The English Countryside: Representations, Identities, Mutations - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 331985111X ISBN 13: 9783319851112

Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan, 2018

Synopsis

This collection of essays examines representations of the English countryside and its mutations, and what they reveal about a nation’s, communities’ or individuals’ search for identity – and fear of losing it. Based on a pluridisciplinary approach and a variety of media, this book challenges the view that the English countryside is an apolitical space characterised by permanence and lack of conflict. It analyses how the pastoral motif is actually subverted to explore liminal spaces and temporalities. The authors deconstruct the “rural idyll” myth to show how it plays a distinctive and yet ambiguous part in defining Englishness/Britishness. A must read for both scholars and students interested in British rural and cultural history, media and literature.

About this title

About the Author

David Haigron is Senior Lecturer in British Studies at the University of Rennes 2, France. He is the author of The UK’s Political Landscape in the 21st Century (2014) and co-edited Social Class on British and American Screens (2016).

From the Back Cover

This collection of essays examines representations of the English countryside and its mutations, and what they reveal about a nation’s, communities’ or individuals’ search for identity – and fear of losing it. Based on a pluridisciplinary approach and a variety of media, this book challenges the view that the English countryside is an apolitical space characterised by permanence and lack of conflict. It analyses how the pastoral motif is actually subverted to explore liminal spaces and temporalities. The authors deconstruct the “rural idyll” myth to show how it plays a distinctive and yet ambiguous part in defining Englishness/Britishness. A must read for both scholars and students interested in British rural and cultural history, media and literature.

Edition details

• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
• Publication date: 2018
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 331985111X
• ISBN 13: 9783319851112
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 283
• Editor: Haigron David