Jane Eyre in German Lands

Rezensionen / Stimmen

For any scholar interested in Jane Eyre and its transcultural and transnational influence, this book is a must, and it is of special importance to scholars of nineteenth-century women writers in German-speaking territories. * The German Quarterly * Lynne Tatlock's new book is a monumental achievement. Her analysis of the German reception of Jane Eyre breaks new ground in the study of the novel and the history of world literature. She follows Charlotte Bronte's work from England to the Continent and shows how it was translated and adapted countless times for new audiences. Making judicious use of digital tools and archival research, combining literary sociology with astute textual analysis, Tatlock shows how literature moved and why it mattered to generations of predominantly female readers. * Todd Kontje, Distinguished Professor of German and Comparative Literature, University of California, San Diego, USA * Lynne Tatlock's Jane Eyre in German Lands is a highly innovative study of the German-language dissemination of Charlotte Bronte's novel in the second half of the long 19th century. Combining research on Jane Eyre's translation and distribution on the German book market with data about its reception and adaptation, the book culminates in a powerful reading of E. Marlitt's novels as Jane Eyre surrogates, highlighting not only the enormous influence of Jane Eyre among German writers, but also the emancipatory potential the romance plot held for female readers. Tatlock's masterful study exemplifies literary and cultural studies in the 21st century at their very best. * Daniela Richter, Professor of German, Central Michigan Univerity, USA * Lynne Tatlock's innovative book on the reception and adaptation of Jane Eyre in the German context provocatively argues that the dissemination of "Jane Eyrish" elements through popular romantic plots built around a spirited, bookish female protagonist allowed German women readers to imagine new vocational possibilities and modes of intimacy. Tatlock's work is a model for feminist scholars, for scholars of translation, object culture, and the history of the book, and for digital humanities scholars who acknowledge the benefits of distant reading but who firmly believe that close reading is indispensable. * Jill Suzanne Smith, Associate Professor of German, Bowdoin College, USA *