George Steiner

Date of Birth: April 23, 1929

Zodiac Sign: Taurus

Date of Death: February 3, 2020

Biography

George Steiner was a prominent literary critic, essayist, and philosopher, renowned for his profound insights into literature, language, and the human condition. Born in Paris, France, to Austrian-Jewish parents, Steiner’s family fled to the United States in 1940, escaping the horrors of World War II. This early experience of displacement deeply influenced his intellectual pursuits. Steiner’s academic journey took him to prestigious institutions such as the University of Chicago, Harvard University, and Balliol College, Oxford. He taught at various universities, including Princeton, Cambridge, and the University of Geneva, where he left an indelible mark on his students and colleagues. His critical work spans a vast array of subjects, from classical literature to modern philosophy. Notable works include “After Babel: Aspects of Language and Translation,” “The Death of Tragedy,” and “In Bluebeard’s Castle: Some Notes Towards the Re-definition of Culture.” Steiner’s writing is characterized by its erudition, depth, and an unwavering commitment to exploring the complexities of human culture and communication.

5 Interesting Facts about George Steiner

1. George Steiner was fluent in multiple languages, including English, French, German, and Italian, which greatly influenced his work on translation and comparative literature.

2. He received numerous accolades throughout his career, including the Truman Capote Award for Literary Criticism in 1998.

3. Steiner was also a prolific journalist, contributing essays and reviews to publications like The New Yorker, The Times Literary Supplement, and The Guardian.

4. His book “After Babel” is considered one of the most important works on the theory of translation.

5. Despite his extensive travels and work in various countries, Steiner remained a lifelong advocate for European cultural unity.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from George Steiner

1. “To many men and women, the constant, undisturbed presence of a text they can refer to, consult, interpret, and reinterpret is the ground of their personal and cultural identity.”

2. “The immense majority of human biographies are a gray transit between domestic spasm and oblivion.”

3. “Language can only deal meaningfully with a special, restricted segment of reality. The rest, and it is presumably the much larger part, is silence.”

4. “We know other cultures through their languages. The language is the doorway to the soul of another race.”

5. “The world is a metaphor, and we are analogies of one another.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

George Steiner’s highest net worth is not publicly documented, but his significant contributions to literature and academia mark his enduring legacy.

Children

George Steiner had two children: a son, David Steiner, who became a prominent education official and scholar, and a daughter, Deborah Steiner, who is a professor of classics.