Synopses & Reviews
Review
"Following up on the questions he posed in his 1989 book A Mirror for Americanists: Reflections on the Idea of American Literature, William Spengemann argues in A New World of Worlds that early American literature should be defined not by the citizenship of its writers but by the engagement of its texts with the presence of the New World—'wherever the literary presence of English writings can be attributed to the stylistic innovations arising from the historical presence of America among their circumstances of production. 'As such, Spengemann notes, early American literature would include 'some of the most historically and literarily important English writings of the Renaissance and the Enlightenment, from the English translation of More's Utopia to Robinson Crusoe and beyond. 'Thus, in the texts he examines in detail, Spengemann includes Milton's Paradise Lost, Blake's 'Marriage of Heaven and Hell, 'and Austen's Northanger Abbey alongside Smith's True Relation, Franklin's Autobiography, and the history of the word 'Columbus. 'While this book may not cause as much of a stir as Spengemann's earlier reflections, A New World of Words presents a more cohesive, more detailed argument that is sure to win him additional converts." Reviewed by Daniel Weiss, Virginia Quarterly Review (Copyright 2006 Virginia Quarterly Review)
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. 215-244) and index.