The Aesthetics of Resistance: Art and Fascism in the 1930s
Join weekly sessions of the MEP Literature Group this fall to read The Aesthetics of Resistance, the masterwork of German author Peter Weiss. This trilogy of historical novels opens in 1937 and details the interactions of the narrator and his peers and family with historical figures of the European left engaged in the fight against fascism. As the characters encounter each other clandestinely to discuss political questions, they also discuss works of art and question how the art of the past can support their resistance to a horrific present: what can art suggest for a future they may not live to see?
Just as Weiss’s characters rely upon group discussion, readers of this trilogy have often formed reading groups to aid their understanding of the novelist’s ambitions. The MEP is joining this leftist tradition. We will read these challenging novels slowly and discuss themes such as strategy and tactics in the fight against fascism, and the works of art that inspired the characters’ discussions. Familiarity with art history or with Europe in the 1930s is neither required nor expected.
Publisher’s web pages for The Aesthetics of Resistance: Volume 1 / Volume 2 / Volume 3
Second-hand bookstores, online resellers, and public libraries may have copies of these books available. Since such delivery may be slow, orders for Volume One should be placed as soon as possible.
Convened by Jacqueline Cantwell and the MEP Literature Group. Jacqueline became involved with the MEP’s Literature Group because of her love of Victor Serge’s novels. Participating in an MEP reading group led by Serge translator Richard Greeman eight years ago, Jacqueline found a community of readers eager to be challenged by the ambitions of international writers devoted to the creative potential of political fiction. Since the death of Michael Lardner, who hosted and organized the Literature Group for so many years, Jacqueline has taken the lead in furthering the group’s goals of exploring international fiction and encouraging thoughtful conversation.