Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Timpanaro on Lachmann II

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As mentioned in a previous post, Timpanaro's work on Lachmann has been translated into English. It is reviewed here by Joseph Verheyden. From what is said in the review it is clearly an important book for studying the history of the theory of textual criticism.

1 comment

  1. I ordered this book yesterday (the cheapest offer on Amazon) and it arrived today. I have previously used the German translation, but this is a lot more fun to read. The author Timpanaro was really something: the intro describes his philosophical committments as materialism, hedonism, atheism and pessimism.

    Despite being a hedonist he does not seem to have been particularly happy! The editor mentions 'the oscillations in his moods between irony and despair'.!!

    Those who knew him well 'never doubted that his pessimism was not only a well considered and carefully argued philosophical position but also a deeply ingrained way of life.'

    In fact the introduction is well written and very evocative.

    Has anybody read Timpanaro's The Freudian Slip: Psychoanalysis and Textual Criticism (trans K. Soper; London, 1976)? [Sounds like a spoof I know]

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