Synopsis
Gotthold Ephraim Lessing (1729-1781) was a German writer, philosopher, dramatist, publicist, and art critic, and one of the most outstanding representatives of the Enlightenment era. His plays and theoretical writings substantially influenced the development of German literature. In 1770 he became a librarian at the Herzog-August-Bibliothek in Wolfenbüttel. Lessing was a poet, philosopher and critic. As an outstanding representative of the German Enlightenment, he became the leading figure for the new self-confidence of the bourgeoisie. His theoretical and critical writings are remarkable for their often witty and ironic style and their unerring polemics. Early in his life, Lessing showed interest in the theatre. He tried to contribute to the development of a new bourgeois theatre in Germany. Today his own works appear as prototypes of the later developed bourgeois German drama. Miß Sara Sampson and Emilia Galotti are seen as the first bourgeois tragedies, Minna Von Barnhelm; or, The Soldier's Fortune (1767) as the model for many classic German comedies, Nathan the Wise (1779) as the first ideological idea drama ("Ideendrama").
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Review
"'An engrossing revival of a serious classic' Daily Mail 'New prose translation by Edward Kemp, lucid, colloquial and witty' The Times. 'Edward Kemp's terrific translation balances German gravitas with a comic deftness' FT 'A striking... mix of ethical preaching and comedy - with notable echoes of The Merchant of Venice... this multicultural tale is certainly relevant to our time' Independent on Sunday."
About the Author
G.E. Lessing (1729-81) wrote three plays in addition to Nathan the Wise (1779): Miss Sara Sampson (1755), based on the novels of Samuel Richardson; Minna von Barnhelm (1767), the first true German comedy; and Emilia Galotti (1772), a middle-class tragedy. Edward Kemp is a freelance writer and director. Earlier work includes a two-part adaptation of The Mysteries for the RSC, published by Nick Hern Books and available from TCG. He is literary manager at Chichester Festival Theatre.
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Nathan the Wise (Dodo Press)
Seller: Books to Die For, The Woodlands, TX, U.S.A.
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Soft cover. Condition: Very Good. VG+ in glossy illustrated wrappers. Paperback. 196 pp. Covers lightly shelf-rubbed. Front cover has light vertical reading crease at spine edge. Spine square, tight, uncreased. Interior bright, clean. No marks.Very nice reading/research copy. (Item description copyrighted by Books to Die For, selling through ABE Books since 2001.). Seller Inventory # 4533