An International Annotated Bibliography of Strindberg Studies 1870–2005 by Michael Robinson

Abstract

616 Reviews he called 'themost powerful winter landscape in Scandinavian art',Munch again focused on the central figure, reading it from the point of view of the protagonist and his self-identification as tragic hero, and missing the criticism of his failures as a husband and man. Ibsen's other plays do not figure; as Templeton observes illuminatingly, the plays which 'focus most strongly on love, commitment, and marriage [...] did not inspire a single sketch' (p. 152). This comprehensive study ofMunch's Ibsen brings together and completes much previous work. Templeton weighs up the evidence judicially, and in true interdis ciplinary fashion is as perceptive in her assessment ofMunch's illustrations as of Ibsen's subtleties. There is a useful bibliography; the only omission ofwhich I am aware is any reference to Carla Lathe's important work on Munch (notably her 1979 exhibition catalogue Edvard Munch and his LiteraryAssociates (Norwich: Lib rary,University of East Anglia)). Occasionally there are questionable statements, especially the offhand dismissal of Christian Krohg's powerful social indictment Albertine (1886) as 'amuck-raking novel' (p. 14). But thisdoes little to detract from an impressive achievement, which must be essential reading for those interested in Ibsen,Munch, and the links between literature and art. University of East Anglia Janet Garton An International Annotated Bibliography of Strindberg Studies 1870-2005. By Michael Robinson. 3 vols. (MHRA Bibliographies, 4) London: Modern Humanities Research Association. 2008. 2231 pp. ?35 (each). ISBN 978 0-947623-81-4 (vol. 1); 978-0-947623-82-1 (vol. 11); 978-0-947623-83-8 (vol. iii). In these three volumes Michael Robinson, already a renowned Strindberg scholar, has completed an exceptional work. He admits in his introduction the commit ment such a project must involve: 'itwas Strindberg who coined the Swedish word "knappologi" (lit. "buttonology") to describe precisely the sort of obsessive pedantry that sustains the compilation of a work such as this' (p. xiii). One aspect of such a commitment is that not only will these printed volumes remain of great value and interest foryears to come, but their content will become electronically available. The three volumes are intimidating when a reader firstopens them because of their size and the scope of what they do, but Robinson's concise and lucid explanatory introduction quickly makes them accessible. Any reader seeking to utilize them effectively and to appreciate the achievement of these volumes must start from that introduction. An important part of this bibliography lies in a dis covery thatRobinson points out; the volumes are as much a study in reception as a straightforward bibliography (p. xiii). Indeed, one discovers here not only the immense amount ofmaterial written about Strindberg but also the historical development of those commentaries and debates. The complex organization of the three volumes is logical and informative once the reader becomes accustomed to it.The advantage of dividing the volumes into MLR, 105.2, 2010 617 General Studies, The Plays, and, in essence, everything else is that one knows where to start.Volume 1:General Studies isdivided into sections ranging from 'Strindberg Editions', 'CriticalApproaches', 'Reception Studies', and 'Translation' to topics such as 'Religion', 'TheWoman Question', and 'Comparative Studies'. Robinson creates separate bibliographical sections for authors who, because of specific plays or in fluences, constitute a unique part of Strindbergian literaryhistory, such as Ingmar Bergman, Friedrich Diirrenmatt, and Per Olov Enquist. In Volume 11:The Plays, theplays are listed chronologically with reviews and articles listed alphabetically by author. Reviews of specific productions are listed after each production. Volume 111 offers sections, listed by date of publication, of Strindberg's autobiographical writ ings, novels, poetry, letters, etc., again with reviews and articles alphabetically listed. The concise and informative annotations are an essential part of this remarkable bibliography, and there are cross-references to facilitate research projects. It is a pleasure simply to read through the annotations describing publications in lan guages that range fromGerman, French, and Italian to Japanese, Russian, Polish, and others, besides of course, the Scandinavian languages. Robinson's explanation of his annotations is subtle and exact: 'the annotation I have supplied seeks to indicate the area of relevance explored by an item rather than itsquality, although some judgements, both...