The Death of Virgil
Encyclopedia
The Death of Virgil is a novel
originally written in German
by the Austria
n author Hermann Broch
. The English translation
, and an edition in German, were both published in 1945
. The stream of consciousness and complex literary allusions in the novel were influenced by the modernist
style of James Joyce
.
This great, difficult novel, in which reality and hallucination, poetry and prose are inextricably mingled, reenacts the last hours of life of the Roman
poet Virgil
, in the port of Brundisium (Brindisi
), where he accompanied Augustus
, his decision – frustrated by the emperor – to burn his Aeneid
, and his final reconciliation with his destiny. Virgil's heightened perceptions as he dies recall his life and the age in which he lives. The poet is in the interval between life to death, just as his culture hangs between the pagan and Christian eras. As he reflects, Virgil recognises that history is at a cusp and that he may have falsified reality in his attempt to create beauty. Harry Levin
comments that "Broch's novel creates out of a dying poet's a rich, profound vision both of civilisation and of primal concerns of all mankind."
Broch started to write the novel in 1938 while imprisoned in a concentration camp and finished it in the United States
, where it was first published. The first edition was an English
translation by Jean Starr Untermeyer, who is said to have collaborated so closely with Broch as to be almost a co-author. It was published by Pantheon Books
of New York
in 1945, who published an edition in the original German later that year. A German language edition was also published in Zürich
by Rhein Verlag in 1947 but the first German publication was not until 1958
when editions were published in Frankfurt and Munich; the latter with colour illustrations by Celestino Piatti
. , the most recent English language edition of the novel (Penguin, 2000) is out of print, although Vintage Books
appears still to offer it in a 1995 reprint.
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
originally written in German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
by the Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n author Hermann Broch
Hermann Broch
Hermann Broch was a 20th century Austrian writer, considered one of the major Modernists.-Life:Broch was born in Vienna to a prosperous Jewish family and worked for some time in his family's factory, though he maintained his literary interests privately...
. The English translation
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, and an edition in German, were both published in 1945
1945 in literature
The year 1945 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*November 1 - The magazine Ebony is published for the first time.*Noel Coward's short play, Still Life, is adapted to become the film, Brief Encounter....
. The stream of consciousness and complex literary allusions in the novel were influenced by the modernist
Modernism
Modernism, in its broadest definition, is modern thought, character, or practice. More specifically, the term describes the modernist movement, its set of cultural tendencies and array of associated cultural movements, originally arising from wide-scale and far-reaching changes to Western society...
style of James Joyce
James Joyce
James Augustine Aloysius Joyce was an Irish novelist and poet, considered to be one of the most influential writers in the modernist avant-garde of the early 20th century...
.
This great, difficult novel, in which reality and hallucination, poetry and prose are inextricably mingled, reenacts the last hours of life of the Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
poet Virgil
Virgil
Publius Vergilius Maro, usually called Virgil or Vergil in English , was an ancient Roman poet of the Augustan period. He is known for three major works of Latin literature, the Eclogues , the Georgics, and the epic Aeneid...
, in the port of Brundisium (Brindisi
Brindisi
Brindisi is a city in the Apulia region of Italy, the capital of the province of Brindisi, off the coast of the Adriatic Sea.Historically, the city has played an important role in commerce and culture, due to its position on the Italian Peninsula and its natural port on the Adriatic Sea. The city...
), where he accompanied Augustus
Augustus
Augustus ;23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14) is considered the first emperor of the Roman Empire, which he ruled alone from 27 BC until his death in 14 AD.The dates of his rule are contemporary dates; Augustus lived under two calendars, the Roman Republican until 45 BC, and the Julian...
, his decision – frustrated by the emperor – to burn his Aeneid
Aeneid
The Aeneid is a Latin epic poem, written by Virgil between 29 and 19 BC, that tells the legendary story of Aeneas, a Trojan who travelled to Italy, where he became the ancestor of the Romans. It is composed of roughly 10,000 lines in dactylic hexameter...
, and his final reconciliation with his destiny. Virgil's heightened perceptions as he dies recall his life and the age in which he lives. The poet is in the interval between life to death, just as his culture hangs between the pagan and Christian eras. As he reflects, Virgil recognises that history is at a cusp and that he may have falsified reality in his attempt to create beauty. Harry Levin
Harry Levin
Harry Tuchman Levin was an American literary critic and scholar of modernism and comparative literature.-Biography:...
comments that "Broch's novel creates out of a dying poet's a rich, profound vision both of civilisation and of primal concerns of all mankind."
Broch started to write the novel in 1938 while imprisoned in a concentration camp and finished it in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, where it was first published. The first edition was an English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
translation by Jean Starr Untermeyer, who is said to have collaborated so closely with Broch as to be almost a co-author. It was published by Pantheon Books
Pantheon Books
Pantheon Books is an American imprint with editorial independence that is part of the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group.The current editor-in-chief at Pantheon Books is Dan Frank.-Overview:...
of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in 1945, who published an edition in the original German later that year. A German language edition was also published in Zürich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
by Rhein Verlag in 1947 but the first German publication was not until 1958
1958 in literature
The year 1958 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*August 18 - Vladimir Nabokov's controversial novel Lolita is published in United States.*First volume of The Civil War by Shelby Foote is published....
when editions were published in Frankfurt and Munich; the latter with colour illustrations by Celestino Piatti
Celestino Piatti
Celestino Piatti was a Swiss graphic artist, painter and book designer. He was a popular illustrator of children's books and achieved international success as a designer for Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag .-Life:...
. , the most recent English language edition of the novel (Penguin, 2000) is out of print, although Vintage Books
Vintage Books
Vintage Books is a publishing imprint founded in 1954 by Alfred A. Knopf. Its publishing list includes world literature, fiction, and non-fiction...
appears still to offer it in a 1995 reprint.