Japan and the cosmopolitan gothic : specters of modernity / by Michael J. Blouin.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Blouin, Michael J.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

American literature--Japanese influences.

American literature.

American literature--20th century--History and criticism.

Art, American--Japanese influences.

Art, American.

Japan--In literature.

Japan.

Japan--In motion pictures.

Physical Description:

xii, 208 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

New York : Palgrave Macmillan, 2013.

Summary:

"In American discourse, Japan is routinely imagined as a supernatural entity. Gothic tales from these cultures are exchanged, adapted, and consumed. By analyzing this phenomenon, in texts ranging from those of Lafcadio Hearn to the films of Shimizu Takashi, we can better comprehend the relationship between the two countries as well as the layers of complexity that accompany constructions of foreignness. Specifically, in response to the rise of a "Global Gothic," Blouin interprets these unsettling works to be evidence of a "cosmopolitan Gothic," one that refuses satisfactory enclosure and advocates a turn inward to re-invigorate dialogues upon the world stage"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Machine generated contents note:

Introduction: The Specters of a Wandering Mind

1. Ghosts and Spirits in Early Japanology

2. Ghostly Maidens in Sidney McCall's Fiction

3. Japonisme and the Female Gothic

4. Nuclear Criticism and a Deferred Reading of the Toho Terror

5. Japan Inc. and the American Nightmare

6. Atemporality and Communal Ethics in the Films of Shimizu Takashi

7. Difference and Doubt in Christopher Nolan's Inception

Conclusion: Haunted Echo Chambers.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781137305213

1137305215

OCLC:

820434248

Online:

Cover image