Brings Kafka’s fiction into conversation with philosophy and political theory. Many of Kafka’s narratives place their heroes in situations of confinement. Gregor Samsa is locked in his room in the Metamorphosis, and the land surveyor in The Castle is stuck in the village unable either to leave or to gain access to the castle. Dimitris Vardoulakis argues that Kafka constructs these plots of confinement in order to laugh at his heroes’ futile attempts to express their will. In this way, Kafka emerges as a critic of the free will and as a proponent of a different kind of freedom: one focused within the confines of one’s experience and mediated by one’s circumstances. Vardoulakis contends that his sense of humor is the key to understanding Kafka as a political thinker. Laughter, in this account, is the tool used to deconstruct power. By placing Kafka in dialogue with philosophy and political theory, Vardoulakis shows that Kafka can give us invaluable insights into how to be free—and how to laugh. “Vardoulakis’s original new book contributes to the fields of Kafka studies, political theory, and contemporary European philosophy by forcefully realigning our understanding of the problem of freedom and the free will as it traverses Kafka’s literary texts. Its greatest strength lies in its careful and rigorous exposition of the refractory concepts of freedom that circulate through Kafka’s most canonical works.” — Gerhard Richter, author of Inheriting Walter Benjamin “Freedom from the Free Will is at the forefront of a vibrant new development in Kafka studies that, without succumbing to old debates about Kafka’s supposed ‘religiosity,’ rigorously works out the philosophical undercurrents and theoretical consequences of his literary practices. The laughing, playful Kafka encountered in Vardoulakis’s book creates concepts of freedom that cannot be found elsewhere.” — Peter Fenves, author of The Messianic Reduction: Walter Benjamin and the Shape of Time

"A splendid addition to the now-long list of Professor Sussman's admirable books."---J. HILLIS MILLER, University of California, Irvine --

Esther Schor tells us about the persistence of the dead, about why they still matter long after we emerge from grief and accept our loss. Mourning as a cultural phenomenon has become opaque to us in the twentieth century, Schor argues. This book is an effort to recover the culture of mourning that thrived in English society from the Enlightenment through the Romantic Age, and to recapture its meaning. Mourning appears here as the social diffusion of grief through sympathy, as a force that constitutes communities and helps us to conceptualize history. In the textual and social practices of the British Enlightenment and its early nineteenth-century heirs, Schor uncovers the ways in which mourning mediated between received ideas of virtue, both classical and Christian, and a burgeoning, property-based commercial society. The circulation of sympathies maps the means by which both valued things and values themselves are distributed within a culture. Delving into philosophy, politics, economics, and social history as well as literary texts, Schor traces a shift in the British discourse of mourning in the wake of the French Revolution: What begins as a way to effect a moral consensus in society turns into a means of conceiving and bringing forth history.

Bestseller Works of J. M. Barrie Part 2: This collection of books by J. M. Barrie showcases some of his best-selling works that have charmed readers over the years. The anthology includes "Sentimental Tommy", "Auld Licht Idylls", and "The Little Minister". Through these captivating works, readers can experience Barrie's skillful storytelling, memorable characters, and exploration of themes such as childhood, love, and the complexities of human emotions. Key Aspects of the Book "Sentimental Tommy": Coming-of-Age Story: "Sentimental Tommy" is a coming-of-age novel that follows the journey of its protagonist, Tommy Sandys, as he navigates the challenges of growing up. Character Development: Barrie's narrative delves into the development of Tommy's character and his evolution from a mischievous boy to a young man seeking meaning in life. Exploration of Childhood: The book provides a poignant exploration of the complexities and innocence of childhood. Key Aspects of the Book "Auld Licht Idylls": Scottish Village Life: "Auld Licht Idylls" presents a charming portrayal of life in a Scottish village, depicting its traditions and characters with warmth and humor. Short Stories: The book is a collection of short stories, each offering a unique glimpse into the lives and experiences of the villagers. Themes of Community and Tradition: Barrie's narratives celebrate the sense of community and the endurance of tradition in the village setting. Key Aspects of the Book "The Little Minister": Romantic Drama: "The Little Minister" is a romantic drama that unfolds in the Scottish countryside, revolving around the love story between Gavin Dishart, a young minister, and Babbie, a mysterious and spirited young woman. Conflict and Tensions: Barrie's narrative weaves themes of love, social expectations, and societal tensions into an emotionally charged plot. Character of Babbie: The character of Babbie, with her independent spirit, adds intrigue and complexity to the story. J. M. Barrie was a Scottish author and playwright, known for creating the beloved character of Peter Pan. His literary works, including these bestsellers, continue to be celebrated for their charm, wit, and insights into the human experience.

“After Auschwitz to write even a single poem is barbaric.” The Conflagration of Community challenges Theodor Adorno’s famous statement about aesthetic production after the Holocaust, arguing for the possibility of literature to bear witness to extreme collective and personal experiences. J. Hillis Miller masterfully considers how novels about the Holocaust relate to fictions written before and after it, and uses theories of community from Jean-Luc Nancy and Derrida to explore the dissolution of community bonds in its wake. Miller juxtaposes readings of books about the Holocaust—Keneally’s Schindler’s List, McEwan’s Black Dogs, Spiegelman’s Maus, and Kertész’s Fatelessness—with Kafka’s novels and Morrison’s Beloved, asking what it means to think of texts as acts of testimony. Throughout, Miller questions the resonance between the difficulty of imagining, understanding, or remembering Auschwitz—a difficulty so often a theme in records of the Holocaust—and the exasperating resistance to clear, conclusive interpretation of these novels. The Conflagration of Community is an eloquent study of literature’s value to fathoming the unfathomable.

This book was the first sign of the gorgeous Indian summer which was to diffuse its golden splendours over the remainder of Alfred Tennyson's career, and to end only with his life.

Bringing Walter Benjamin into dialogue with the urgent issues facing educational institutions today, this is the first comprehensive exploration of his philosophy of education and pedagogy. In recent years, problems concerning the practice of education have become central to the critical discourse in the humanities: from debates regarding “deplatforming” and the redefinition of free speech on campus to the digitization of learning and the ethics of mentorship. But where do we go from here? This volume argues that Walter Benjamin's writing offers critical tools to rethink the purposes of education and the institutional forms it should assume. Reaching from his earliest writings during his involvement with the antebellum German Youth Movement to his late essays on history, theatre, and new media, the authors here explore how Benjamin argued against education as an institutional task subject to a scientific discipline. They show instead how he took his cue from language as a medium of subtle understanding to critically analyze the forms of violence inherent in the concept and history of education. For Benjamin, education was the lever to political reform. For him, the experience of youth should always be at the centre of considerations. Written by leading international scholars, Walter Benjamin and Education both contextualizes Benjamin's pedagogy in the trajectory of his own thought and also offers an astute analysis of the value and relevance of his student-focused ideas to the institutional and political challenges of today.