Epigraphs in the English Novel 1750-1850 : Seducing the Reader / Corrina Readioff.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Readioff, Corrina, Author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

English fiction--18th century--History and criticism.

English fiction.

English fiction--19th century--History and criticism.

Epigraphs (Literature).

Physical Description:

1 online resource (240 pages) : 2 B/W tables 16 B/W line art 2 graphs, 2 tables, and 16 charts

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Edinburgh : Edinburgh University Press, [2023]

Language Note:

In English.

Summary:

The first book-length investigation of the history of pre-chapter epigraphs in the English novelOffers detailed insight into the development and function of the epigraph from 1750 to 1850Demonstrates the enduring versatility of the epigraph and of paratextual approaches to literary criticismPresents a survey of pre-chapter paratext in English fiction first-published between 1750 and 1850, drawing upon a dataset of nearly 6000 novelsProvides case studies of epigraphs in the works of canonical authors (e.g. Radcliffe, Lewis, Scott, and Gaskell), and places these within a wider context of epigraphic and literary development in fiction by influential, though less well-known, writers (Chaigneau, Helme, Stannard Barrett, Gore)Epigraphs in the English Novel 1750-1850 uncovers the early history of the epigraph, narrating the surprising story of how this long-overlooked feature morphed from moral didactic heading to Gothic tag-line to witty realist commentary within a single century. Adorning fictional narratives of rakes and sex workers, oppressed heroines and Jacobite heroes, the epigraph has been used by authors to preach, teach, amuse, or even completely misdirect their readers. Supported by a survey of pre-chapter paratext in nearly 6000 novels from 1750 to 1850, this monograph explores the changing influences upon and functions of epigraphs over time via detailed close readings and literary criticism. Focusing upon key generic developments, this book adopts a case-study style format to examine epigraphic usage in the works of canonical authors including Sarah Fielding, Ann Radcliffe, Charlotte Smith, Walter Scott, and Elizabeth Gaskell alongside those of less well-known novelists such as William Chaigneau, Elizabeth Helme, and Catherine Gore.

Contents:

Frontmatter

CONTENTS

Acknowledgements

Introduction: The Importance of Reading Epigraphs

1 Epigraphs in Mid-Eighteenth-Century Didactic Fiction: William Chaigneau, Sarah Fielding, and Jane Collier

2 Transcending Boundaries with Epigraphs: Ann Radcliffe

3 From Innovative Paratext to Satirical Stereotype: Charlotte Smith, Matthew Lewis, and Eaton Stannard Barrett

4 Mottos, Masks, and the Historical Novel: Sir Walter Scott

5 From Romance to Realism: Catherine Gore and Elizabeth Gaskell

Conclusion: A New Understanding of Epigraphs

Appendix

Notes

Bibliography

Index

Notes:

This eBook is made available Open Access under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0 https://www.degruyter.com/dg/page/open-access-policy

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 01. Nov 2023)

ISBN:

9781399516075

1399516078

9781399516068

139951606X

OCLC:

1402804593