Joseph von Eichendorff Books

Professor Knox offers a splendid overview and critique of contemporary Oscar Wilde criticism. She illustrates how "-ism-guided" approaches tend to utilize Wilde for their own agendas rather than trying to come to terms with the contradictory and fascinating nature of his oeuvre. This book is a must read for any Wilde scholar as well as for advanced students pursuing work on Wilde or on approaches to literature.

I greatly enjoyed both the thorough examination of many important Wilde critics of the 1990s and the sensible point of view. The author defends clear writing and makes a forceful defense of biographically and psychologically based criticism, enlisting Wilde's own remarks in her argument. Her criticism of literary jargon is occasionally biting, and justifiably so. This is a book not for the politically correct, but rather the openminded scholar or student of literature. It is safe to say that Wilde himself would have enjoyed it.

well, im actually in the middle of writing an essay on the implementation of music in this book, in a romantic literature seminar in freiburg, germany. this is one of the most brilliant books we've read during the entire semester, exactly because, upon first reading this book, one sets it down with a smile and assumes that he has just enjoyed a splendid little novel about a "taugenichts" as a good for nothing is referred to in german. however, only upon examining the oft surfacing poetical songs of the novel and the easily over read subtleties of the lesser characters does one realize that the entire point and central theme of the book are something completely different that at first assumed. i can never remember so stark a smack in the face than i received while reading this book the fourth time through. the highest recommendation to anyone interested at all in the german literary romantic movement, or anyone else looking for a good, quick read (it's perfectly satisfying, as i've said, even if you dont dig deep).