Ist der Tod eine Frau?: Geschlecht und Tod in Kunst und Literatur

by Karl Siegfried Guthke

German

Genres: Nonfiction, Death, Art, History

309 pages, Perfect Paperback

First published March 25, 1999

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting look at the various depictions/representations of Death within art and literature throughout history; the author provides a clear and thorough analysis of genderized Death and the implications/origins behind such depictions.

[Jenn Avery · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book on death is hard to find, and I would not say that this ranks among the best. Guthke does an amazing job in presenting a history of visual and literary death, using painting, poetry, and fiction to chronicle how personified death has appeared through the ages. I learned a lot by reading his study. What became most clear, however, was Guthke's insistence that death has a esoteric function as female. While he does pay attention to death as male, just look at the cover of his book. In the end, I found it problematic that he, like Elizabeth Bronfen for example, has a real investment in presenting death as feminized or feminizing. The gender politics seem unsound. And extremely untrue.