Boredom - The Literary History of a State of Mind

This book offers a witty explanation of why boredom both haunts and motivates the literary imagination. Moving from Samuel Johnson to Donald Barthelme, from Jane Austen to Anita Brookner, Spacks shows us at last how we arrived in a postmodern world where boredom is the all-encompassing name we give our discontent. Her book, anything but boring, gives us new insight into the cultural usefulness--and deep interest--of boredom as a state of mind.

Summary

This text, using examples ranging from Samuel Johnson and Jane Austen to Donald Barthelme and Anita Brookner, examines the influence that the concept of "boredom" exerts on the literary imagination.

Product details

• Authors: Patricia Meyer Spacks, Patricia Meyer Spacks, Patricia Meyer (University of Virginia) Spacks
• Publisher: University Of Chicago Press
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 01.06.1996
• EAN: 9780226768540
• ISBN: 978-0-226-76854-0
• No. of pages: 304
• Dimensions: 155 mm x 229 mm x 18 mm
• Weight: 478 g
• Subject: Humanities, art, music > Linguistics and literary studies > General and comparative literary studies