Details

Subject(s)

• Musil, Robert 1880-1942—Mann ohne Eigenschaften [Browse]
• Roth, Joseph 1894-1939—Radetzkymarsch [Browse]
• Bachmann, Ingeborg 1926-1973—Drei Wege zum See [Browse]
• Austrian literature—20th century—History and criticism [Browse]

Series

• Studies in German literature, linguistics, and culture [More in this series]
• Studies in German literature, linguistics, and culture. [More in this series]

Summary note

"Austria was not the only European country whose old order disintegrated in the early twentieth century, giving way to the crisis of modernity, nor the only country whose literature bears the marks of this crisis. But modernity's onset was experienced differently in Austria: in the words of Karl Kraus, the country served as a "laboratory for the fall of world civilization." This book examines the crisis as reflected in fiction written by Robert Musil, Joseph Roth, and Ingeborg Bachmann between 1920 and 1970. After examining the elusive concept of modernity, Malcolm Spencer looks at the response of the three authors to the central themes of modernity: fragmentation, nationalism, the end of empire, and ambivalence. Chapters on Musil examine his understanding of the ancien regime in Austria and his analysis of the ideological stage of modernity. Spencer then considers Roth's more negative reaction, showing the post-imperial novel Radetzkymarsch to be a nostalgic response to the collapse of Habsburg Austria and the rise of fascism. The final chapter looks again at the end of empire, not in the work of writers who lived through it, but through that of one who experienced it as a historical and cultural legacy: Ingeborg Bachmann."--Jacket.

Bibliographic references

Includes bibliographical references (pages 239-249) and index.

Source of description

Print version record.

ISBN

• 9781571138002 ((electronic bk.))
• 1571138005 ((electronic bk.))

OCLC

694362908

Statement on responsible collection description

Princeton University Library aims to describe library materials in a manner that is respectful to the individuals and communities who create, use, and are represented in the collections we manage. Read more...