Synopses & Reviews
Ostensibly, A Literary Review is a straightforward commentary by Søren Kierkegaard on the work of a contemporary novelist. On deeper levels, however, it becomes the existential philosopher's far-reaching critique of his society and age, and its apocalyptic final sections inspired the central ideas in Martin Heiddeger's influential work Being and Time. Embraced by many readers as prophetic, A Literary Review and its concepts remain relevant to our current debates on identity, addiction, and social conformity.
Synopsis
While ostensibly commenting on the work of a contemporary novelist, Kierkegaard used this review as a critique of his society and age. The influence of this short piece has been far-reaching. The apocalyptic final sections are the source for central notions in Heidegger's
Being and Time. Later readers have seized on the essay as a prophetic analysis of our own time. Its concepts have been drawn into current debates on identity, addiction, and social conformity.
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About the Author
Søren Kierkegaard (1813-1855) was born in Denmark and wrote on a wide variety of themes, including religion, psychology, and literature. He is remembered for his philosophy, which was influential in the development of twentieth-century existentialism. A Literary Review is one of the few works Kierkegaard wrote under his own name.
Table of Contents
Translator's Introduction
Further Reading
Translator's Note
A LITERARY REVIEW
Preface
Introduction
I. Prospectus of the Contents of Both Parts
Part One: The Age of Revolution
Part Two: The Present Age
II. An Aesthetic Reading of the Novel and Its Details
III. The Results of Observing the Two Ages
The Age of Revolution
The Present Age
Notes