Historical Reading: an Obsolete Method? Cover Image

La lettura storica: un metodo obsoleto?
Historical Reading: an Obsolete Method?

Author(s): Iulia Cosma
Subject(s): Language and Literature Studies, Literary Texts, Studies of Literature, Philology, Translation Studies, Theory of Literature
Published by: Филолошки факултет Универзитета у Бањој Луци
Keywords: historical reading; use of literary text; interpretation of literary text; philological hermeneutics; philological criticism; literary history; translation;

Summary/Abstract: This paper aims at pointing to the significance and topicality of historical reading, upon which Jean Bollack’s interpretative method, that is, ‘philological hermeneutics and criticism’ is based upon. The first section of the paper is grounded upon the observation of the crisis of historicism, which is related to a discussion about legitimacy of literary history being dealt with by Remo Ceserani in his book Raccontare letteratura (Narrating Literature, 1990). The paper also draws attention to the benefits of historical approach in understanding a text, especially a literary one, which was discussed by George Steiner in his book Après Babel (After Babel), with the final section being entirely dedicated to Bollack’s hermeneutics.

  • Issue Year: 2013
  • Issue No: 7
  • Page Range: 255-262
  • Page Count: 8
  • Language: Italian