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Melancholy (The Margellos World Republic of Letters) by László F. Földényi is a book available to read on EtoBox.

What is Melancholy (The Margellos World Republic of Letters) about?

Alberto Manguel praises the Hungarian writer László Földényi as “one of the most brilliant essayists of our time.”  Földényi’s extraordinary Melancholy , with its profusion of literary, ecclesiastical, artistic, and historical insights, gives proof to such praise. His book, part history of the term melancholy and part analysis of the melancholic disposition, explores many centuries to explore melancholy’s ambiguities. Along the way Földényi discovers the unrecognized role melancholy may play as a source of energy and creativity in a well-examined life. Földényi begins with a tour of the history of the word melancholy, from ancient Greece to the medieval era, the Renaissance, and modern times. He finds the meaning of melancholy has always been ambiguous, even paradoxical. In our own times it may be regarded either as a psychic illness or a mood familiar to everyone. The author analyzes the complexities of melancholy and concludes that its dual nature reflects the inherent tension of birth and mortality. To understand the melancholic disposition is to find entry to some of the deepest questions one’s life. This distinguished translation brings Földényi’s work directly to English

Author

László F. Földényi

Publisher

Yale University Press

Published

2016

Language

EN

ISBN

9789630560986

Subjects

History, Literary Criticism, Medical

Rating

4.24 / 5 (20 ratings)

Updated

2026-03-13