The Work of Enchantment suggests that it is a lack of
"enchantment" in rich, developed countries that causes soul-starved
Westerners to experience mental (and sometimes physical) illness.
Del Nevo argues that this "enchantment" is most often experienced
in childhood, but can also be found in adulthood, particularly
through art. However, adults must cultivate within themselves the
ability to appreciate art by reading, listening, and
gazing--activities often misconceived in advanced industrial
societies.
Del Nevo describes the framework of enchantment and its
philosophical and historical roots. He then concentrates on the
work of enchantment within literature, considering what enchantment
might entail taking the works of Proust, Rilke, and Goethe as
examples. Del Nevo shows how a sense of enchantment forms within
and between art works, using his literary examples, as well as
between the work and the audience. The reader will learn along the
way that enchantment may be found in the power of words, as an
expression of the desire of the soul, a compliment of melancholy,
and in art that points to something beyond itself.
Enchantment may be found in many places, ranging from
philosophy, religion, and psychology to sociology and culture, but
here Del Nevo focuses on literature. His audience is people who are
searching for something beyond money or glamour--perhaps the
meaning of art and culture. His focus on literary masterpieces such
as the Duino Elegies, Remembrance of Things Past, Wilhelm Meister's
Journeyman Years, and others will make it of interest to those in
cultural studies. Well written and engaging, and accessible to
non-specialist readers, this unusual work in philosophy and
aesthetics is free of jargon and complicated verbiage. Inspiring
and enlivening, it is, in the author's words, "a stirring call to
idleness."
General
Imprint: |
AldineTransaction
|
Country of origin: |
United States |
Release date: |
August 2011 |
First published: |
2011 |
Editors: |
Matthew Del Nevo
|
Dimensions: |
216 x 138 x 15mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Hardcover - Cloth over boards
|
Pages: |
180 |
ISBN-13: |
978-1-4128-1860-5 |
Categories: |
Books >
Humanities >
Philosophy >
General
Books >
Philosophy >
General
|
LSN: |
1-4128-1860-5 |
Barcode: |
9781412818605 |
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