Allan, Sean (1996) The plays of Heinrich von Kleist : ideals and illusions. Cambridge studies in German . Cambridge : Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521025041

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Abstract

This is a new and accessible study of the plays of Kleist (1777-1811), who ranks with Goethe and Schiller amongst nineteenth-century authors and who has been a major influence on contemporary German writers. Sean Allan examines Kleist's critique of the aspirations of both Enlightenment and Romantic metaphysics, notably his suggestion that the pursuit of 'transcendent' ideals of perfection constitutes a formidable obstacle to genuine progress in human affairs. In so doing, he offers resolutions of a number of long-running controversies in Kleist criticism, as well as summarizing the state of research on all the plays. The book includes discussion of two plays usually neglected by scholars - Das Kathchen von Heilbronn and Die Hermannsschlacht. All quotations are given in both German and English and full references are given to published English translations of Kleist's works as well as to the German originals.

Item Type:	Book
Subjects:	P Language and Literature > PT Germanic literature
Divisions:	Faculty of Arts > School of Modern Languages and Cultures > German Studies
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Kleist, Heinrich von, 1777-1811 -- Criticism and interpretation
Series Name:	Cambridge studies in German
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Place of Publication:	Cambridge
ISBN:	9780521025041
Official Date:	1996
Dates:	Date Event 1996 Published
Number of Pages:	315
Status:	Peer Reviewed

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