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The “current” constitutes the central concept in Georg Brandes’ grand oeuvre Main Currents in Nineteenth Century Literature. The concept denotes the major ideas and ideologies that dominated the successive periods Brandes examined, but it also designates a more elusive phenomenon – the whole emotional spectrum of feelings, moods, and sensibilities that suffused the individuals and societies that Brandes’ sought to describe and understand. Turning to literary works rather than political treatises, pamphlets, or other non-fictional documents, Brandes conceived of literature as an archive of both the ideas and the emotions of a given historical period. Indeed, Brandes’ famed “comparative literary perspective” was the prerequisite for discerning and writing a history of emotions. This chapter delves into Main Currents and outlines Brandes’ concept of emotions as he developed it across the six volumes. The chapter thereby seeks to recuperate a surprisingly innovative approach that serves as an important forerunner of Raymond William’s influential notion, in the 20th century, of ‘structures of feeling’ as well as a relevant background for the resurgence of interest in emotions, feelings, and affects in 21st century literary and cultural theory.
In:
Georg Brandes
In:
Georg Brandes
A Pioneer of Comparative Literature and a Global Public Intellectual
Georg Brandes (1842-1927) was one of the leading literary critics in Europe of his time. His Main Currents of Nineteenth Century Literature (1872-1890) was a foundational text to the field of comparative literature and extolled by Thomas Mann as the “Bible of the young intellectual Europe at the turn of the century.” Georg Brandes eventually developed into a truly global public intellectual, living by his pen and public lectures. On the eve of World War I, he was one of the most sought-after commentators, vigorously opposing all conflicting factions. This book seeks to understand Brandes’ trajectory, to evaluate Brandes’ significance for current discussions of literary criticism and public engagement, and to introduce Brandes to an international audience. It consists of 15 original chapters commissioned from experts in the field.
A Pioneer of Comparative Literature and a Global Public Intellectual
Georg Brandes (1842-1927) was one of the leading literary critics in Europe of his time. His Main Currents of Nineteenth Century Literature (1872-1890) was a foundational text to the field of comparative literature and extolled by Thomas Mann as the “Bible of the young intellectual Europe at the turn of the century.” Georg Brandes eventually developed into a truly global public intellectual, living by his pen and public lectures. On the eve of World War I, he was one of the most sought-after commentators, vigorously opposing all conflicting factions. This book seeks to understand Brandes’ trajectory, to evaluate Brandes’ significance for current discussions of literary criticism and public engagement, and to introduce Brandes to an international audience. It consists of 15 original chapters commissioned from experts in the field.