Reposted by Andrew Wittkop
*clears throat* “This is an original study that will appeal not just to scholars of German literature but to any reader interested in understanding how the modern publishing world came to be.”
I love this book. Affect studies! Media studies! Formalism! The material conditions of production!
![From page 573 of The Magic Mountain, translated by John E. Woods:
"It shall be done, Herr Settembrini. Absolutely—shall be done. No, in this bon mot of mine, you do not see me in hot pursuit of paradoxes.
I was merely trying to point out the great difficulty one has in defining
'stupidity' and 'cleverness.' It is so hard to keep them separate, they are so intertwined. I know very well how you hate any sort of mystical guazzabuglio and are a man who believes in values and judgments— value judgments—and I quite agree with you. But the issue of 'stupidity' and 'cleverness' is at times a complete mystery, and it must be permissible to concern oneself with mysteries, always presuming it is an honest attempt to get to the bottom of them, if possible. Let me ask you this question: [...]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:iluaqwnzdnadnrg5qkuwk2sc/bafkreifaedgainmxezihexq6fzdreizryrlg7lmhz3oie3b6zzfhvlwtyu)
