The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction
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Product Description
Product Description
One of the most important works of cultural theory ever written, Walter Benjamin's groundbreaking essay explores how the age of mass media means audiences can listen to or see a work of art repeatedly – and what the troubling social and political implications of this are.
Throughout history, some books have changed the world. They have transformed the way we see ourselves – and each other. They have inspired debate, dissent, war and revolution. They have enlightened, outraged, provoked and comforted. They have enriched lives – and destroyed them. Now Penguin brings you the works of the great thinkers, pioneers, radicals and visionaries whose ideas shook civilization and helped make us who we are.
About the Author
Walter Bendix Schönflies Benjamin (1892 – 1940) was a German-Jewish Marxist literary critic, essayist, translator, and philosopher. He was at times associated with the Frankfurt School of critical theory and was also greatly inspired by the Marxism of Bertolt Brecht and Jewish mysticism as presented by Gershom Scholem.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I bought this book because my Aesthetics professor mentioned it in class. The first thing I noticed is that the cover is absolutely brilliant. As for the book itself, it consists of an essay about how the reproducibility of art changes the way we perceive it and how it relates to the mass media society. This is a classic essay but in my opinion it's still a great read today.
The book also includes two more essays, one on Kafka and another on Proust, which I found very interesting and insightful, albeit unexpected considering the book's title. I did find a few connections between these essays and the one on the mechanical reproduction of art, but not many. It's possible that I'm missing something, and this is definitely a book that I will re-read some time in the future.
The book also includes two more essays, one on Kafka and another on Proust, which I found very interesting and insightful, albeit unexpected considering the book's title. I did find a few connections between these essays and the one on the mechanical reproduction of art, but not many. It's possible that I'm missing something, and this is definitely a book that I will re-read some time in the future.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
3 reviews
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Excellent and Free.
11 Feb 2011
Format:Kindle Edition
Walter Benjamin's assessment of the nature and the value of art in juxtaposition to an industrial, materialistic, and modernizing world is a must-read for anyone interested in the study of communications media and the arts in society. Without this essay, the work of many modern critics, including Marshall McLuhan and Frederic Jameson, among others, would never have been conceived.
But remember, Benjamin was a socialist. His writing is in the public domain and available free of charge here (regardless of what country you're in):
http://www.marxists.org/reference/subject/philosophy/works/ge/benjamin.htm
I appreciate the role that Amazon has had in the dissemination of information at the dawn of the digital age, despite their primarily commercial interests. It is unfortunate that the US falls prey to unjust copyright regulations that limit access to freely available content, essentially holding knowledge hostage and demanding ransom. I hope this review will not be taken down.
But remember, Benjamin was a socialist. His writing is in the public domain and available free of charge here (regardless of what country you're in):
http://www.marxists.org/reference/subject/philosophy/works/ge/benjamin.htm
I appreciate the role that Amazon has had in the dissemination of information at the dawn of the digital age, despite their primarily commercial interests. It is unfortunate that the US falls prey to unjust copyright regulations that limit access to freely available content, essentially holding knowledge hostage and demanding ransom. I hope this review will not be taken down.
21 of 30 people found the following review helpful
You Wanna Be Smarter Obviously, You're Thinking Of Buying This Book
5 Sep 2009
Format:Paperback
Your first step in that direction would be not to buy this book. This essay is available in "Illuminations" along with a host of others for just a little more money. $9.95 for a 36 page essay? Prove how smart you are.
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
A modern version of a classic
11 Jan 2011
Format:Paperback
What can I say? This is a modern print version of the classic work on art in modern capitalist society. It's a must read for anyone interested in the subject, Walter Benjamin, or just the effect the evolution of society has on art and vice versa. For the few dollars it costs, it's more than worth it.
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