Synopses & Reviews
In the late 1800s, Americans flocked to cities, immigration, slums, and unemployment burgeoned, and America's role in foreign affairs grew. This period also spawned a number of fictional glimpses into the future. After the publication of Edward Bellamy's Looking Backward in 1888, there was an outpouring of utopian fantasy, many of which promoted socialism, while others presented refined versions of capitalism. Jean Pfaelzer's study traces the impact of the utopian novel and the narrative structures of these sentimental romances. She discusses progressive, pastoral, feminist, and apocalyptic utopias, as well as the genre's parodic counterpart, the dystopia.
Review
“The Utopian Novel is without doubt an enlightening and perceptive work which deserves a place in every English Studies library.”
—Anglo-American Studies
Review
“This book of Jean Pfaelzer's is a fine specimen of a study which combines socio-political analysis and the critique of genre. . . . no doubt one of the best books on its subject to date.”
—Science Fiction Studies
Review
“Pfaelzer's book covers the golden decade for the production of major American utopias. . . . her analysis of specific works are always thought-provoking and acute, filled with rewarding observations.”
—Canadian Review of American Studies
Synopsis
Jean Pfaelzer's study traces the impact of the utopian novel in the late nineteenth century, and the narrative structures of these sentimental romances. She discusses progressive, pastoral, feminist, and apocalyptic utopias, as well as the genre's parodic counterpart, the dystopia.
About the Author
Jean Pfaelzer is professor of English and American Studies at the University of Delaw