Hyperion [Paperback]

Friedrich Holderlin (Author), Ross Benjamin (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2008

Hyperion is a novel of remarkable emotional force, poetic sublimity, and enduring influence. This sole novel by the iconic German lyric poet explores the pivotal phases of a poet’s life journey, the struggle for freedom, the divinity of nature and love, and the meaning of solitude. Friedrich Hölderlin’s gestures toward a higher spiritual unity left their mark on the founding texts of the nineteenth century.

Friedrich Hölderlin (1770–1843) has achieved recognition as one of the greatest German poets of lyrical verse. His work had a profound influence on German Romanticism.

Ross Benjamin is a freelance writer and translator living in Brooklyn, New York. His reviews have appeared in Bookforum, The Nation, and The New York Times.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Friedrich Hölderlin (1770-1843) achieved recognition as one of the greatest German poets of lyrical verse. Schoolmate of Hegel and Schelling, Holderlin's poems contain threads of philosophical thinking and Greek dramatic themes. Holderlin wrote Hyperion, his only extended prose work, shortly before being institutionalized for his mental instabilities. Ross Benjamin is a freelance writer and translator living in Brooklyn, New York. His work has appeared in The New York Times, Bookforum, The Nation, Metamorphoses: A Journal of Literary Translation and other publications. He was a 2003-2004 Fulbright Scholar in Berlin and a 2005 Woolrich Writing Fellow at Columbia University.

Product Details

• Paperback: 236 pages
• Publisher: Archipelago Books (April 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0979333024
• ISBN-13: 978-0979333026
• Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #526,400 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not Feeling It, November 3, 2009

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This review is from: Hyperion (Paperback)

I kind of alternate between history and fiction, my main problem being that i'm a fast reader who doesn't like to read mass market paperbacks. To that end, I keep a copy of 1001 Books to Read Before You Die and every so often I'll order 5-6 and just keep them handy when I run short on inspiration.

Hyperion is "one of those" a book I probably would never have read but for the 1001 Books. That said- I have been reading alot about 18th century german romanticism, and quite enjoyed Goethe's Autobiography of Young Werther.

However, this book was a bit much. The prose was just just too florid. On the plus side, it was only 170 pages in the Signet mid-60s era paperback I read (love those older literary paperbacks!) Unless you are a grad student in German lit, I would avoid Hyperion, and if you ARE a grad student in German lit, you'll probably read this book in German, yes?