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More copies of this ISBN:This title in other formats:The Things That Matter: What Seven Classic Novels Have to Say about the Stages of Lifeby Edward Mendelson
Synopses & ReviewsPublisher Comments:An illuminating exploration of how seven of the greatest English novels of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries—Frankenstein, Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre, Middlemarch, Mrs. Dalloway, To the Lighthouse, and Between the Acts—portray the essential experiences of life. For Edward Mendelson—a professor of English and comparative literature at Columbia University—these classic novels tell life stories that are valuable to readers who are thinking about the course of their own lives. Looking beyond theories to the individual intentions of the authors and taking into consideration their lives and times, Mendelson examines the sometimes contradictory ways in which the novels portray such major passages of life as love, marriage, and parenthood. In Frankenstein’s story of a new life, we see a searing representation of emotional neglect. In Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre the transition from childhood to adulthood is portrayed in vastly different ways even though the sisters who wrote the books shared the same isolated life. In Mrs. Dalloway we see an ideal and almost impossible adult love. Mendelson leads us to a fresh and fascinating new understanding of each of the seven novels, reminding us—in the most captivating way—why they matter. The Things That Matter is a book that will delight all passionate readers. Review:"Columbia professor Mendelson's interlocking essays on the subtexts of seven great works of fiction (all by women) are lucidly expressed, insightful and often provocative. However, in arguing that one can learn the essentials of human existence from close readings of Frankenstein, Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre, Middlemarch and three Virginia Woolf works, he stretches Freudian imagination. In the chapter 'Birth,' for example, Mendelson demonstrates that Frankenstein is pervaded by fears of abandonment and death. Readers must invoke the subconscious to accept that these fears are common to human beings contemplating or existing in that earliest stage of life. What Mendelson does accomplish, and brilliantly, is to analyze these novels as extraordinary representatives of changes in moral and cultural mores in the 19th and 20th centuries. He offers a fascinating glimpse into the hidden visionary narrative in Wuthering Heights; convincingly finds that Middlemarch ('Marriage') and other of George Eliot's novels 'expound more knowledge than any other body of fiction in English, and more wisdom than most'; and credits Woolf with groundbreaking insights into human emotions. As literary guides to these seven books, Mendelson's essays offer significant intellectual pleasure. (Aug. s15)" Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.) Review:"'This book is about life as it is interpreted by books,' Edward Mendelson begins. He takes as his subjects Birth, Childhood, Growth, Marriage, Love, Parenthood and (instead of Death) the Future. The novels he uses to explicate his thoughts are Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein,' Emily Bronte's 'Wuthering Heights,' Charlotte Bronte's 'Jane Eyre,' George Eliot's 'Middlemarch,' and 'Mrs. Dalloway,' 'To the... Washington Post Book Review (read the entire Washington Post review) Review:“Great works of fiction often not only tell a story but also reveal how we are to live our lives. This sympathetic, profound, and very readable work by one of the finest literary scholars of our time shows us how seven novels can help us with the stages through which we all must pass. Review:“Edward Mendelson’s insights into the meaning of the novels he considers are acute. He reveals dimensions to these works that most of us will never have guessed at, showing, with grace and courtesy, both their deeper significance and the wisdom that they contain about life’s challenges. Reading this book places one in the company of an urbane, erudite, and sure-footed guide.” Alexander McCall Smith Review:“Edward Mendelson’s observations about literature are among the best I have read: deeply knowledgeable, appreciative and attentive, and expressed with the affinity of a scholar and critic who is himself an excellent writer. His book is a pleasure to read and to praise.” Shirley Hazzard Synopsis:For Edward Mendelson--"Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University--"these seven classic novels tell life stories that are valuable to readers thinking about the course of their own lives. Looking beyond theories to the individual intentions of the authors, and taking into consideration their lives and times, Mendelson examines the sometimes contradictory ways in which the novels portray such major passages of life as love, marriage, and parenthood. In
About the AuthorEdward Mendelson is a professor of English and comparative literature at Columbia University. He is the literary executor of W. H. Auden’s estate and the editor of Auden’s complete works. Among his previous books are Early Auden, Later Auden, and editions of novels by Anthony Trollope, George Meredith, Thomas Hardy, H. G. Wells, and Arnold Bennett. He lives in New York City with his wife and son. Table of ContentsIntroduction 1 Birth: Frankenstein 2 Childhood: Wuthering Heights 3 Growth: Jane Eyre 4 Marriage: Middlemarch 5 Love: Mrs. Dalloway 6 Parenthood: To the Lighthouse 7 The Future: Between the Acts Notes on the Novelists Further Reading Acknowledgments Index What Our Readers Are SayingBe the first to add a comment for a chance to win!Product Details
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