The Idea of World Literature: History and Pedagogical Practice (review)

Abstract

John Pizer, The Idea of Literature: History and Pedagogical Practice. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State UP, 2006. 190 pp. Goethe did not coin term Weltliteratur, as John Pizer notes in his introduction. This distinction appears to belong to Christoph Martin Wieland, who used it in undated notes to his translation of Horace's letters. Because Wieland died fourteen years prior to Goethe's first mention of term in 1827, he would technically deserve credit for it. Another possible candidate is lesser-known August Ludwig Schlozer, whose Vorstellung der Universaltheorie uses term as early as 1772. Despite their advocates' attempts to insert them into history of Weltliteratur, neither Wieland nor Schlozer plays a substantial role in genealogy of this concept, Pizer argues, because Goethe's engagement with this topic both set tone of discussion and continues to inform not only question of world but also current interests in transnationalism and globalization. This study offers a unique contribution to Goethe scholarship insofar as it exceeds traditional readings of Goethe in a number of ways. First, author offers a fine example of Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, in other words, scholarship that is explicitly concerned with what takes place in classroom and dedicated to improving impact of our teaching on our students. This aspect of work complements its traditional scholarly strengths. Pizer carefully balances critical engagement with readings of Weltliteratur since Goethe with regular consideration of value this endeavor might have for students in World Literature in English Translation courses. Beyond the desire to fill a critical gap in literary history, author incorporates a metatheoretical dimension in his work, as he explains: That is to say, students in introductory Literature courses should gain a knowledge of history of Weltliteratur itself, an overview of development of this paradigm from Goethe to present day (3). He offers his text as an aid to instructors, and in Afterword, he elaborates on his metatheoretical approach. Pizer's intended audience offers a further example of how this work extends beyond bounds of traditional Goethe scholarship by offering a meaningful contribution to Goethe scholars but not limiting itself to them. Following introduction are three chapters dealing with Weltliteratur within German context. Chapter 2,The Emergence of Weltliteratur: Goethe and Romantic School, considers Goethe's employment and elaboration of concept within rapidly expanding communication and transportation networks and emphasizes dialectical relationship between universal and particular in Goethe's view of Weltliteratur. Drawing upon vast literature dedicated to this topic, Pizer expands discussion to include theorists such as Homi Bhabha and Edward Said, and he revisits Mikhail Bakhtin's reading of Goethe's sketch Aufenthalt in Pyrmont (1801), underscoring dialectic relationship between global and local, macro- and microcosm. …