Literature and War

Abstract: This second part of the dossier “Literature, War, and Exile,” which presents the rediscovered French text written by Erich Auerbach, comprises three components: a “Note on the Text” by Christian Rivoletti, a “Transcript from Auerbach’s Original French Typescript,” and an English “Translation from the French” by Haun Saussy, accompanied by explanatory notes by the editor. The “Note on the Text,” in addition to providing a physical description of Auerbach’s typescript and an account of the editorial criteria adopted for its transcription, examines the discrepancies between the original French text and its Turkish translation. This comparison helps to illuminate distinctive features of the translation process that are broadly relevant to the eleven Turkish essays from Auerbach’s years of exile. The dossier also includes an introductory essay by Christian Rivoletti, published in the present issue of MLN , which contextualizes the rediscovered text within the intellectual and historical framework of Auerbach’s Istanbul period.