Jonathan Swift and Popular Culture Myth, Media and the Man
Author | : A. Kelly |
Publisher | : Palgrave Macmillan |
Total Pages | : 244 |
Release | : 2002-05-13 |
ISBN-10 | : 0312239599 |
ISBN-13 | : 9780312239596 |
Rating | : 4/5 (99 Downloads) |
Download or read book Jonathan Swift and Popular Culture Myth, Media and the Man written by A. Kelly and published by Palgrave Macmillan. This book was released on 2002-05-13 with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ann Kelly's provocative book breaks the mold of Swift studies. Twentieth century Swift scholars have tended to assess Jonathan Swift as a pillar of the eighteenth-century 'republic of letter', a conservative, even reactionary voice upholding classical values against the welling tide of popularization in literature. Kelly looks at Swift instead as a practical exponent of the popular and impressario of the literary image. She argues that Swift turned his back on the elite to write for a popular audience, and that he annexed scandals to his fictionalized print alter ego, creating a continual demand for works by or about this self-mythologized figure. A fascinating look at print culture, the commodification of the author, and the history of popular culture, this book should provoke lots of discussion.