
The Chain of Things
Divinatory Magic and the Practice of Reading in German Literature and Thought, 1850-1940
Eric Downing(Author)
Cornell University Press and Cornell University Library
Published on 15. April 2018
366 pages
978-1-5017-1592-1 (ISBN)
System requirements
for ePUB without DRM
E-Book Single Licence
You are acquiring a single user licence for this eBook, which you might not transfer. [L]
Available for download
Description
Alles über E-Books | Antworten auf Fragen rund um E-Books, Kopierschutz und Dateiformate finden Sie in unserem Info- & Hilfebereich.
In The Chain of Things, Eric Downing shows how the connection between divinatory magic and reading shaped the experience of reading and aesthetics among nineteenth-century realists and modernist thinkers. He explores how writers, artists, and critics such as Gottfried Keller, Theodor Fontane, and Walter Benjamin drew on the ancient practice of divination, connecting the Greek idea of sympathetic magic to the German aesthetic concept of the attunement of mood and atmosphere.
Downing deftly traces the genealogical connection between reading and art in classical antiquity, nineteenth-century realism, and modernism, attending to the ways in which the modern re-enchantment of the world-both in nature and human society-consciously engaged ancient practices that aimed at preternatural prediction. Of particular significance to the argument presented in The Chain of Things is how the future figured into the reading of texts during this period, a time when the future as a narrative determinant or article of historical faith was losing its force. Elaborating a new theory of magic as a critical tool, Downing secures crucial links between the governing notions of time, world, the "real," and art.
Downing deftly traces the genealogical connection between reading and art in classical antiquity, nineteenth-century realism, and modernism, attending to the ways in which the modern re-enchantment of the world-both in nature and human society-consciously engaged ancient practices that aimed at preternatural prediction. Of particular significance to the argument presented in The Chain of Things is how the future figured into the reading of texts during this period, a time when the future as a narrative determinant or article of historical faith was losing its force. Elaborating a new theory of magic as a critical tool, Downing secures crucial links between the governing notions of time, world, the "real," and art.
Reviews / Votes
... this is a work of engaged and engaging criticism whose dis-disenchanting programme will move its readers to (re)visit not just the two target novels but, in principle, any other work marked 'realist.' * MODERN LANGUAGE REVIEW * By challenging the received historiographical and aesthetic notions that underpin the study of Realism by expanding our understanding of mimesis, rather than jettisoning it, Downing's work potently charges and expands many of the crucial concepts of both the field and its best-known authors. The Chain of Things gives scholars working in the field invaluable tools to approach some of the most difficult and intriguing questions of these difficult and intriguing texts. * The Germanic Review: Literature, Culture, Theory *More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Ithaca
United States
Publishing group
Cornell University Press
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
ISBN-13
978-1-5017-1592-1 (9781501715921)
DOI
tps://doi.org/10.7298/cqqh-1r16
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Eric Downing
The Chain of Things
Divinatory Magic and the Practice of Reading in German Literature and Thought, 1850-1940
Book
04/2018
Cornell University Press and Cornell University Library
€57.13
Shipment within 15-20 days

Eric Downing
The Chain of Things
Divinatory Magic and the Practice of Reading in German Literature and Thought, 1850-1940
Book
04/2018
Cornell University Press and Cornell University Library
€136.67
Shipment within 15-20 days
Person
Eric Downing is Professor of German, English, and Comparative Literature and Adjunct Professor of Classics at the University of North Carolina.
System requirements
File format: ePUB
Copy protection: without DRM (Digital Rights Management)
System requirements:
- Computer (Windows; MacOS X; Linux): Use a reader that can handle the file format ePUB, such as Adobe Digital Editions or FBReader – both free (see eBook Help).
- Tablet/Smartphone (Android; iOS): Install the free app Adobe Digital Editions or the app PocketBook (see eBook Help).
- E-reader: Bookeen, Kobo, Pocketbook, Sony, Tolino and many more (not Kindle).
The file format ePUB works well for novels and non-fiction books – i.e., 'flowing' text without complex layout. On an e-reader or smartphone, line and page breaks automatically adjust to fit the small displays.
This eBook does not use copy protection or Digital Rights Management
For more information, see our eBook Help page.