The Oxford Companion to German Literature

Product Description

This new edition of Mary and Henry Garland’s classic
Oxford Companion to German Literature substantially revises and extends its coverage, making an invaluable reference work available to a new generation of readers. Designed to be a reliable source of information on the whole sweep of
literature from German-speaking countries from the eighth century onwards, the
Companion now comes right up to the mid-1990s, including such recent works as Günter Grass’s controversial novel about the unification of East and West Germany,
Ein weites Feld (1995). The entries, arranged in a single
alphabetical sequence, cover authors and their major works, as well as historical, intellectual, and cultural backgrounds. For this new edition much of the original material has been thoroughly reworked in the light of up-to-date scholarship, and many completely new entries have been added, allowing
improved coverage of the twentieth century, general topics, and women writers of all periods.

The
Companion’s unrivauled historical coverage and depth of information–on subjects as various as Kafka and Kleist,
Werther and Christa Wolf, Nietzsche and the
Nibelungenlied, Jung and Jelinek, Rilke and Die Reformation–makes it an indispensable reference book for everyone with an interest in the
literature and literary culture of the German-speaking world.

Review

“The Garlands’ classic work remains an excellent point of departure for readers needing background on a particular author or period in German literature….An indispensable reference tool for undergraduates and generalists with an interest in German literature, as well as an authoritative source for
graduate students and specialists in the field.”–
Choice

“…enough new information is presented here to make the book’s purchase worthwhile.”–
American Reference Books Annual

From the Back Cover

This new edition of Mary and Henry Garland’s classic Oxford Companion to German Literature substantially revises and extends its coverage, making an invaluable reference work available to a new generation of readers. Designed to be a reliable and easily accessible source of information on the whole sweep of literature from German-speaking countries from the eighth century onwards, the Companion now comes right up to the mid-1990s, including recent works such as Gunter Grass’s controversial novel about the unification of East and West Germany, Ein weites Feld (1995). It is addressed not only to specialists and students, for whom it has long been an essential work of reference, but also to the general reader. The entries, arranged in a single alphabetical sequence, cover authors and their major works, and also historical, intellectual, and cultural background. For this new edition much of the original material has been thoroughly reworked in the light of up-to-date scholarship, and many completely new entries have been added, allowing improved coverage of the twentieth century, general topics, and women writers of all periods. The Companion’s unrivalled historical coverage and depth of information – on subjects as various as Kafka and Kleist, Werther and Christa Wolf, Nietzsche and the Nibelungenlied, Jung and Jelinek, Rilke and Die Reformation – makes it an indispensable reference book for everyone with an interest in the literature and literary culture of the German-speaking world.

About the Author

The late
Henry Garland, who died before the Second Edition was published, was Professor Emeritus of German at the University of Exeter.
Mary Garland (joint author of the
Companion from its first conception) was Reader in German at Exeter until her retirement.