John Rutledge Knihy

A profound personal journey unfolds as the author confronts the inadequacies of a faith that once seemed sufficient. The catalyst for this transformation is the untimely death of his wife at forty-three, which prompts a deep exploration of life's challenges and the search for meaningful answers. Through this narrative, readers are invited to reflect on the complexities of belief and the quest for understanding in the face of grief and adversity.

This study provides a thorough examination of a Lucianic genre which enjoyed great popularity in 18th-century Germany. While preliminary attention is given to the nature of the dialogue of the dead, the main portion of the book explores the varied uses of the form, and traces its historical development in Germany. Dialogues of the dead by Bodmer, Wieland, D. C. Seybold, W. E. Neugebauer, Goethe and Grillparzer are analyzed and discussed. An appendix supplies a chronological listing of many German «Totengespräche».