Life of Daniel Defoe - A Critical Biography

The Life of Daniel Defoe examines the entire range of Defoe's writing in the context of what is known about his life and opinions. The book provides a commentary on most of his voluminous political, religious, moral, and economic journalism, as well as on all of his narrative fictions. All these works are situated in the precise historical circumstances of the eighteenth century in which Defoe was an important and active participant. The biography focuses on Defoe's life and mind as it appears in his writing, and emphasises his distinctive style and rhetoric.

List of contents

Preface vi Acknowledgments x
1 Dissenter, Merchant, Speculator,Writer 1
2 Early Writings 1697-1703: Projects, Dissent, Poems 31
3 Political Journalism: 1697-1710 70
4 Political Agent and Journalist: Queen Anne to the Hanoverians 113
5 Moral, Social, and Economic Writings 1714-31 143
6 Robinson Crusoe 174
7 Travel, Politics, and Adventure 213
8 Crime and Narrative 234
9 Roxana: A Novel of Crime and Punishment 268
10 History, Facts, and Literature 301
11 Political Journalist and Moral Censor: 1715-31 337
Notes 362
Bibliography 390
Index 395

About the author

John Richetti is A.M. Rosenthal Professor of English at the University of Pennsylvania. He has written extensively on the eighteenth-century English novel and eighteenth-century philosophical prose, including The English Novel in History: 1700-1780 (1999), Philosophical Writing: Locke, Berkeley, Hume (1983), Defoe's Narratives (1975), and Popular Fiction Before Richardson: Narrative Patterns 1700-1739 (1969). He has edited Robinson Crusoe (2003), among other titles.

Summary

The Life of Daniel Defoe examines the entire range of Defoe's writing in the context of what is known about his life and opinions. * A critical study of the writing of Daniel Defoe. * Features extended and detailed commentaries on Defoe's political and religious journalism, as well as on his narrative fictions.

Product details

• Authors: J Richetti, John Richetti, John (University of Pennsylvania Richetti, John J. Richetti, Richetti John
• Publisher: Wiley, John and Sons Ltd
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 31.07.2015
• EAN: 9781119045304
• ISBN: 978-1-119-04530-4
• No. of pages: 432
• Series: Wiley Blackwell Critical Biographies; Wiley Blackwell Critical Biographies; Wiley Blackwell Critical Biogr
• Subjects: Fiction > Narrative literature > Letters, diaries; Humanities, art, music > Linguistics and literary studies > General and comparative literary studies; Non-fiction book > Art, literature > Biographies, autobiographies; BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Literary Figures, Biography: literary, English, Literary studies: general, Literary studies: c 1500 to c 1800, Literary studies: fiction, novelists & prose writers, Literary studies: fiction, novelists and prose writers, Biography: writers, LITERARY CRITICISM / Novel as Form