The Faust Myth: Religion and the Rise of Representation.
New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2007. First Edition. Hardcover. Octavo. viii + 248, (ii)pp. Papered covered boards, bibliography, index. Print-on-demand, but stated first edition. A largely literary-historical study. From the publisher: "This book traces the evolution of the Faust myth from the Sixteenth century to modern times. The authors studied include Marlowe, Calderon, Milton, Goethe, Byron, Dostoevsky, Wilde, Thomas Mann, and Salman Rushdie." A note at the end of the book explains: "The myth of Doctor Faustus emerged out of the witch-hunts of the sixteenth century. Its purpose was to demonstrate that ritual magic is Satanic in nature, on the grounds that it seeks to achieve objective effects through the manipulation of signs. The original Faust's belief that signs are efficascious constitutes his deal with the devil. Subsequent treatments of the legend continue to provide an ethical critique of the growing power of performative representation. From Marlowe to Rushdie, the Faust myth suggests that belief in the autonomous powers of signs destroys the human subject or soul. This explains the continuing cultural centrality of the myth in the postmodern era, when the autonomous self is often dismissed as an idealist illusion, and in which the world is ruled by the power of financial signs." A few light signs of handling to the boards (not visible in the photograph, can only be seen from certain angles), a very faint line across the top-edge of the text block (barely visible), otherwise as new" thus a bright clean copy in VG+ (no dust jacket issued). Item #74921
ISBN: 9781403975591
Price: $35.00