The works of Walter Benjamin (1892-1940) are widely acclaimed as being among the most original and provocative writings of twentieth-century critical thought, and have become required reading for scholars and students in a range of academic disciplines. This book provides a lucid introduction to Benjamin's oeuvre through a close and sensitive reading not only of his major studies, but also of some of his less familiar essays and fragments. Gilloch offers an original interpretation of, and fresh insights into, the continuities between Benjamin's always demanding and seemingly disparate texts. Gilloch's book will be of particular interest to students and scholars in social theory, literary theory, cultural and media studies and urban studies who are seeking a sophisticated yet readable overview of Benjamin's work. It will also prove rewarding reading for those already well-versed in Benjaminian thought. Gilloch (Univ. of Salford, UK) offers an intellectual biography of the German aesthetician who worked at critiquing the diverse fields of literature, theater, photography, and children's radio. Benjamin (1892-1940) began his theorizing with the recognition that Romanticism simply extended the work of art under critical examination, while he wanted to bring that same art to a greater plane of realization. Criticism, in Benjamin's view, was "a mode of ceaseless becoming." From this point, Benjamin developed a Marxist dialectic, in which art carried both a material and a truth content. Still later, he moved beyond Marxism, undertaking an examination of contemporary theater as a new formulation that brought actor and audience together in understanding. Gilloch follows this development of the thinker closely, quoting cogently from published texts and letters. His own conclusion offers a Benjamin who was aware of the consumerism that touches modern aestheticism and yet pushed beyond simplified analysis of text or image to the relationships these products have with society. While this is a fine text to accompany a firsthand reading of Benjamin, such reading is necessary to understand the thinker critiqued here. Francisca Goldsmith, Berkeley P.L., CA Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. "This is an excellent introduction to Benjamin's thought, written with great clarity and richly located within his biography. Gilloch's focus upon Benjamin's reconstruction of the 'afterlife' of things enables him to reveal new interconnections and interpretive trajectories within Benjamin's themes and texts, whether they be his writings on language, literature, the city, the new media or the Arcades Project. A most welcome addition to Polity's series on contemporary thinkers." David Frisby, University of Glasgow "A fine text to accompany a firsthand reading of Benjamin, such reading is necessary to understand the thinker critiqued here." Library Journal "The book highlights some major motifs of Benjamin's work and will probably be of interest, above all, to students of media and related aspects of social history or theory" Brendan Moran, Philosophy in Review The works of Walter Benjamin (1892-1940) are widely acclaimed as being among the most original and provocative writings of twentieth-century critical thought, and have become required reading for scholars and students in a range of academic disciplines. This book provides a lucid introduction to Benjamin's oeuvre through a close and sensitive reading not only of his major studies, but also of some of his less familiar essays and fragments. Gilloch offers an original interpretation of, and fresh insights into, the continuities between Benjamin's always demanding and seemingly disparate texts. Gilloch's book will be of particular interest to students and scholars in social theory, literary theory, cultural and media studies and urban studies who are seeking a sophisticated yet readable overview of Benjamin's work. It will also prove rewarding reading for those already well-versed in Benjaminian thought. The works of Walter Benjamin (1892-1940) are widely acclaimed as being among the most original and provocative writings of twentieth-century critical thought, and have become required reading for scholars and students in a range of academic disciplines. This book provides a lucid introduction to Benjamin's oeuvre through a close and sensitive reading not only of his major studies, but also of some of his less familiar essays and fragments. Gilloch offers an original interpretation of, and fresh insights into, the continuities between Benjamin's always demanding and seemingly disparate texts. Gilloch's book will be of particular interest to students and scholars in social theory, literary theory, cultural and media studies and urban studies who are seeking a sophisticated yet readable overview of Benjamin's work. It will also prove rewarding reading for those already well-versed in Benjaminian thought. Graeme Gilloch is Senior Lecturer in Sociology