Judaism & Judaica, Jewish Studies, General & Miscellaneous Literary Criticism, Historiography, Jewish History, Jewish Literature

Persecution, Extermination, Literature

Name: Persecution, Extermination, Literature
Author: Sem Dresden, Henry G. Schogt
ISBN: 9780802076687

by Sem Dresden, Henry G. Schogt

Write a review

Overview

Works of art like Art Spiegelman's Maus and Steven Spielberg's Schindler's List have earned critical and popular acclaim for their moving portrayals of the horror of the holocaust. Not everyone, however, is convinced that concentration and extermination camp experiences lend themselves to treatment in the visual arts and literature. Persecution, Extermination, Literature discusses the difficult and delicate problem of how to approach the literature on the persecution and extermination of the Jews during the Nazi regime. Dresden's aim is two-fold: on the one hand to establish the conditions in which holocaust literature was produced, and on the other to explore the implications of the reader's responses to this writing. He argues that the subject of persecution and extermination makes it impossible to use customary criteria to judge works of art, and in so doing, he raises general questions about literature and reality, about the notions of authenticity and truth, and about the relationship between life and art. The unusual combination of a deeply felt tribute to the victims of the Nazi terror and a lucid investigation of the essential role of literature in keeping the past alive is presented in a series of essays, translated here for the first time into English.

Reviews

There are no reviews yet. Log in to write one.

Editorials

Jewish Book World

In this critical investigation of Holocaust literature, Dresden seeks to answer one question: can literature, which by its nature is narrow in focus but universal in meaning, adequately describe the extermination of European Jewry? He ultimately concludes this medium is the best way to insure that the Holocaust is never forgotten, but he is also critical of misusing and therby trivializing the greatest tragedy of our century.

Booknews

A study of Holocaust literature, establishing the conditions in which the literature was produced and exploring the implications of the reader's responses to the writing. Dresden (comparative literature, Leiden U., The Netherlands) argues that the subject of persecution and extermination makes it impossible to use customary criteria to judge works of art, and raises questions about authenticity and truth and the relationship between life and art. Contains b&w photos. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)