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 The Handbook of Maritime Economics and Business by Carolyn W. de la L. Oulton
Cover of the book Margaret Cavendish by Carolyn W. de la L. Oulton
Cover of the book Failing Teachers? by Carolyn W. de la L. Oulton
Cover of the book Girl Gangs by Carolyn W. de la L. Oulton
Cover of the book Perspectives on Framing by Carolyn W. de la L. Oulton
Cover of the book The Politics of (M)Othering by Carolyn W. de la L. Oulton
Cover of the book Theories of Practice in Tourism by Carolyn W. de la L. Oulton
Cover of the book Crime, Courtrooms and the Public Sphere in Britain, 1700-1850 by Carolyn W. de la L. Oulton
Cover of the book Ethics in Fiscal Administration by Carolyn W. de la L. Oulton
Cover of the book Interpersonal Regulation of Learning and Motivation by Carolyn W. de la L. Oulton
Cover of the book Social Change and the Coming of Post-consumer Society by Carolyn W. de la L. Oulton
Cover of the book The Test of War by Carolyn W. de la L. Oulton
Cover of the book Leading School-based Networks by Carolyn W. de la L. Oulton
Cover of the book Acid Rain (Routledge Revivals) by Carolyn W. de la L. Oulton
Cover of the book Television and Culture in Putin's Russia 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