German Literature

"I am a huge fan of Whobrey’s translations. These new English translations of Kudrun, Wolf Dietrich, and Otnit uphold the quality to which I’ve grown accustomed in his work. They do an excellent job of capturing the language and cadence of the texts, and are as accurate, readable, and fluent as the original texts allow them to be.
     "I especially love the texts Wolf Dietrich and Otnit, and I’m thrilled they are now available for the first time in English translation. They are such fun to read, and I hope that students find their hapless heroes as entertaining and humorous as I do.
      "In short, it is a delight to read Whobrey’s English translations of these tales, and I’m excited to teach with them."
—Kathryn Starkey, Stanford University

German for Reading presupposes no previous acquaintance with German and can be used with equal effectiveness by graduate students in the arts and sciences who are preparing to pass a reading knowledge examination, or by undergraduates who are beginning to deal seriously with the problems of reading. Its programmed format permits it to be used either as a classroom text or by individuals working on their own. The second edition builds on strengths of the first while updating outdated terminology, removing terms and phrases no longer in use, and incorporating many revisions made in light of suggestions from readers.

"I find this an ideal introductory textbook for students of German literature. The material included provides an excellent overview of German literature since 1750 by embedding it in a cultural-historical context and clearly explaining the literary, cultural, and historical concepts involved. The copious exercises provide opportunities for students to organize their knowledge, engage in textual analysis, and expand their understanding of the interrelationships of literature and culture."
    —Margaret K. Devinney, Director, German Program at Temple University

"1,000 Jahre Deutsche Literatur does a marvelous job of presenting literary texts within their cultural contexts, including an excellent overview of the history of the German Language from Germanic times to the Enlightenment. Professor Clay's writing style is lively and accessible. The accompanying pedagogical exercises reinforce learning of the material, while also affording opportunities for independent thinking and reflection. This newly-revised edition should be a favorite for students and teachers alike."
   –Dennis Mahoney, University of Vermont

". . . a most valuable project. It will provide a much-needed tool to college and university professors who teach courses on minority literature in general; however, most notably Jewish German and Austrian culture."
      —Dagmar C.G. Lorenz, University of Illinois at Chicago

Four German Stories is a German language collection of postwar and contemporary stories, written by German and Austrian writers, and focusing on family life. The stories are arranged in order of increasing complexity for vocabulary, syntax, style, topic and approach. The text includes footnotes for difficult or idiomatic phrases, an extensive glossary for most words found in the stories, and pre- and post-reading discussion questions.