László F. Földényi
László F. Földényi (born 19 April 1952 in Debrecen)[1] is a Hungarian critic, essayist and art theorist.[2] He lives in Budapest where he is Professor of Art Theory at the University of Theatre, Film and Television.[3] He has been a member of the German Academy for Language and Literature since 2009.[4]
Works[edit]
Having published over 15 books, Földényi is a prolific writer. However only three collections of essays have been translated and published in English.
Melancholy[edit]
Melancholy, a cultural history of the concept, was published in Hungarian in 1984 and not translated into English until 2016. In an essay on melancholia, noted writer Péter Nádas suggests that as a practicing melancholic, Földényi has written a book that ‘provides a realization [about melancholy] similar to the one modern astronomy reaches about black holes’.[5] Földényi posits that eminent artists are often melancholic as they are aware of their mortality.[6]
Dostoyevsky Reads Hegel in Siberia and Bursts into Tears[edit]
Dostoyevsky Reads Hegel in Siberia and Bursts into Tears is a collection of Földényi’s essays spanning the two decades to 2015. The book is considered by some critics to be a critique with religious undertones[7] of an overly rational Enlightenment tradition. Writing in The New Yorker, James Wood labelled the book's depiction of the Enlightenment a 'grievous caricature.'[8] In spite of these criticisms, the essays can be considered a demonstration of the author's erudition and knowledge of intellectual history.[9]
Prizes[edit]
- Blue Salon Prize of the Literaturhaus Frankfurt (2002)[1]
- Friedrich-Gundolf Prize of the German Academy of Language and Literature (2005)[1]
- Leipzig Book Award for European Understanding (2020)[10]
- Darmstadt Jury Literature Prize (2020)[11]
Bibliography[edit]
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- Melancholy, translated by Tim Wilkinson, Yale University Press, 2016, ISBN 9780300167481
- Dostoyevsky Reads Hegel in Siberia and Bursts into Tears, translated by Ottilie Mulzet, Yale University Press, 2020, ISBN 9780300167498
- The Glance of the Medusa: The Physiognomy of Mysticism, translated by Jozefina Komporaly, University of Chicago Press, 2021, ISBN 9780857426086
Critical studies and reviews of Földényi's work[edit]
- Dostoyevsky reads Hegel in Siberia and bursts into tears
- Wood, James (June 1, 2020). "In from the cold : a Hungarian essayist struggles against Enlightenment". The Critics. Books. The New Yorker. Vol. 96, no. 15. pp. 64–67.[12]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c "Leipzig Bookfair Program - LAUDATIO TO LÁSZLÓ FÖLDÉNYI" (PDF). 26 May 2021. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
- ^ Newport, Jason (13 April 2017). "Toward Horizontal Thought: An Interview with László Földényi". Three Percent. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
- ^ "LÁSZLÓ F. FÖLDÉNYI". PEN America. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
- ^ "Members - László F. Földényi". Deutsche Akademie für Sprache und Dichtung. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
- ^ Nádas, Péter (2007). Fire and Knowledge. New York: Farrer, Strauss and Giroux. p. 245.
- ^ Loomis, Nicky (20 July 2016). "Happy with Tears: On Melancholy as a Hungarian Condition". Los Angeles Review of Books. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
- ^ Haas, Felix. "Dostoyevsky Reads Hegel in Siberia and Bursts into Tears by László F. Földényi". World Literature Today. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
- ^ Wood, James (25 May 2020). "The Scholar Starting Brawls with the Enlightenment". The New Yorker. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
- ^ Halla, Barbara (17 February 2020). "What's New in Translation: February 2020". Asymptote. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
- ^ "László F. Földényi wins Leipzig Book Prize for European Understanding". Hungarian Literature Online. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
- ^ "László F. Földényi Wins New Literary Prize in Darmstadt". Hungarian Literature Online. 29 September 2020. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
- ^ Online version is titled "The scholar starting brawls with the Enlightenment".