Son of Spinoza

Book excerpt: The Danish scholar and critic Georg Brandes (1842-1927) is still recognized for his work today and seen by many as the theorist behind the so-called Modern Breakthrough in Scandinavia. He lived in Copenhagen for most of his life, travelling Europe for inspiration and knowledge. He was born into a Jewish family, but was rarely seen by others as Jewish, and later scholars have seldom focused on his Jewishness and positive writings on the subject. In Georg Brandes and Jewishness: Between Grand Recreations of the Past and Transformative Visions of the Future, Ph.D. Søren Blak Hjortshøj presents a more nuanced view on Brandes and Judaism. He investigates the Jewishness of his authorship, and how it changed throughout his life. This publication presents new insights into Brandes' oeuvre and life.