Herman Melville: Essays, Articles, Reviews (Columbia Critical Guides) - Hardcover

Selby, Nick

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0231115385 ISBN 13: 9780231115384

Publisher: Columbia University Press, 1999

Synopsis

The huge range of critical and academic debate about this monster of a novel confirms "Moby-Dick"'s status as a vital and exhilarating exploration of the role of American ideology in defining modern consciousness. This "Columbia Critical Guide" starts with extracts from Melville's own letters and essays and from early reviews of "Moby-Dick" that set the terms for later critical evaluations. Subsequent chapters deal with the "Melville Revival" of the 1920s and the novel's central place in the establishment, growth, and reassessment of American Studies in the 1940s and 1950s. The final chapters examine postmodern New Americanist readings of the text, and how these provide new models for thinking about American culture.

About this title

Review:

'I continue to find the Readers' Guides indispensable for teaching - they really give students a sense of criticism having a history' - Professor Rachel Bowlby, University of York 'The series looks really excellent - attractively produced, user friendly; and outstanding value for money' - Ronald Knowles, Reader, University of Reading

From the Back Cover:

On its publication in 1851, Moby-Dick baffled and enthralled readers and critics on both sides of the Atlantic. Hailed by some as a work of genius and the first truly American novel, it was dismissed by others as the ravings of a madman. It has since become widely accepted as a masterpiece that anticipates many of the experiments of modernism. The huge range of critical and academic debates about this monster of a novel confirms Moby-Dick's status as a vital and exhilarating exploration of the role of American ideology in defining modern consciousness.

In this Readers' Guide, Nick Selby offers a clear view of the development of critical debate about Moby-Dick. The Guide starts with extracts from Melville's own letters and essays and from early reviews of Moby-Dick that set the terms for later critical evaluations. Subsequent chapters deal with the 'Melville Revival' of the 1920s and the novel's central place in the establishment, growth and reassessment of 'American Studies' in the 1940s and 1950s. The final chapters examine postmodern 'New Americanist' readings of the text, and how these provide us with new models for thinking about American culture.

About this edition

• Publisher: Columbia University Press
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0231115385
• ISBN 13: 9780231115384
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 192