MHRA Publication

Published January 2000

Published June 2000

‘Heine was a great reader in the literary patrimony. Every study of his reading experience from youth to deathbed has expanded its dimensions... an admirable volume.’ — Jeffrey L. Sammons, Modern Language Review 97.1, 2002, 228-9 (full text online)
Vridhagiri Ganeshan, Germanistik 42.3-4, 2001, 737
‘In a richly diverse range of approaches, a number of new readings of the poems are offered... demonstrates the arresting power of the poet.’ — unsigned notice, Forum for Modern Language Studies xxxix/1, 2003, 104
‘The volume provides much that is both instructive and enjoyable to read. Joseph Kruse's elegant and learned opening piece provides a perfect keynote address... Ritchie Robertson (in an article that is destined to be recommended to thousands of students) throws fresh light on Atta Troll by examining the nature of mock epic as such as well as its relations to the epic traditions of antiquity and the Renaissance... David Constantine tackles the tricky subject of the Lazarus poems. It is easy to be moved by these, much harder to discuss them intelligently, but Constantine succeeds both in analysing the implications of the Lazarus motif and in making some thought-provoking remarks about poetry and horror. The volume concludes on a high note with a stylish piece by Anthony Phelan on Heine's heirs among contemporary poets.’ — David Pugh, Seminar XXXIX/4, 2003, 360-3

‘Smith is able to show convincingly how ambivalence about the role of science or scientific tendencies permeates these literary works, and he offers interesting insights into the sometimes subtle thematization of scientific ideas in literature.’ — Elizabeth Neswald, British Journal for the History of Science 35, 2002, 363-4
‘Smith's mastery of both primary and secondary sources is remarkable, and his bibliographies provide a useful guide to the (often vast) secondary literature... Demonstrates the extraordinary richness and importance of the vein of research into which Smith has tapped, and puts much other work in so-called Cultural Studies to shame.’ — Paul Bishop, Modern Language Review 97.2, 2002, 505-7 (full text online)
‘In this thorough study of the exchange between science and literature, Peter D. Smith skillfully argues that the idea of these Two Cultures existing in isolation from one another is overly simplistic... An excellent contribution to the vital research currently examining the interdisciplinary nature of scientific and literary works.’ — Heather I. Sullivan, Monatshefte 94.4, 2002, 541-2