57 pages 1 hour read

Erich Auerbach

Mimesis: The Representation of Reality in Western Literature

Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 1946

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Before You Read

Roundup icon

Super Short Summary

Erich Auerbach's Mimesis (1953) explores the evolution of literary realism in Western literature, analyzing a wide range of works from Homer's Odyssey and the Judeo-Christian Bible to the writings of Modernists like Virginia Woolf. Auerbach examines the representation of reality, the separation or blending of high and low styles, and the influence of sociocultural and historical contexts on literature, highlighting these shifts through detailed textual analysis and offering passages in their original languages alongside translations.

Reviews & Readership

Roundup icon

Review Roundup

Erich Auerbach's Mimesis is hailed for its profound analysis of Western literature's representation of reality, blending historical context with literary critique. Praised for its depth and scholarly rigor, some readers find it dense and challenging. Nonetheless, it remains a seminal work, essential for literature scholars despite its demanding prose.

Who should read this

Who Should Read Mimesis?

A reader who enjoys Mimesis by Erich Auerbach is likely a literature enthusiast with a deep interest in literary criticism and comparative literature. They would appreciate the analytical depth found in works like Northrop Frye’s Anatomy of Criticism and Harold Bloom’s The Western Canon. Ideal for those who relish exploring the evolution of narrative realism from antiquity to modernity.

RecommendedReading Age

18+years

Book Details

Topics

Philosophy

History: European

History: World

Themes

Values/Ideas: Literature

Natural World: Place

Values/Ideas: Art

Genre

Western

German Literature

Literary Criticism