New Masculinities in Contemporary German Literature

The complex nexus between masculinity and national identity has long troubled, but also fascinated the German cultural imagination. This has become apparent again since the fall of the Iron Curtain and the turn of the millennium when transnational developments have noticeably shaped Germany's self-perception as a nation . This book examines the social and political impact of transnationalism with reference to current discourses of masculinity in novels by five contemporary male German-language authors. Specifically, it analyses how conceptions of the masculine interact with those of nationality, ethnicity, and otherness in the selected texts and assesses the new masculinities that result from those interactions. Exploring how local discourses of masculinity become part of transnational contexts in contemporary writing, the book moves a consideration of masculinities from a "native" into a transnational sphere.

Provides a thorough examination of the connections between masculinity and nationality Brings together theories of transnationality and transculturality and theories of performativity Each chapter offers an in-depth analysis of a writer's work

Autorentext
Frauke Matthes is Senior Lecturer in German at the University of Edinburgh, UK. She is the author and co-editor of several books and articles on contemporary German-language writing, masculinities in literature, and transnational and world literature.

Inhalt
1 Introduction: Contesting Masculinity in Contemporary German Literature.- 2 Men without Women: Clemens Meyer.- 3 Masculinity in Conflict: Maxim Biller.- 4 Masculinity and Religion: Navid Kermani.- 5 Masculinity across Borders: Feridun Zaimoglu.- 6 Men in Crisis: Ilija Trojanow.- 7 Conclusion: Towards 'New' Masculinities in Contemporary German Literature.