Der Thomasmann, das Bonsels, die Fackelkraus. Nomi e nomenclature in Das große Bestiarium der modernen Literatur di Franz Blei

Francesca Boarini

2024-01-01

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Abstract

In his masterpiece, Das große Bestiarium der modernen Literatur, the Austrian essayist and writer Franz Blei (1871-1942) delves into the bestiary genre, providing readers with a witty literary satire of his period. At the same time, he introduces a new form of literary criticism. In this work, which Blei presents as an encyclopedic dictionary portraying authors as unconventional, fantastical creatures—both zoomorphic and otherwise—proper names play a central role. They represent not only the focal point of the descriptions, but they also convey the author’s critical purpose.