Prospero. Rivista di letterature e culture straniere
Abstract
Danube is considered an emblematic text because it uses a geographical entity to unite cultures, historical moments, literary genres and identities in a single narrative. The text also represents a particular methodological approach to literary criticism. If the critic has traditionally placed himself in a detached and temporally distant position, Magris' approach is based on contemporaneity. As a contemporary of the authors he deals with, Magris manages to establish an empathetic and therefore emotional relationship with them, creating a form of direct and effective communication with the reader who can grasp the emblematic and timeless value of episodes, characters and texts, otherwise considered marginal. This approach fits in and anticipates the modern redefinition of literary theory which, by overcoming national literature, obliges readers to identify other organizational criteria, evoking, in this way, the concept of Weltliteratur, introduced by Goethe in the nineteenth century.
