[ilds] Oswald Spengler

[Bruce Redwine]

Richard Pine and Charles Sligh agree that Durrell was reading in translation Spengler’s Decline of the West at an early stage in his career, maybe before Corfu (1935).  The usual take on Spengler’s influence is that it leads to a decadent view of European society, so Pine writes in Mindscape (2005):  the “Decline of the West underpinned much of the thinking in The Revolt” (123).  This is undoubtedly true.  Spengler’s influence, however, may be even deeper and extend to Durrell’s “Heraldic Universe.”  Spengler was very much in the Germanic tradition, particularly with respect to Goethe’s Faust and the conclusion to Part II, where the chorus sings, “Alles Vergängliche / Ist nur ein Gleichnis” (12104-05), that is, “Everything transitory / Is only a metaphor.”  Spengler believes this, and so does Durrell — to wit, another ethereal reality underlies everyday reality.  Moreover, like Spengler, Durrell also delights in aphorisms and obscurity (the latter being a German obsession).  I’m not suggesting that Durrell picked up some of his ideas and stylistics from Spengler (who also picked up his ideas from his predecessors), rather that Durrell found a friend in Spengler who mirrored his own instincts.  This may help to explain why the Germans seem more receptive to Durrell than his native Englishmen.

Bruce





> On Jun 20, 2016, at 12:53 PM, Bruce Redwine <bredwine1968 at earthlink.net> wrote:
> 
> Thanks for the confirmation, Charles.  So Durrell knew his Spengler in translation, but I doubt he knew in depth other authors such as Paracelus or the Vulgate which he inaccurately quotes.  MacNiven has commented that Durrell’s readings were wide and discursive and that he picked up bits and pieces here and there, that is, whatever suited his interests.  The impression he leaves, however, is greater than the fact.  Does this really matter?  No.  The end product is what counts.
> 
> Bruce
> 
> PS Good to hear from you.  Hope all goes well.
> 
> 
> 
>> On Jun 20, 2016, at 12:09 PM, Charles Sligh <cls9k at virginia.edu <mailto:cls9k at virginia.edu>> wrote:
>> 
>> Bruce asks:
>> 
>> Nevertheless, when he refers to “[Durrell’s] re-reading of Spengler,” does he know if Durrell read all of Spengler’s two volume Decline of the West (München 1918; New York 1926)?—which is massive, about 1000 pages—or did he crib it from some other abbreviated source?  
>> 
>> Richard responds:
>> 
>> Spengler: as far as I know, LD read the 2-vol edition quite early. 
>> 
>> Absolutely--very early.
>> 
>> From Ian MacNiven's bibliographical description of the Lawrence Durrell collection, Morris Library: 
>> 
>> MacNiven observes that LD's reading notes from a Prospero's Cell working notebook ("A.5" / dated 1938) show LD as "reading Spengler's Decline of the West [with page numbers referring to the A. A. Knopf, 1928 edition]."
>> 
>> Good luck to all!
>> 
>> C&c.
>> 
>> *****************************************
>> Charles L. Sligh
>> charles.sligh at virginia.edu <mailto:charles.sligh at virginia.edu>
>> Department of English
>> University of Virginia
>> *****************************************
>> 

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