Dickens and the Myth of the Reader

Fiction & Literature, Literary Theory & Criticism, British
Cover of the book Dickens and the Myth of the Reader by Carolyn W. de la L. Oulton, Taylor and Francis
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Carolyn W. de la L. Oulton ISBN: 9781315386249
Publisher: Taylor and Francis Publication: November 10, 2016
Imprint: Routledge Language: English
Author: Carolyn W. de la L. Oulton
ISBN: 9781315386249
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Publication: November 10, 2016
Imprint: Routledge
Language: English

This study explores the ways in which Dickens’s published work and his thousands of letters intersect, to shape and promote particular myths of the reading experience, as well as redefining the status of the writer. It shows that the boundaries between private and public writing are subject to constant disruption and readjustment, as recipients of letters are asked to see themselves as privileged readers of coded text or to appropriate novels as personal letters to themselves. Imaginative hierarchies are both questioned and ultimately reinforced, as prefaces and letters function to create a mythical reader who is placed in imaginative communion with the writer of the text. But the written word itself becomes increasingly unstable, through its association in the later novels with evasion, fraud and even murder.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

This study explores the ways in which Dickens’s published work and his thousands of letters intersect, to shape and promote particular myths of the reading experience, as well as redefining the status of the writer. It shows that the boundaries between private and public writing are subject to constant disruption and readjustment, as recipients of letters are asked to see themselves as privileged readers of coded text or to appropriate novels as personal letters to themselves. Imaginative hierarchies are both questioned and ultimately reinforced, as prefaces and letters function to create a mythical reader who is placed in imaginative communion with the writer of the text. But the written word itself becomes increasingly unstable, through its association in the later novels with evasion, fraud and even murder.

More books from Taylor and Francis

Cover of the book Frontiers of Embedded Muslim Communities in India by Carolyn W. de la L. Oulton
Cover of the book Facing It Out by Carolyn W. de la L. Oulton
Cover of the book After Two Thousand Years by Carolyn W. de la L. Oulton
Cover of the book Statistical Analysis for Education and Psychology Researchers by Carolyn W. de la L. Oulton
Cover of the book Directing in Musical Theatre by Carolyn W. de la L. Oulton
Cover of the book Gifted and Talented Children 4-11 by Carolyn W. de la L. Oulton
Cover of the book Biologics, A History of Agents Made From Living Organisms in the Twentieth Century by Carolyn W. de la L. Oulton
Cover of the book Screen Tastes by Carolyn W. de la L. Oulton
Cover of the book Forces of Destiny by Carolyn W. de la L. Oulton
Cover of the book Elemental Passions by Carolyn W. de la L. Oulton
Cover of the book Information Rights and Obligations by Carolyn W. de la L. Oulton
Cover of the book Plays and their Makers up to 1576 by Carolyn W. de la L. Oulton
Cover of the book Improving Intelligence Analysis by Carolyn W. de la L. Oulton
Cover of the book Revelation, Scripture and Church by Carolyn W. de la L. Oulton
Cover of the book The Earthscan Reader on World Transport Policy and Practice by Carolyn W. de la L. Oulton
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy