German writers, be it Goethe, Nietzsche, Marx, Brecht or Mann, have had a profound influence on the modern world. This iVery Short Introduction/i illuminates the particular character and power of German literature and its impact on the wider cultural world. Nicholas Boyle presents an engrossing tour of the course of German literature from the middle Ages to the 20th century, focussing especially on the last 250 years. He looks at key themes like idealism, modernism, and trauma, showing how they have imbued the great German writers with such distinctive voices.