IlluminationsStudies on contemporary art and culture by one of the most original, critical and analytical minds of this century. Illuminations includes Benjamin's views on Kafka, with whom he felt the closest personal affinity, his studies on Baudelaire and Proust (both of whom he translated), his essays on Leskov and on Brecht's Epic Theater. Also included are his penetrating study on "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction," an illuminating discussion of translation as a literary mode, and his thesis on the philosophy of history. Hannah Arendt selected the essays for this volume and prefaces them with a substantial, admirably informed introduction that presents Benjamin's personality and intellectual development, as well as his work and his life in dark times.Reflections the companion volume to this book, is also available in Schocken paperback. |
Contents
Introduction Walter Benjamin 18921940 | 1 |
Unpacking My Library A Talk about Book Collecting | 59 |
The Task of the Translator An Introduction to the Translation of Baudelaires Tableaux Parisiens | 69 |
Copyright | |
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Abel Gance actor Adorno appear artistic aura Baudelaire Baudelaire's beautiful become Brecht Briefe camera century collection collector concept criticism crowd cult value Dadaism death dialectical element epic theater essay everything existence experience eyes Fascism father figure film flâneur Franz Kafka function German gestures Goethe hand historical materialist human insight Jewish Jews Kafka Karl Kraus language later Leskov linguistic literary literature little hunchback living look lyric poetry Marxism masses matter Max Brod means mechanical reproduction mémoire involontaire memory ment mode nature never novel object original painting Paris past Paul Valéry photography picture play poem poet poetry present production Proust reader reality regarded relationship Scholem Schriften sense shock Shuvalkin significance social sound film speak Stefan George story storyteller strange sure things thinking thought tion tradition translation truth turn unique Valéry Walter Benjamin Werner Kraft words writing wrote