The Art of Literature

The art of literature from the back cover foundation that reality is but an extension of our own will, and that human life is characterized chiefly by misery. in this essay, translated by thomas bailey saunders (1860-1928) and first published in english in the 1890s, schopenhauer offers his thoughts: * on authorship, and which kinds of authors are "the ruin of literature" * on style, and how the mediocre writer mangles it * on the study of the latin language, and how its decline has been a "misfortune" * on men of learning, and how students fail themselves * on criticism, and why true critical faculty is rare * and more. students of philosophy and of 19th-century intellectualism will find this a fascinating read. the writings of german philosopher arthur schopenhauer (1788-1860) were a profound influence on art and aesthetics, music and literature in the 19th century. among his many writings are on the fourfold root of the principle of sufficient reason (1847) and the world as will and idea (1819), considered his masterpiece.