The Birth of Novalis: Friedrich von Hardenberg's Journal of 1797, with Selected Letters and Documents (SUNY series, Intersections: Philosophy and Critical Theory) Book PDF, ePub eBook

Join our eBook service for unlimited books & audiobooks. Get a free 7 day subscription! ↓↓↓↓↓


Book Descriptions:
A frank and candid glimpse into the early life of the maturing poet.

Friedrich von Hardenberg, who later became known as the poet Novalis, kept a journal between April and July 1797 that captured his moods, thoughts, and observations following the death of his fifteen-year-old fiancée Sophie von Kühn and his dearly loved younger brother Erasmus. The journal’s short, day-to-day entries allow a frank and candid glimpse into the inner life of the maturing poet, and are complemented by selections from Hardenberg’s letters. Taken together, and read in conjunction with the fragments written before, during, and shortly after this period of time, the journal and letters shed light on a process of self-discovery during which Hardenberg became convinced of his poetic vocation and acknowledged this conviction in an act of self-christening, as the poet Novalis.

“The Birth of Novalis … the title of which recalls the outworn image, actually dismantles the Novalis legend. This invaluable biographical collection concentrates on the engagement to Sophie von Kühn, from the poet’s meeting with the twelve-year-old to her excruciating death at just fifteen. … The diaries are filled with references to social events, to conversations, meals, walks, and so on. There are also some fairly frank notes on his sexual activity, what Novalis calls ‘the satisfaction of my fantastical desires.’” — The Times Literary Supplement

“This book offers, for the very first time, a reliable and lucid translation into English of the most important primary sources pertaining to the biography of the German Romantic poet-philosopher Novalis. Here we glimpse the inner workings of a now legendary event: the transformation of the mining student Friedrich von Hardenberg into the romantic poet Novalis. The idea to gather letters and supporting biographical material from precisely this period and unite them into a single volume is both a masterly and welcome enterprise. It finally allows an English-speaking audience direct access to one of the most fascinating and enduring love relationships in literary history—that of Sophie von Kühn and Friedrich von Hardenberg. Donehower’s insightful introduction and thoroughly readable commentary interspersed between the letters does a great deal to separate the fact from the fiction and myth in Hardenberg’s biography.” — David W. Wood, University of Paris IV, Sorbonne

“Making this material available in English is a great service and long overdue. It offers the materials to contextualize Novalis’ other writings, showing how his work responds to his particular biographical context (unavoidable, given the strong mythmaking surrounding Novalis’ personal losses and their fictionalizations).” — Katherine Arens, author of Empire in Decline: Fritz Mauthner’s Critique of Wilhelminian Germany

Bruce Donehower is Lecturer in the University Writing Program at the University of California at Davis. He is the author of Miko, Little Hunter of the North.

The Birth of Novalis: Friedrich von Hardenberg's Journal of 1797, with Selected Letters and Documents (SUNY series, Intersections: Philosophy and Critical Theory) by Novalis, Friedrich von Hardenberg

From reader reviews:

Troy Munoz:

Reading a reserve can be one of a lot of action that everyone in the world loves. Do you like reading book therefore. There are a lot of reasons why people enjoyed. First reading a publication will give you a lot of new details. When you read a publication you will get new information mainly because book is one of a number of ways to share the information as well as their idea. Second, examining a book will make an individual more imaginative. When you reading through a book especially fiction book the author will bring someone to imagine the story how the characters do it anything. Third, you can share your knowledge to other folks. When you read this The Birth of Novalis: Friedrich von Hardenberg's Journal of 1797, with Selected Letters and Documents (SUNY series, Intersections: Philosophy and Critical Theory), you can tells your family, friends in addition to soon about yours guide. Your knowledge can inspire average, make them reading a e-book.

Arlene Farmer:

The Birth of Novalis: Friedrich von Hardenberg's Journal of 1797, with Selected Letters and Documents (SUNY series, Intersections: Philosophy and Critical Theory) can be one of your beginning books that are good idea. Many of us recommend that straight away because this reserve has good vocabulary that will increase your knowledge in language, easy to understand, bit entertaining but nevertheless delivering the information. The article writer giving his/her effort to set every word into delight arrangement in writing The Birth of Novalis: Friedrich von Hardenberg's Journal of 1797, with Selected Letters and Documents (SUNY series, Intersections: Philosophy and Critical Theory) however doesn't forget the main position, giving the reader the hottest in addition to based confirm resource info that maybe you can be one among it. This great information may drawn you into brand new stage of crucial thinking.

Donald Murray:

You may spend your free time to learn this book this guide. This The Birth of Novalis: Friedrich von Hardenberg's Journal of 1797, with Selected Letters and Documents (SUNY series, Intersections: Philosophy and Critical Theory) is simple bringing you can read it in the park your car, in the beach, train and soon. If you did not have got much space to bring the particular printed book, you can buy typically the e-book. It is make you better to read it. You can save the book in your smart phone. And so there are a lot of benefits that you will get when one buys this book.

June Slater:

Is it an individual who having spare time and then spend it whole day by watching television programs or just telling lies on the bed? Do you need something totally new? This The Birth of Novalis: Friedrich von Hardenberg's Journal of 1797, with Selected Letters and Documents (SUNY series, Intersections: Philosophy and Critical Theory) can be the solution, oh how comes? A book you know. You are consequently out of date, spending your spare time by reading in this fresh era is common not a geek activity. So what these books have than the others?