The Literary and Cultural Reception of Charles Darwin in Europe

Description

Beyond his pivotal place in the history of scientific thought, Charles Darwin's writings and his theory of evolution by natural selection have also had a profound impact on art and culture and continue to do so to this day. The Literary and Cultural Reception of Charles Darwin in Europe is a comprehensive survey of this enduring cultural impact throughout the continent. With chapters written by leading international scholars that explore how literary writers and popular culture responded to Darwin's thought, the book also includes an extensive timeline of his cultural reception in Europe and bibliographies of major translations in each country.

Thomas F. Glick is Emeritus Professor of History at Boston University, USA. He is author of Negotiating Darwin: The Vatican Confronts Evolution 1877-1902 (2006) and What About Darwin? (2010) and co-editor of The Reception of Charles Darwin in Europe (2008). Elinor Shaffer, FBA, Senior Research Fellow, Institute of Modern Languages Research, School of Advanced Study, University of London. She is author of 'Kubla Khan' and The Fall of Jerusalem: The Mythological School of Biblical Criticism and Secular Literature (1980), The Third Culture: Literature and Science (ed.) (1998), the annual journal Comparative Criticism (ed.), and a contributor to Samuel Butler: Victorian Against the Grain (2007). She is Series Editor of the Reception of British and Irish Authors in Europe (2004-present).

The tracking of intellectual legacies across vast geographical and temporal expanses was a striking feature of reception studies received this year. -- Jane Stabler * Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900 * A series of very thorough; well-written, well-researched essays are divided into major sections focusing on Germany and Northern Europe, Scandinavia, The Low Countries, Russia, Galicia, France, Italy, Portugal, Spain, and Greece. Each essay examines not only Darwin's work, but also how it was adapted within the work of other authors. Extensive footnotes are included with each essay. Also included is an expansive timeline (1847-2009) recording the appearance of various translations, examinations, interpretations, and criticism of Darwin's work, as well as any commemorations and public events. -- Martha Lawler * American Reference Books Annual *