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OverviewA personal look into the mind of one of Europe's first and foremost women of letters. At times poetic but not a poem, prosaic but not an essay, a letter is often pure writing for writing's sake. Such is the case for Rahel Varnhagen von Ense, née Levin, the illustrious German-Jewish Berlin literary salon hostess from the early nineteenth century. She penned over ten thousand letters to more than three hundred recipients, including princes, philosophers, poets, family members, and the family cook. Written with a wink at posterity, collected and first published after her passing by her husband, Karl August Varnhagen von Ense, these letters constitute a singular contribution to German literature. Varied in subject—from family affairs to linguistic, literary, and pressing social concerns—the poignant lyricism of her letters is all the more remarkable when we take into account that High German was not her first language; she grew up speaking, reading, and writing primarily Yiddish. Her shaky social status as a woman and a member of a precarious minority, combined with an astounding lucidity and a rare capacity to put her thoughts into words, made her a force to be reckoned with in her lifetime and thereafter as one of Germany's preeminent women of letters. As we see in I Just Let Life Rain Down on Me, her voice is as fresh and original as that of any of the recognized poets and thinkers of her day. As Rahel herself put it: ""[O]ur language is our lived life; I invented mine for my own purposes, I was less able than many others to make use of preconceived turns of phrase, which is why mine are often clumsy, and in all respects faulty, but always true."" Compiled and translated by Peter Wortsman, this rewarding volume affords English-speaking readers the first privileged peek at the mindset of one of Europe's first and foremost women of letters. Full Product DetailsAuthor: Rahel Levin Varnhagen , Peter Wortsman , Peter Wortsman , Peter WortsmanPublisher: Seagull Books London Ltd Imprint: Seagull Books London Ltd Dimensions: Width: 15.20cm , Height: 2.30cm , Length: 22.90cm Weight: 0.513kg ISBN: 9781803093369ISBN 10: 1803093366 Pages: 232 Publication Date: 02 September 2024 Audience: General/trade , General Format: Hardback Publisher's Status: Active Availability: In stock  We have confirmation that this item is in stock with the supplier. It will be ordered in for you and dispatched immediately. Table of ContentsForeword: Return to Sender, the Letters of Rahel Levin Varnhagen Recollections of Rahel, by Karl August Varnhagen von Ense (1830) 1. Letters to Family 2. Letters to David Veit 3. Letters to Various Friends 4. Grappling with Goethe and Other Contemporary Authors of Note, and Other Literary Reflections 5. Letters to and Recollections Noted by Karl August Varnhagen von Ense 6. Reflections (Selected Journal Notations and Remembered Conversations) 7. Aphorisms 8. Memorable Dreams 9. Last Words AcknowledgementsReviewsAuthor InformationRahel Varnhagen von Ense, née Levin (1771–1833) was a German-Jewish conversationalist who ran one of Berlin’s most influential literary salons. Peter Wortsman is an author of fiction, poetry, stage plays, and nonfiction, including his travel memoir, Ghost Dance in Berlin. His English translations from German include works by Peter Altenberg, Franz Kafka, Heinrich von Kleist, Heinrich Heine, E. T. A. Hoffmann, and Robert Musil. He is based in New York City. Tab Content 6Author Website:Countries AvailableAll regions |
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