Book Review: An Analysis of Timothy Blanning's Romantic Revolution

This document presents a comprehensive book review of Timothy Blanning's 'The Romantic Revolution'. The review delves into the central argument of the book, which posits that Romanticism was a dialectical development of European culture, not a cyclical repetition. It examines the author's contribution to scholarly debates surrounding Romanticism's arrival on the European scene, particularly its rebellion against Enlightenment rationality and its emphasis on feeling and intuition. The reviewer analyzes Blanning's construction of the argument, highlighting the division between Romanticism as revolution and inwardness, and the use of various sources, including major Romantic artists, authors, musicians, and poets. The reviewer expresses positive opinions, finding the arguments effective and convincing, and the book successful in advancing scholarly debate by showcasing Romanticism as a response to the Enlightenment. The review also discusses the book's alignment with the perspectives of other historians, its coverage of major Romantic figures, and its emphasis on the German Romantics and their national historical identity.

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Book Review
What is the main argument of the book?
The argument of this book is to present a pithy as well as provocative introduction to the
Romanticism culture. This is because the author of the book, Blanning Tim remains in a
specifically good stance to speak of the Romanticism arrival on the European context/scene. The
author has done this with a verve, breadth as well as authority which surpasses each expectation.
Therefore, the main argument of the author in this book is that the European culture has never
repeated itself cyclically, yet it has dialectically developed. Romanticism substituting the
Enlightenment merely “a novel phase in the long-running dialectic between a culture of reason
and a culture of feeling.1
What scholarly debates or conversations is the author contributing to?
The main scholarly conversation or debates the author is contributing to remains the
arrival of the Romanticism culture on the European scene. Thus, the author presents a superb
and concise account of the cultural upheavals which still shapes the present-day sensibilities.
This is done from the preeminent historian of Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries. The author
contributes to this rebellion against the Enlightenment rationality through Romanticism which
stood a profound divergent in expression which changed the arts and introduced in modernity,
while championing a return to the primitive and intuitive. This is seen when the author describes
its start in Rousseau’s novel “La Nouvelle Heloise” that put the artistic creator at centrally to the
aesthetic activities, and revealed how Goya, Goethe, Berlioz alongside other started
experimenting with such themes of artistic madness, sex role as a psychological force alongside
the utilization of the dreamlike imagery. Thus, Romantic Revolution remains a brilliant as well
1 Blanning, Timothy CW. The romantic revolution: A history. Vol. 34. Modern library, 2011.

as bold introduction of an essential period whose influence would far overstay its age, whether
unearthing the origins of the accessible storytelling accessible or “sex appeal.”
How does the author construct the argument? What are the main points they put forward,
and how are these points structured?
The author construct his argument by dividing this short book between two main ideas;
the Romantic as a revolution or the absolute out-wardness alongside the Romantic as Hegel’s
absolute inwardness. The author has ensured that both the revolutionary element of the Romantic
alongside the absolute inwardness remain apparently linked in the 1st two chapters that see the
stress on the personal in the eighteenth century religion permitting the development of the notion
of the revelation within as well as the sacralisation of interior, from which grew the cult of
genius along with of Art as sacred. Subsequently, the Art stood elevated as the end in itself,
never in the service of Public or Prince-both potentially incapable as well as philistine of the
suitable reverence for genius.
Another point raised by the author is that the application of absolute inwardness to
politics nonetheless culminated in an explosion of variety as well as inconsistency. The author
argues that the likes of Napoleon might remain both an Enlightenment figure, a Classicism
patron and being inspired by Ossian forgeries and stood an aspiring Romantic novelist prior to
his political career actually began. He demonstrates how Victor Hugo was able to shift from
Royalist, to Bonapartist and to Republican staying a Romantic all the period. Absolute
inwardness, argued that the author to have allowed for absolute inconsistency, or maybe more
fairly a one word level solely seldom can denote the sum of an individual’s thought and life.
What sources does the author use?

The author has used the preeminent historian sources to piece together this book. The
book has the contribution from the major Romantic artists, authors, musicians as well as poets.
Unlike other books that stood confined to literature only, this book remains opened to music, art
and poetry hence proving a detailed and comprehensive contribution towards understanding the
culture of Romanticism.
What are your opinions of the book? Are the arguments effective or convincing? Are there
any questions which you think it doesn’t effectively address?
In my opinion, this book has presented effective as well as convincing argument and no
questions are never effectively addressed by the author. I certainly loved this piece of work as it
covers an expansive deal, and is highly informative, whereas staying a light, easy as well as fun
read. The author has been able to pull this off with enough references to Keats which pleases me,
alongside a lack of any slight embarrassment regarding the Romanticism sexy side, and
additional interest stood added by certain useful instances of creative works which stayed novel
to me. Indeed, more intriguingly, the story starts with the Enlightenment alongside Rouseeau’s
break from it; the author glances back effectively earlier still where essential; and subsequently
he completes by tracing the impacts of the Romantic Revolution via to the present-day culture.
Do you disagree with any of the conclusions? Where does it stand in relation to the views of
other historians you have studied on the course? Does it succeed in advancing the scholarly
debate?
I do not disagree with any of the author’s conclusions. The book remains aligned with
the perspectives of other historians I have studied on this course. Indeed, this book has succeeded
significantly in advancing the scholarly debate about the culture of Romanticism. Even though it

remains only a short, 190 odd page book, it has significantly introduced the fundamental tenets
of what Romanticism was all about, including its proponents, belies, its historical location in the
society alongside the period it developed within with the same views as other historians. Indeed,
it remains a whirlwind probe, and the author has managed to condensed the major focus of the
book with a prose which it never extremely bogged down academically, yet instead quite directly
written, by covering the major characters as well as artistic works whom remain linked with this
cultural and artistic movement. The book thus succeeded in advancing this debate by showcasing
that Romanticism essentially stood a reaction/artistic response to Enlightenment that culminated
in the French Revolution as well as the triumph of reason over the prejudice alongside faith to
some degree. It was indeed an art form which looked “inward’ or instead it heralded away from
the predominance of encroachment of secularism that stood covering Europe at all times. The
book has significantly covered all the major Romantic artists, authors, musicians as well as poets
since being a Europe-broad study emphasizing extremely on the German Romantics that is
described as the reactionary with emphasis on their “national historical identity.”

Bibliography
Blanning, Timothy CW. The romantic revolution: A history. Vol. 34. Modern library, 2011.