German women as letter writers, 1750-1850 /

French (Pacific Univ.) provides a strong introduction to letter writing and to the status of the genre within contemporary critical discourses. Her choice of materials is complicated by the richness of the period she studies, but her excellent comments about social and intellectual history provide a context for understanding. She compares the contributions of such diverse women as Anna Luise Karasch, Sophie Mereau, Rahel Varnhagen, Bettina von Arnim, Fanny Lewald, and scores of others. She quotes lavishly, perhaps excessively, giving accurate (though not always felicitously phrased) translations. Because French chooses letters that reveal attitudes toward chosen subjects, she cannot always convey a balanced picture. She strives to correct past critical evaluations, which unjustly neglect the letters as literature. Her own prose can be difficult to read, and she sometimes fails to convey the joyous aspects of these women's lives. She has undertaken to examine so great a number of writers that it may be best to read selectively with the help of the excellent index, footnotes, and extensive bibliography. Recommended as a worthy contribution to the study of women as letter writers, and as a platform for continuing scholarly investigation. Upper-division undergraduate and above. E. Glass Rosemont College