Epitaph Culture in the West: Variations on a Theme in Cultural History

by Karl Siegfried Guthke

Guthke (German art and culture, Harvard U., Cambridge, Mass.), who has published extensively on German literature (mainly in German), presents an unusual book that contemplates the content of funereal epitaphs. While he often alludes to literary equivalents, the substance of the book is the many epitaphs he has collected, which belong to the grave markers of people otherwise unknown as well as famous figures, mainly in the English-speaking world. Annotation ©2003 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

416 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2003