The Mind's Isle

Imaginary Islands in English Fiction
1. Auflage 2017
ISBN: 978-1-78707-303-6
Verlag: Peter Lang

Buch, Englisch, 366 Seiten, Format (B × H): 155 mm x 231 mm, Gewicht: 684 g

Taking as its point of departure , Plato’s account of Atlantis and , this book examines the profound influence of these works on the development of island fiction as a genre specific to English literature. Close readings of island fictions from the past four centuries reveal the many ways in which they adapt, rewrite and refer back to these foundational texts, forming an important and intriguing literary tradition. Examples of the genre include such universal classics as , , , , and .

Islands have always attracted travellers, writers and dreamers. This book leads the reader on a voyage of exploration to understand exactly what lies behind the island’s powerful appeal to the literary imagination. Along the way, it explores the cultural and historical background to Britain’s island status and its legacy of colonialism and imperialism.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Kempton, Adrian

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Literaturwissenschaft Literarische Stoffe, Motive und Themen
• Geisteswissenschaften Literaturwissenschaft Englische Literatur

Inhaltsverzeichnis

CONTENTS: Legend and Myth – Odysseus, Sindbad and Atlantis – Utopias and Dystopias – Blueprints for perfect societies: , Bacon and Neville – Enlightenment satire: – Symbol and ideal: Barrie, Warner and Huxley – Mystery and Mastery – – Phraxos and Sycorax – Island laboratories and thrillers: Frankenstein, Moreau and Christie – Solitude and Survival – – Robinsonades: Golding and Spark – Island retreats: Conrad, Lawrence and Ballard – Romance and Adventure – Byron and the Brontës – Marryat, Ballantyne and – – Childhood exploration: Jefferies, Ransome and Blyton.

Über Autor(innen)

Adrian Kempton was formerly a lecturer in French, English and Comparative Literature at Queen’s University Belfast, University College Cork and the University of London Institute in Paris. He specializes in comparative eighteenth-century studies, with particular interests in epistolary writing, robinsonades, early children’s literature, salon art criticism and gardens. Retired since 2011, he lives between Paris and Chartres and is a frequent visitor to the Îles du Ponant – the islands of the setting sun.