Comparative Literature: A Very Short Introduction

Fiction & Literature, Literary Theory & Criticism, Theory, Nonfiction, Reference & Language, Language Arts
Cover of the book Comparative Literature: A Very Short Introduction by Ben Hutchinson, OUP Oxford
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Ben Hutchinson ISBN: 9780192533999
Publisher: OUP Oxford Publication: March 12, 2018
Imprint: OUP Oxford Language: English
Author: Ben Hutchinson
ISBN: 9780192533999
Publisher: OUP Oxford
Publication: March 12, 2018
Imprint: OUP Oxford
Language: English

Comparative Literature is both the past and the future of literary studies. Its history is intimately linked to the political upheavals of modernity: from colonial empire-building in the nineteenth century, via the Jewish diaspora of the twentieth century, to the postcolonial culture wars of the twenty-first century, attempts at 'comparison' have defined the international agenda of literature. But what is comparative literature? Ambitious readers looking to stretch themselves are usually intrigued by the concept, but uncertain of its implications. And rightly so, in many ways: even the professionals cannot agree on a single term, calling it comparative in English, compared in French, and comparing in German. The very term itself, when approached comparatively, opens up a Pandora's box of cultural differences. Yet this, in a nutshell, is the whole point of comparative literature. To look at literature comparatively is to realize just how much can be learned by looking over the horizon of one's own culture; it is to discover not only more about other literatures, but also about one's own; and it is to participate in the great utopian dream of understanding the way nations and languages interact. In an age that is paradoxically defined by migration and border crossing on the one hand, and by a retreat into monolingualism and monoculturalism on the other, the cross-cultural agenda of comparative literature has become increasingly central to the future of the Humanities. We are all, in fact, comparatists, constantly making connections across languages, cultures, and genres as we read. The question is whether we realise it. This Very Short Introduction tells the story of Comparative Literature as an agent of international relations, from the point of view both of scholarship and of cultural history more generally. Outlining the complex history and competing theories of comparative literature, Ben Hutchinson offers an accessible means of entry into a notoriously slippery subject, and shows how comparative literature can be like a Rorschach test, where people see in it what they want to see. Ultimately, Hutchinson places comparative literature at the very heart of literary criticism, for as George Steiner once noted, 'to read is to compare'. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

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

Comparative Literature is both the past and the future of literary studies. Its history is intimately linked to the political upheavals of modernity: from colonial empire-building in the nineteenth century, via the Jewish diaspora of the twentieth century, to the postcolonial culture wars of the twenty-first century, attempts at 'comparison' have defined the international agenda of literature. But what is comparative literature? Ambitious readers looking to stretch themselves are usually intrigued by the concept, but uncertain of its implications. And rightly so, in many ways: even the professionals cannot agree on a single term, calling it comparative in English, compared in French, and comparing in German. The very term itself, when approached comparatively, opens up a Pandora's box of cultural differences. Yet this, in a nutshell, is the whole point of comparative literature. To look at literature comparatively is to realize just how much can be learned by looking over the horizon of one's own culture; it is to discover not only more about other literatures, but also about one's own; and it is to participate in the great utopian dream of understanding the way nations and languages interact. In an age that is paradoxically defined by migration and border crossing on the one hand, and by a retreat into monolingualism and monoculturalism on the other, the cross-cultural agenda of comparative literature has become increasingly central to the future of the Humanities. We are all, in fact, comparatists, constantly making connections across languages, cultures, and genres as we read. The question is whether we realise it. This Very Short Introduction tells the story of Comparative Literature as an agent of international relations, from the point of view both of scholarship and of cultural history more generally. Outlining the complex history and competing theories of comparative literature, Ben Hutchinson offers an accessible means of entry into a notoriously slippery subject, and shows how comparative literature can be like a Rorschach test, where people see in it what they want to see. Ultimately, Hutchinson places comparative literature at the very heart of literary criticism, for as George Steiner once noted, 'to read is to compare'. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

More books from OUP Oxford

Cover of the book Gender Parity and Multicultural Feminism by Ben Hutchinson
Cover of the book Livingstone, Owen, and Macdonald on Prison Law by Ben Hutchinson
Cover of the book Keynes: A Very Short Introduction by Ben Hutchinson
Cover of the book Little Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs by Ben Hutchinson
Cover of the book Blackstone's Guide to the Equality Act 2010 by Ben Hutchinson
Cover of the book The Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists by Ben Hutchinson
Cover of the book Spanish Literature: A Very Short Introduction by Ben Hutchinson
Cover of the book Oxford Case Histories in Oncology by Ben Hutchinson
Cover of the book Late Style and its Discontents by Ben Hutchinson
Cover of the book Challenging Concepts in Anaesthesia by Ben Hutchinson
Cover of the book Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Other Tales by Ben Hutchinson
Cover of the book Tough Choices by Ben Hutchinson
Cover of the book Consciousness and Meaning by Ben Hutchinson
Cover of the book Timon of Athens: The Oxford Shakespeare by Ben Hutchinson
Cover of the book Oxford Handbook of Emergency Nursing by Ben Hutchinson
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