The Medieval Presence in Modernist Literature

The Quest to Fail

Fiction & Literature, Literary Theory & Criticism, Ancient & Classical, British
Cover of the book The Medieval Presence in Modernist Literature by Jonathan Ullyot, Cambridge University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Jonathan Ullyot ISBN: 9781316461594
Publisher: Cambridge University Press Publication: November 24, 2015
Imprint: Cambridge University Press Language: English
Author: Jonathan Ullyot
ISBN: 9781316461594
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Publication: November 24, 2015
Imprint: Cambridge University Press
Language: English

Jonathan Ullyot's The Medieval Presence in Modernist Literature rethinks the influence that early medieval studies and Grail narratives had on modernist literature. Through examining several canonical works, from Henry James' The Golden Bowl to Samuel Beckett's Molloy, Ullyot argues that these texts serve as a continuation of the Grail legend inspired by medieval scholarship of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Rather than adapt the story of the Grail, modernist writers intentionally failed to make the Grail myth cohere, thus critiquing the way a literary work establishes its authority by alluding to previous traditions. While the quest to fail is a modernist ethic often misconceived as a pessimistic response to the collapse of traditional humanism, the modernist writings of Eliot, Kafka, and Céline posit that the possibility of redemption presents itself only when hope has finally been abandoned.

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

Jonathan Ullyot's The Medieval Presence in Modernist Literature rethinks the influence that early medieval studies and Grail narratives had on modernist literature. Through examining several canonical works, from Henry James' The Golden Bowl to Samuel Beckett's Molloy, Ullyot argues that these texts serve as a continuation of the Grail legend inspired by medieval scholarship of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Rather than adapt the story of the Grail, modernist writers intentionally failed to make the Grail myth cohere, thus critiquing the way a literary work establishes its authority by alluding to previous traditions. While the quest to fail is a modernist ethic often misconceived as a pessimistic response to the collapse of traditional humanism, the modernist writings of Eliot, Kafka, and Céline posit that the possibility of redemption presents itself only when hope has finally been abandoned.

More books from Cambridge University Press

Cover of the book Building Democracy in the Yugoslav Successor States by Jonathan Ullyot
Cover of the book Transforming Religious Liberties by Jonathan Ullyot
Cover of the book Affective Communities in World Politics by Jonathan Ullyot
Cover of the book Generalized Vectorization, Cross-Products, and Matrix Calculus by Jonathan Ullyot
Cover of the book The Ironies of Citizenship by Jonathan Ullyot
Cover of the book Performance Modeling and Design of Computer Systems by Jonathan Ullyot
Cover of the book Fundamentals of Mobile Data Networks by Jonathan Ullyot
Cover of the book Gravity and Magnetic Exploration by Jonathan Ullyot
Cover of the book The Apse Mosaic in Early Medieval Rome by Jonathan Ullyot
Cover of the book The Doctrine of Odious Debt in International Law by Jonathan Ullyot
Cover of the book Constituency Representation in Congress by Jonathan Ullyot
Cover of the book English as a Global Language by Jonathan Ullyot
Cover of the book Shakespeare's Stage Traffic by Jonathan Ullyot
Cover of the book Democracy More or Less by Jonathan Ullyot
Cover of the book Building Technology Transfer within Research Universities by Jonathan Ullyot
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