A companion volume to "Illuminations," the first collection of Walter Benjamin's
writings, "Reflections "presents a further sampling of his wide-ranging work. H
ere Benjamin evolves a theory of language as the medium of all creation, discuss
es theater and surrealism, reminisces about Berlin in the 1920s, recalls convers
ations with Bertolt Brecht, and provides travelogues of various cities, includin
g Moscow under Stalin. He moves seamlessly from literary criticism to autobiogra
phy to philosophical-theological speculations, cementing his reputation as one o
f the greatest and most versatile writers of the twentieth century. Also include
d is a new preface by Leon Wieseltier that explores Benjamin's continued relevan
ce for our times.
