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Spellbound - Studies on Mesmerism and Literature (Paperback)
Loot Price: R1,113
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Spellbound - Studies on Mesmerism and Literature (Paperback)
Series: Princeton Legacy Library
Expected to ship within 12 - 17 working days
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Franz Anton Mesmer's concept of animal magnetism exercised a
profound influence on key European and American thinkers. Mesmer,
who saw in his discovery the secret of health, had hoped to recover
the harmony between man and nature by harnessing the power of
magnetic fluids. In calling attention to the existence of a second
self that surfaces in the hypnotic trance, Mesmer made his real
contribution and took the first, decisive steps on the road leading
to the unconscious. While most critical studies of mesmerism
originate in the history of science or medicine, Maria Tatar's book
takes a fresh approach by tracing the impact of mesmerism on
literature. The author launches her account with a portrait of
Mesmer and places his views in the context of eighteenth-century
thought. She then explores the significance of Mesmer's ideas and
studies their influence on nineteenth-century German, French, and
American writers. In conclusion, she examines the ways in which
modern authors absorbed and reshaped the mesmerist legacy
bequeathed to them by earlier generations. Whether discussing the
electrical energy vibrating through Kleist's dramas, the electrical
heat radiating from Hoffmann's figures, the streams of magnetic
fluid coursing through Balzac's novels, or the magnetic chain of
humanity linking Hawthorne's characters, Professor Tatar recaptures
the meaning of ideas, motifs, and metaphors often overlooked by
literary critics. Her study illuminates, in a remarkable way, the
subtle connections between science, psychology, and literature.
Originally published in 1978. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the
latest print-on-demand technology to again make available
previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of
Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original
texts of these important books while presenting them in durable
paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy
Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage
found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University
Press since its founding in 1905.
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