Det er en af de bøger, der skaber en afgrundsdyb kløft mellem i går og i dag, skrev Henrik Ibsen ved udgivelsen af det første bind af Georg Brandes' Hovedstrømninger i det Nittende Aarhundredes Litteratur i 1872. Med Hovedstrømningernes fremkomst var verden ikke længere den samme; Thomas Mann omtalte dem som "en bibel for det unge intellektuelle Europa". Brandes' ambition var at lægge redskaberne for sin disciplin for sammenlignende litteratur frem til gavn for store formål, såsom promoveringen af frihed, fred og modernitet. Sit grandiose narrativ for den europæiske litteraturs udvikling leverede han personligt for et stort publikum på Københavns Universitet. I en dansk kontekst udfordrede Brandes det nationale snæversyn, og hans indsats skulle også blive banebrydende for dialogen mellem nationer og kulturer. I et større perspektiv bidrog han således til at sætte hele Skandinavien på det litterære verdenskort. Hovedstrømningernes biografiske baggrund, opbygning og hvert binds indhold i det epokegørende værk introduceres her på engelsk, så både et dansk og et internationalt publikum kan læse med.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Edited by Jens Bjerring-Hansen & Lasse Horne Kjældgaard ”It is one of those books creating a swallowing gulf between yesterday and today,” Henrik Ibsen wrote upon the 1872 publication of the first volume of Georg Brandes’ Main Currents in Nineteenth Century Literature. After its appearance, the world was not the same. Brandes’ ambition was to deploy the tools of his discipline in the service of big causes, such as the promotion of freedom, peace, and modernity. His grand narrative of the evolution of European literature was delivered in person to a large audience at the University of Copenhagen, and soon after published in six volumes between 1872 and 1890. In Danish circles, he constantly challenged national narrowmindedness and worked to establish dialogues between nations and cultures. In a wider context, he helped to put not only Denmark but the entire Scandinavian region on the global literary map.All of this was made possible by the publication of Main Currents in Nineteenth Century Literature. This anthology compiles essays on the biographical background, overall structure, and individual volumes of Brandes’ magnum opus. Hopefully, it may serve as a resource for newcomers as well as experienced readers looking for an overview of – and new paths in – Brandes’ epoch-making work.
