Mimesis
The Representation of Reality in Western Literature
Recommended by Peter Paret, and 1 others. See all reviewsRanked #100 in Aesthetics
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.
A German Jew, Auerbach was forced out of his professorship at the... more
A German Jew, Auerbach was forced out of his professorship at the... more
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Peter Paret For many of us Erich Auerbach’s Mimesis still stands as a monumental achievement in literary criticism. In the book he explores how great European writers from Homer to Virginia Woolf depicted reality and by doing so he has taught generations how to read Western literature. (Source)