Synopses & Reviews
This Guide examines the major trends and movements in critical interpretation of two of the most popular and widely-studied eighteenth-century novels, from the earliest reception history to the present day. The thematic organization of material points out similarities and differences between the two books and maps Defoe studies onto some of the obvious lines of development that criticism in general has taken over the last century in particular. The volume also features a bibliography and further reading section.
Synopsis
Defoe's Robinson Crusoe (1719) and Moll Flanders (1721) together defined a new way of writing fiction in the 18th century. Each was highly controversial in Defoe's time, and each has generated a very large amount of criticism since.
This Guide examines the major trends and movements in critical interpretation of these two popular and widely-studied novels, from the earliest reception history to the present day. The thematic and chronological organization of material points out similarities and differences between the two books, and maps Defoe studies onto some of the obvious lines of development that criticism in general has taken over the last century in particular, including feminist, ideological and postcolonial perspectives. The volume also features a section on adaptations of the novels in film and other media.
About the Author
Paul Baines is Senior Lecturer in English at the University of Liverpool. His previous publications include The Long Eighteenth Century (Hodder Arnold, 2004) and The Complete Critical Guide to Alexander Pope (Routledge, 2000).
Table of Contents
Introduction * Early Readers * Form * Rise of the Novel * Selves * Homo economicus * Sex and Gender * The Exotic and the Colony * Screening Defoe * Conclusion: Defoe Studies Today * Notes * Select Bibliography * Suggestions for Further Reading * Index