Queering the Canon: Defying Sights in German Literature and Culture (Studies in German Literature Linguistics and Culture) [Hardcover]

Christoph Lorey (Editor), John Plews (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1571131787 | ISBN-13: 978-1571131782 | Publication Date: October 15, 1998

This collection of twenty-three essays sets its sights on the points of queerness, marginality, and alterity already present within the German canon and introduces further difference and deviation in the form of openly gay German literature in order to promote the always-ongoing shift in cultural representation. Queering the Canon provides new analyses, from queer perspectives, of texts by authors whose names are familiar to canonical lists, including Goethe, Schiller, Thomas and Klaus Mann, Ingeborg Bachmann, Christa Reinig, and Elfriede Jelinek. It also makes welcome room for discussions of literary works that have seldom received scholarly attention.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Unfamiliar texts on (counter)-cultural topics are introduced to a wider readership. This alone should ensure that the book is relevant to a range of needs and should have an expansive influence....' --Modern Language Review

'Lorey and Plew's fine collection must be applauded for its diversity of contributions. It operates on several levels, demonstrating the range of debates that accompany gay and lesbian studies and how these new methodologies can apply to German literature and film.' --Seminar

'A thought-provoking and useful addition to library collections of German and gay literature.' MONATSHEFTE 'Lorey and Plews have assembled an intriguing and stimulating array of research.... A thought-provoking volume that provides groundbreaking research...' INTERNATIONAL FICTION REVIEW (...) deserves a place on every German scholar's bookshelf as a suggestion and a beacon. GERMAN QUARTERLY --Various

From the Inside Flap

An introduction of what it means to 'queer the canon' opens the volume. The first section investigates the recent impact of queer theory on literary studies and the German academy, the connections between musicology and sexology, and the debates on legalizing homosexuality at the turn of the century. The second section considers lesbian, gay, and transgendered themes in canonical and marginalized works dating from the Middle Ages to the present. The third section explores the development and sociocommercial effects of queer practices as they encounter - and evolve into - convention in film, film soundtracks, and fine art. All the essays - written by an international group of scholars - offer unique, often radical insights in their fields.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 521 pages
• Publisher: Camden House (October 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1571131787
• ISBN-13: 978-1571131782
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.6 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,498,433 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)