Modern German Historical Novel

Examines the theory and practice of the historical novel in 20th century German and Austrian literature. This volume aims to work against the conventional view of the historical novel as an antiquated and escapist genre, remote from contemporary problems. It seeks to show that the historical novel is always a response to contemporary history. This is the first collection to examine the theory and practice of the historical novel in twentieth-century German and Austrian literature. One of the main aims of the volume is to work against the conventional view of the historical novel as an antiquated and escapist genre, remote from contemporary problems and tied to nineteenth-century models of realism. These essays show that the historical novel is in fact always a response to contemporary history.