The Cambridge companion to Adorno /

Huhn's volume makes a wonderful guide to the work of the German philosopher Theodor Adorno. Huhn manages to gather together a nice range of essays--a particular challenge with Adorno, as his intellectual interests and pursuits went in an astonishing variety of directions. Huhn has also brought together a good balance of Anglo-American and German scholars, which broadens the book's usefulness and accessibility. There is perhaps an overemphasis on Adorno's writings on music. Yet this is understandable in light of recent translations from Adorno's extensive work on music and the rapidly growing body of English-language musicology engaging and making use of Adorno. The one quibble one could have with this volume is that it is missing a sustained presentation and elucidation of one of Adorno's most important works, Aesthetic Theory (CH, Sep'97, 35-0203). This is all the more surprising as Huhn proves himself eminently suited to present such an overview in his highly original and fascinating introduction. Quibbles aside, however, this volume is a fine work of scholarship and will be helpful to both students and researchers. ^BSumming Up: Highly recommended. Upper-level undergraduates through faculty/researchers. S. Barnett Central Connecticut State University