Literature as Magic

Abstract

Abstract Magic and literature are mostly understood as mutually exclusive domains. Magic is taken to be part of religious life, an aspect of the human desire to overcome the order of things and strive for the supernatural. Literature, on the other hand, is commonly described as an artistic endeavor and thus associated with secular art and culture. For this reason, it is possible to read about magic in literature, but it is very rare to read literature as magic. This article aims to reverse that trend. It entails a contextual and critical discussion of Carl Einstein’s 1912 novel Bebuquin oder die Dilettanten des Wunders, suggesting that this novel is best understood as magic, that is, as a sincere and radical attempt to reach the supernatural and transform the present. The article also suggests that the avant-garde is precisely the context for a renewed appreciation of literature and religion.