicy...topics In Other Pieces Gathered Here Range From Highbrow Analysis ('criticism As The Fundamental Discipline Of Literary History') To Pop-culture Commentary ('reflections On Radio,' 'mickey Mouse').

Comprising more than 65 pieces - journal articles, reviews, extended essays, sketches, aphorisms, and fragments - this volume shows the range of Walter Benjamin's writing. His topics here include poetry, fiction, drama, history, religion, love, violence, morality and mythology