Post-war British women novelists and the canon Nick Turner.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Turner, Nick (Nick Peter), author.

Series:

Continuum literary studies.

Continuum literary studies series

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

English fiction--20th century--History and criticism.

English fiction.

English fiction--Women authors--History and criticism.

Canon (Literature).

Physical Description:

1 online resource (202 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

London New York Continuum 2010.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

With the increasing number of books on contemporary fiction, there is a need for a work that examines whom we value, and why. These questions lie at the heart of this book which, by focusing on four novelists, literary and popular, interrogates the canon over the last fifty years. The argument unfolds to demonstrate that academic trends increasingly control canonicity, as do the demands of genre, the increasing commercialisation of literature, and the power of the literary prize. Turner argues that literary excellence, demonstrated by style and imaginative power, is often missing in many works that have become modern classics and makes a case for the value of the 'universal' in literature. Written in a jargon-free style, with reference to many supporting writers, the book raises a number of significant cultural questions about the arts, fashions and literary reputations, of interest to readers in contemporary literary studies.

Contents:

Preface

Introduction: The Field of Modern Women Writers

1. Theories of the Canon

2. Iris Murdoch

3. Anita Brookner

4. Ruth Rendell

5. Emma Tennant

Conclusion: The Contemporary Scene

Bibliography

Index

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references (pages [166]-186) and index

ISBN:

9786612590757

9781472542700

1472542703

9781282590755

1282590758

9781441178886

1441178880

OCLC:

601907430