"The Spirit of Poesy": Essays on Jewish and German Literature and Thought in Honor of GŽza von Moln‡r. Edited by Richard Block and Peter Fenves. Evanston: Northwestern Univ. Press, 2000. Pp. viii + 251. $59.95.

Reviewing a Festschrift poses special problems since Festschriften almost invariably contain a wide range of essays on diverse topics. Such is the case for The Spirit of Poesy, a Festschrift for the latre GŽza von Moln‡r, who was Professor of German and Director of the Program of European Thought and Culture at Northwestern University, and known best for his work on Novalis, Goethe, aesthetic theory, and ethics. The volume contains essays on these subjects, as well as a number on Jewish literature and thought, focusing mainly on the late eighteenth, early nineteenth, and early twentieth century. The inclusion of essays on Jewish literature, despite little published work by GŽza von Moln‡r on the subject, is meant, according to the editors, to reflect his ongoing demand that the fate of European Jewry "be studied, reflected upon, and discussed at every level" (p. vii)-a comment that also suggests a recent paradigm change in German studies. One cannot help but wonder if such a point would have been so strongly insisted upon, let alone mentioned, twenty-five years ago. GŽza von Moln‡r's entry on the webpage of Northwestern's German Department does notably describe Jewish-German relations as the focus of his most recent research. In any event, given the wide range of essays in this volume, it is impossible to provide a thorough discussion of all topics dealt with. Instead, I will note the subjects of the various essays, exploring in detail specific questions and essays that seem to me particularly relevant, an approach that no doubt neglects issues and essays other readers would prefer to emphasize.

Jeffrey Grossman